COOPERATION WITH SOUTH-KOREA GAINS MOMENTUM

FACULTY WORLDWIDE

FACULTY WORLDWIDEFrom 20 to 23 November 2018, a delegation led by Prof. Bert Lauwers, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Technology, was on a working visit in South-Korea. Together with China, India, Ethiopia and the Greater Mekong region, South-Korea has become one of the priority countries in the Faculty’s international policy. The delegation visited four leading universities and conducted talks with H.E. Peter Lescouhier, the new Belgian ambassador in South-Korea and Ms. Eva Morre, in charge of academic collaboration.

The collaboration with South-Korea started in June 2017 when Prof. Sabine Vercruysse, in charge of the Faculty’s internationalization and Wim Polet, Director of the International Office of Group T Leuven Campus, participated in an official Belgian economic mission headed by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid. During the mission, first contacts were established with 8 universities, among them Seoul National University (SNU), Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), EWHA Womans University and Kyung Pook National University (KNU). Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Under standing has already been signed with SKKU, followed by a Student Exchanges Agreement. In August 2018, the first students of the Faculty of Engineering Technology announced themselves at SKKU.

Founded over 600 years ago, SKKU is the oldest university in East-Asia. Nowadays, it belongs to the highest ranked institutes in the country. SKKU is well known for its academic exchange programmes with 653 universities all over the world. Currently, SKKU is running 33 dual degree programmes, including MIT’s School of Engineering. During the visit in November 2018, proposals for expanding the dual degree programmes with KU Leuven were discussed. On the occasion of the state visit of the Belgian King Filip in March 2019, in which Prof. Luc Sels, Rector of KU Leuven will participate, an official visit will be arranged.

Furthermore, Hanyang University, EWHA Womans University and Kyung Pook National University declared to be interested in collaboration with KU Leuven in general and the Faculty of Engineering Technology in particular.

Starting as South-Korea’s first engineering institute, Hanyang University has evolved into a research-intensive private university with diverse international interchanges. Industry-university cooperation is the driving force of Hanyang’s educational and research strategy. The collobarative research activities include a software development programme with Samsung Electronics and the establishment of a joint Automotive Research Centre with Hyundai Motors.

EWHA Womans University traces its origins back to 1886. It is home to a Multicultural Institute which aims to conduct academic research and teaching around cultural diversity and to promote equal opportunities for women’s education.

KNU is the youngest university (founded in 1946) that was visited in November 2018. Its main campus with the major engineering and science schools is located in Daegu city, south of Seoul. KNU is the 1st among the national universities in the area of biomedical and health science.

With these universities it was agreed to continue the discussions with the intention of signing a Memorandum of Understanding in the near future.

Yves Persoons