New residence and cultural centre will house some 200 students and foster
international scholarship
An agreement between UBC and Korea University (KU) will establish a joint academic
program for undergraduate students and a $10-million residential cultural centre
on campus.
“This agreement represents a major development in our relationship with Korea
University,” says UBC President Martha Piper. “It is a strong and focused step
toward our mutual goals of strategic international partnerships.”
Advancing international scholarship and research, particularly with Pacific
Rim countries, is among the university’s goals.
“In this era of globalization, there is a need to study foreign languages
and also a need to better understand the cultural and societal context of different
countries,” says Dr. Jung-Bae Kim, KU’s president.
The agreement could serve as a model of intense cultural exchange experiences
for other institutions, he adds.
The 20-year agreement provides for an eight-month integrated cross-cultural
education program at UBC for about 100 KU students annually.
The program, which starts in September 2001, will be designed using curriculum
from the faculties of Agricultural Sciences, Arts, and Commerce and Business
Administration. In the first year, about 60 to 70 KU students will attend the
program which is expected to be fully operational by the 2002-2003 academic
year.
The two universities will jointly develop one course specifically for the
program to be offered each academic year. It will be open to students from both
universities and delivered jointly at UBC by two faculty members, one from each
institution.
Planning for the campus residence and cultural centre starts this fall. The
complex will accommodate about 200 students and will offer academic, developmental
and cultural programming reflecting Korean heritage. The facility’s location
has yet to be determined. “The facility symbolizes the partnership between the
two institutions,” says Larry Sproul, director of UBC’s International Liaison
office who helped negotiate the agreement. “The program of activities and the
day-to-day student interactions will significantly enrich our relationship with
KU and Korea.” KU students will be accommodated in UBC residences until the
new complex is built.
A senior academic council will be formed to oversee all initiatives in the
strategic alliance between UBC and KU. A management committee comprising students,
staff and faculty from the two universities will handle operational details
of the joint academic program.
Funding for the academic program will come from tuition fees and both universities
will share the cost of residence construction.
KU, originally founded as Posung College in 1905, is one of the top-ranked
private universities in Korea.
UBC has 215 international agreements in 46 countries ranging from Australia
to Zimbabwe.
For a list of international linkages visit www.interchange.ubc.ca/ubcintl/linkages.html.
