Korean Educational Development Institute(KEDI)

A Study on National University's Incorporation Policy in Korea

More than 20 years have passed since national university's incorporation appeared in higher education reform agenda in Korea with only a few policy outcomes. A draft act on national university corporation's establishment and operation that the Korean government handed in to national assembly in 2007 was discarded due to the expiration of national assembly's term. Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, the only national university corporation in the country, was opened in March 2009 and a draft act on Seoul National University corporation's establishment and operation was submitted to national assembly in December 2009.

This study aims to provide policy recommendations by confirming the necessity of national university's incorporation, comparing the past incorporation policies, drawing out positive and negative effects of incorporation based on survey results and policy experiences in Japan and Singapore. The results of this study consist of first, status quo and problems of national university's operation, second, policy experiences in Japan and Singapore, third, survey results of national university faculty and staff followed by policy recommendations.