KB News Desk
Kyung Hee University and Jeonju Vision University were named the top institutions for supporting international students’ employment and entrepreneurship, the Education Ministry said Monday.
The ministry selected two grand prize winners and four excellence award recipients after evaluating universities’ programs for international students across four areas: employment support, entrepreneurship support, settlement assistance and global network building.
Programs were assessed based on their strategy, specificity, effectiveness and potential for wider adoption.
A total of 27 universities applied for the competition, including 20 four-year universities and seven junior colleges.
Kyung Hee University won the grand prize in the four-year university category for introducing a competency certification system for international students.
Under the KHU-PASS program, international students’ competencies in areas including Korean language, career planning, global experience and problem-solving projects are certified based on programs they complete.
Students receive digital badges documenting the competencies they have earned, which can be used as credentials on resumes and other job application materials.
The ministry said the system was highly rated for providing step-by-step support throughout students’ academic and career development.
Jeonju Vision University took the grand prize in the junior college category for building what the ministry described as a systematic model for attracting, training and retaining international students in the region.
Working with local governments, the university operates Korean-language institutes in overseas locations under the Saemangeum Korean Language Academy program to provide language and cultural education before students arrive in Korea.
It also runs social integration programs aimed at helping international students settle locally and has worked with municipalities and companies to connect students with employment opportunities.
Meanwhile, Kangwon National University, Kyungbok University, Kyungsung University and Chungnam National University received excellence awards.
The four institutions were recognized for offering customized education tied to local industry demand and supporting international students’ employment and regional settlement through job programs, industry-academia cooperation, partnerships with local governments and overseas networks.
“We need to expand support so that international student policies can foster talent needed by local industries and help students settle stably in local communities,” Vice Education Minister Choi Eun-ok said.
“The ministry plans to spread the best practices identified through the competition to universities nationwide, with the aim of creating a sustainable ecosystem in which local governments, universities and companies jointly support international students’ employment and settlement,” she added.
