[INTERVIEW] Korea University fosters global K-culture talent with new program

Marking 120th anniversary, university aims to reach top 30 ranking and tackle global challenges

By Jung Da-hyun

Korea University, consistently cited as one of the nation's top schools, is ramping up efforts to create a more welcoming environment for international students, aiming to position itself not only as an academic institution but also as a hub for developing practical solutions for global, real-world challenges.

"Since our founding in 1905, Korea University has played a pivotal role in the nation's history. Now, we must go further and contribute practical solutions to global challenges," Korea University President Kim Dong-one told the Korea Times in an interview.

As part of its global initiatives, Korea University established the School of Global Entertainment to cultivate media professionals who will shape the future of the global entertainment industry.

"There is a growing demand among international students to learn about Korea’s entertainment industry, driven by the global popularity of K-pop and K-dramas," Kim said. "To meet this demand, we decided to establish a dedicated program."

The new department, aimed specifically at international students, is the first in Korea at a four-year university to offer a comprehensive, interdisciplinary curriculum focused exclusively on entertainment for a global audience.

"The hope is that these students will create their own unique forms of entertainment worldwide after immersing themselves in K-entertainment culture," he said.

The university is also stepping up efforts to create a more inclusive environment for international students following its campus globalization declaration in September last year.

The number of international students on campus increased from 4,230 in 2023 to 6,240 by the second semester of 2024. The university is also expanding its recruitment of international faculty, with plans to increase the number of full-time international professors from 83 to 146 by 2030, making up 10 percent of the total faculty.

"Not just focusing on attracting more international students and faculty, we are pursuing a deeper internationalization of research, education and administration as a whole," Kim said.

The university has expanded bilingual Korean-English markers across campus, including online announcements and notices. Faculty and staff have completed AI translation training 12 times, and starting in the spring semester, the university will trial a real-time multilingual subtitle system for Korean lectures.

This ensures that international faculty and students can better understand important announcements, reducing the risk of missing important information.

Kim said the university holds a task force meeting every two weeks to better address the challenges international students and faculty face.

"International professors, staff and students participate in these meetings to share feedback on school policies and compile a to-do list to resolve their difficulties," Kim said. "The university has also been assessing student satisfaction through recent campus surveys."

Furthermore, Korea University is making efforts to help talented international students integrate into Korean society, recognizing their potential role in addressing the country’s demographic challenges.

"We don’t see international students as temporary visitors but as valued members of the Korea University community," he said.

As part of its integration efforts, Korea University operates one of the largest student-led support networks among domestic universities.

Beyond academic support and networking events, Korea University actively helps international students build long-term careers in Korea by offering specialized job visa briefings, career seminars and joint job-training programs with local students.

Global ambition marking 120th anniversary

Expanding its global vision, Korea University is striving to position itself as a leader in higher education and a key contributor to tackling humanity’s pressing challenges.

As the university marks its 120th anniversary, it has set an ambitious goal — breaking into the world’s top 30 universities in the near future and becoming a model institution for the future of higher education.

To achieve this, Korea University is focusing on major global issues such as the environment, sustainability, aging populations and social inequality. It launched K-CLUB, a research network connecting top scholars worldwide, to establish itself as a hub for international research collaboration.

"Our goal is to address humanity’s urgent challenges through cutting-edge research and innovation," Kim said.

This year, the university will introduce "Climate Corps Program 2025,” bringing together researchers and students from leading institutions to develop practical solutions for climate and environmental issues. More than 100 participants from over 30 universities have already signed up.

"Through this program, we aim to build a global research network and generate creative solutions to environmental challenges," he added.

Korea University is also strengthening its international partnerships. It recently hosted the 2024 KU-Yale international joint research forum, focusing on energy, water and climate technology innovation. It plans to expand the collaboration this year with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Michigan State University.

"I believe that a university should directly contribute to society in a meaningful way," Kim said.

"Our vision is for Korea University to be an institution that actively seeks solutions to global challenges — not just for academia, but for humanity as a whole."