SUWON — Jeon Ja-young, a Gyeonggi Provincial Council member from the Democratic Party of Korea representing Yongin District 4, said universities, local councils and local governments need a standing channel for dialogue to support the sustainable growth of universities in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon.
Jeon made the remarks as a panelist at a policy forum on the sustainable development of universities in the Gyeonggi and Incheon region, held on the 19th in the second small conference room of the National Assembly Members' Office Building.
"Each university faces different conditions and needs different support," Jeon said. "To reflect that properly in the policy discussion, university presidents, local councils and local governments have to exchange views closely."
"We need a wider forum where universities can keep sharing their difficulties and the demands coming from the field, and where we look for solutions together," Jeon added.
Jeon also cited experience reviewing the budget for the Gyeonggi Regional Research Center (GRRC) program, which supports joint research between universities and companies.
"Only when the field explains fully why a program and its budget are needed can the local council understand that need and speak for it," Jeon said.
"Universities have to get closer to their local communities to identify local problems together," Jeon said. "What matters is finding projects that universities and their regions can carry out jointly."
Jeon proposed building policies step by step so that students and universities can feel the actual effect of the support.
"I hope this forum leads university presidents, students, local councils and relevant agencies to keep putting their heads together in each region," Jeon said. "I will work to connect universities with their local communities so that voices from the field feed into policy discussions."
The forum was hosted by the office of National Assembly member Kim Jun-hyuk and organized by the Council of University Presidents in the Gyeonggi-Incheon Region. It was convened to review educational conditions at universities in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon and to discuss ways to improve the higher education support system. Park Chul-woo, vice president of Tech University of Korea, delivered the keynote presentation, laying out directions for the sustainable development of regional universities and the support tasks involved.