Amid the severe concentration problem in the metropolitan area, the Ministry of Education is concentrating on building a “RISE system” that transfers the government’s authority to support universities to the region. This aims at achieving effective mutual growth between the region and regional universities. High expectations were set up this year as the city of Busan was selected as a demonstration area ahead of the nationwide implementation of RISE in 2025.

Pusan National University (PNU), a representative university of Busan, is also focusing on the system. On May 9th, "Channel PNU" heard a detailed story from Jang Deok-Hyeon, the Director of Planning, who oversees the system of PNU.

Q. What is the RISE system? Tell us about the reason for the promotion and its goal.

A. “RISE,” which is the acronym for “Regional Innovation System & Education,” literally means a regional innovation-centered university support system. It was promoted to achieve mutual growth between the region and the universities in the region by transferring the authority of university support, concentrated in the metropolitan area and the central government, to the local government. From 2025, more than 50% of the Ministry of Education’s university financial support budget will be shifted to local governments. Ultimately, we want to create a virtuous cycle structure where universities in the region become hubs of the regional innovation ecosystem to nurture local talent and create jobs.

Q. What kind of practical effect or benefit will the transfer of the government’s existing authority for education to local governments have on regional development?

A. Existing university financial support projects had to be operated according to the framework established by the central government, so there were limitations in considering the characteristics of each region. However, in the system, local governments and universities can autonomously set university innovation tasks according to the conditions and features of each region and achieve collaboration within the region. In other words, it is expected that it will not only be able to operate a consumer-centered academic structure but also contribute to regional development.

In particular, the Busan area is experiencing a continuous population decline and super-aging, and the system can cope with these issues. We expect to prevent the outflow of local talent and promote balanced national development through regional, industry, and academic (RIA) cooperation based on the system.

Q. I heard that there are also concerns that the RISE system may not be a good policy.

A. It seems that such concerns arise because there needs to be a specific plan to apply to many regional universities. It is also true that local governments still need more administrative expertise and experience in university education, so there are many concerns about whether they will achieve the desired effect with momentum. It seems that the capacity and willingness of local governments for university education will be an essential factor in determining the effectiveness of the system.

Q. There are many cases where the system needs to be clarified with the “*Glocal University 30” project. Can you please explain so that the students can better understand?

A. The system is often called the “RISE business,” but more accurately, it means the overall operating system rather than the business. The Ministry of Education envisions a more specific project to foster local universities based on the system. The “Glocal University 30” project, which is at the center of it all, is a project to intensively foster universities in non-metropolitan areas based on the system that aims for regional innovation.

The Glocal University Project (GUP) plans to gradually expand to 30 schools by 2026, starting with the designation of around ten local universities this year. The 30 universities designated as glocal universities will receive approximately KRW 100 billion per school for five years.

Q. As a representative university of the region selected for the system, what is PNU preparing?

A. Among the seven regional governments selected as pilot areas for the system, Busan City is highly anticipated. This is because it is the largest region excluding the metropolitan area and where the existing geo-industrial-academic cooperation was promoted. PNU, which can be called the representative university of Busan, is focusing on preparing to be designated as a GUP which is the center of the system. PNU has formed the “Glocal University Promotion Innovation TF” and is preparing a “Audacious Innovation Plan” that can be promoted as a national base national university.

As part of that, we are discussing ways to apply jointly for this project by integrating with the Pusan National University of Education. This is a plan to increase the possibility of selecting a glocal university in a direction that meets the purpose of “breaking down the boundary between departments and universities” required by the Ministry of Education.

Q. Opinions are divided on whether PNU can be selected as a glocal university. I’m curious to see how you predict this.

A. I can’t say for sure, but I’m trying my best to find various alternatives so that I can be selected for the current GUP. Due to the nature of public universities, they may need to improve their ability to pursue audacious innovations compared to private universities. However, PNU plans to differentiate itself based on its strengths as a university representing Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, and a base national university representing the region. PNU members will be able to produce good enough results if they do not think only of the interests of their organizations and gather opinions for the sustainable growth of PNU in a big way.

*Glocal: It is a compound word of Global and Local, indicating that it has global and local characteristics at the same time.

Reporter Yoon Da-Gyo

Translated by Choi Ye-Won