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7 universities set for novel collaboration program at Sejong Joint Campus

Published: 16 Apr. 2025, 14:00 Updated: 16 Apr. 2025, 14:25

A view of the Sejong Joint Campus in Jiphyeon-dong, Sejong [YONHAP]

More universities are coming into Sejong, as the city’s joint campus project continues to expand. Four universities have already settled in at the Sejong Joint Campus, with three more on the way. In a recent development, Taejae University, an online university, also signed an agreement to launch a collaborative education model with the city.

Seoul National University, KDI to begin classes at Sejong Joint Campus in September

Lee Seung-won, vice mayor for economic affairs of Sejong City; Yeom Jae-ho, president of Taejae University; and Han Seok-su, chairman of the Sejong Joint Campus Foundation, signed a memorandum of understanding at the Sejong Joint Campus on Tuesday.

The three institutions pledged to cooperate on cultivating talent and building innovative education models. They also committed to developing educational projects in partnership with the local community and boosting operations at the Sejong-based academic hub.

Taejae University plans to identify urban challenges specific to Sejong and launch collaborative student exchange programs with other universities and high schools in the city. The online university, which opened in September 2023, focuses on nurturing talent through AI-based education.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivers a congratulatory speech at the welcoming plaza of the Sejong Joint Campus in Jiphyeon-dong, Sejong City, on Sept 25, 2024. [YONHAP]

Seven universities set to occupy Sejong Joint Campus

The Sejong Joint Campus, located in Jiphyeon-dong in Sejong, officially opened in September 2024. The concept behind the campus is to have multiple universities and research institutions cohabitate, sharing lecture halls, libraries, gymnasiums and other facilities while conducting cross-institutional education and research.

The campus includes a dormitory that can house up to 500 students. Officials say the model is unprecedented both in Korea and abroad. The total floor area of the campus is 58,111 square meters (625,501 square feet).

Currently, 536 students from four institutions — the Seoul National University Interdisciplinary Program in National Policy and Administration, the Korea Development Institute School, Hanbat National University’s Department of Artificial Intelligence Software and Chungbuk National University’s College of Veterinary Medicine — have leased space in the complex.

A view of the Sejong Joint Campus in Jiphyeon-dong, Sejong [NATIONAL AGENCY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE CITY CONSTRUCTION]

Originally, 400 students from Chungnam National University’s pre-med and medical departments were also expected to move in, but internal conflicts over medical education policy have delayed their relocation until September.

Three more universities — Kongju National University, Chungnam National University and Korea University — are expected to move in between 2028 and 2029. These universities have purchased land and are building their own facilities.

Programs to be offered include Kongju University’s atmospheric science, geo-environmental science and medical information science departments; Chungnam National University’s smart city architecture and AI departments; and Korea University’s big data science and smart city departments. Together, these three schools will bring 2,189 students to the shared campus.

“There are no gates or fences at the Sejong Joint Campus,” said an official from the National Agency for Administrative City Construction. “This reflects our goal of creating an open campus environment for collaboration between educational and research institutions, while also welcoming local residents.”

A view of the Sejong Joint Campus in Jiphyeon-dong, Sejong [NATIONAL AGENCY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE CITY CONSTRUCTION]

Sejong mayor urges move by capital-area universities

Sejong City is also working to attract more universities.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Mayor Choi Min-ho proposed relocating some prestigious capital-area universities — such as Seoul National University — to Sejong as a way to address the limitations caused by the capital region’s dominance.

“We need to face the reality that jobs and schools are concentrated in the capital,” said Choi. “We should gradually move parts of elite universities to Sejong and build a global mega think tank through collaboration among institutions in the joint campus, KAIST, Daedeok Innopolis, 16 national research institutes, Osong bio cluster and the science and business belt to develop the Chungcheong region into a second capital area.”

BY KIM BANG-HYUN [[email protected]]