Provincial Universities On Verge of Extinction

A rising number of provincial colleges and universities are seeing a drop in student enrollment. Some unpopular colleges are expected to close their doors if the trend continues.

Universities and colleges in South Cholla province were 17 percent below their student quotas and its predicted that by the year 2003, some post-secondary institutes could face a 47 percent vacancy.

The only way for these schools to reverse the dangerous slide, is through marketing. Universities must distinguish themselves from one another and from their counterparts in Seoul, through specialization.

A good example of this specialization can be found at Cooper Union College, a small engineering-centered university, where students are on par with those at Harvard and MIT. Cooper Union has suceeded by sharing facilities with other institutions and accepting credits from other colleges.

Provincial universities and colleges in Korea must establish original programs of study. Now is the time for reformation before the condition worsens for domestic students.

by Kim Tae-gi