IGC’s Long-Sought Lifelong Education Initiative Wins National Assembly Approval (26.5.11.)
Incheon Global Campus’s Long-Awaited Initiative Comes to Fruition as the “Lifelong Education Act” Passes the National Assembly Plenary Session-Opening a New Era of Global Lifelong Learning-□ A Joint Achievement by the Five Universities at Incheon Global Campus (IGC) Following the Bill’s Proposal by National Assembly Member Jung Il-youngEstablishing a Legal Basis for Foreign Universities to Operate Lifelong Education Programs, Accelerating Cooperation with the Local Community and Educational InnovationIGC is expected to go beyond its role as a hub for global education and emerge as a new center for lifelong education in Korea. On May 7, a partial amendment to the Lifelong Education Act, which establishes a legal basis for foreign educational institutions to provide lifelong education, was finally passed at the plenary session of the National Assembly.The passage of the bill marks a major milestone for the IGC Foundation and its resident universities, which have worked on this key initiative for several years. It is expected to become a turning point in providing local residents with access to world-class educational opportunities while strengthening IGC’s social responsibility.□ An Achievement Made Possible by a ‘One-Team’ Effort from Proposal to PassageThe amendment gained momentum on July 15, 2024, when National Assembly Member Jung Il-young, representing the Incheon Yeonsu-gu constituency, where IGC is located, introduced the bill as its lead sponsor. Even after proposing the bill, Jung continued to make dedicated efforts toward its passage by persuading members of the National Assembly Education Committee and emphasizing the need for the legislation.In particular, during the process of placing the bill before a subcommittee of the National Assembly Education Committee, which was one of the most critical stages in the legislative process, the support and determination of Kim Young-ho, Chair of the National Assembly Education Committee, played an important role. The active participation of the universities at IGC was also significant.The five universities at IGC—SUNY Korea (Stony Brook University and FIT), George Mason University Korea, Ghent University Global Campus, and the University of Utah Asia Campus—worked closely with the IGC Foundation to help develop an effective and practical bill, including by developing examples of specialized lifelong education programs suited to the strengths of each university.□ Expectations for Greater Community Cooperation and Expansion of Educational InfrastructureUnder the amended Lifelong Education Act, foreign educational institutions now have a legal basis to hire qualified lifelong education professionals and officially operate lifelong education programs. This will allow IGC’s high-quality educational resources, which had previously been largely limited to degree programs, to become more widely accessible to local communities and the general public.IGC plans to provide high-quality educational services that are differentiated from lifelong education programs offered by domestic universities by developing distinctive programs unique to foreign universities, including global business and policy, job retraining for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and foreign languages and understanding of world cultures.Byun Joo-young, CEO of the IGC Foundation, stated, “By actively leveraging IGC’s global educational infrastructure, we will not only contribute to the internationalization of higher education in Korea but also continue to evolve into a globally leading, innovative K-platform connecting academia, research, and industry.” Following the passage of the bill, the IGC Foundation will work with its resident universities to establish detailed operational guidelines and plans to launch pilot programs as early as the second half of this year.□ Incheon Global Campus currently hosts a total of 51 institutions and companies, including Stony Brook University, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), George Mason University Korea, Ghent University Global Campus, University of Utah Asia Campus, Marine@UGent Korea. -TranslatedbyEmilyHwang(MasonKorea)PressCoverage:"IncheonGlobalCampustoOfferLifelongEducationProgramsasRelatedLawPassesNationalAssembly"(May11)YonhapNews—https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20260511132000065?input=1195mSisaOn—https://www.sisaon.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=200970BridgeEconomy—https://www.viva100.com/article/20260511500979BusinessKorea—https://www.businesskorea.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=269220NewDaily—https://ic.newdaily.co.kr/site/data/html/2026/05/12/2026051200004.htmlSsdamMedia—https://www.newsenc.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3840JoongbooIlbo—https://www.joongboo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=363725303JoongdoIlbo—https://www.joongdo.co.kr/web/view.php?key=20260511010002388JeonmaeMaeilShinmun—https://www.jeonmae.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1255397GukjeNews—https://www.gukjenews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3578969FinancialNews(Fnnews)—https://www.fnnews.com/news/202605111551064003SegyeIlbo—https://www.segye.com/newsView/20260512504026?OutUrl=naverWebEconomy—https://www.webeconomy.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=2168976JoongAngIlbo—https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25427630
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