Northern Gyeongsang Region Universities Join Forces to Open the Path to Settlement for Overseas Talent

Kyungguk National University, Andong Science College, and Catholic Sangji College

Forum Seeks to Connect Study Abroad, Employment, and Settlement

Building a Regional Talent Ecosystem

Kyungguk National University, Andong Science College, and Catholic Sangji College are working together to seek practical settlement solutions that connect universities, local governments, and companies, aiming to encourage more foreign students to settle in the region.

Kyungguk National University
Photo by Byunggun Kwon

The three universities will co-host the "2026 Northern Gyeongsang Province Overseas Talent Attraction and Regional Settlement Forum" on October 8 at 3 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Andong Stanford Hotel.

This forum, under the theme "From Attracting International Students at Regional Universities to Enabling Settlement," was organized to discuss ways of expanding international talent attraction beyond simply securing student numbers and toward connecting such efforts to local employment and long-term settlement.

Universities in northern Gyeongsang Province have been working to attract international talent in response to structural problems faced by the region, such as declining school-age population and youth outflow. However, concerns remain that a comprehensive support system is needed—not only from universities, but also from local governments, businesses, and related institutions—to help international students find jobs at local companies and settle stably in the area after graduation.

This forum will focus on examining the current status of settlement among international students in northern Gyeongsang Province and discuss step-by-step support measures, spanning Korean language education, academic assistance, job placement at local businesses, and support for establishing daily life in the community.

The event will proceed in the order of an opening ceremony, keynote presentations, and a general discussion.

After Tae Jiho, Head of the Global Talent Exchange Center at Kyungguk National University, proclaims the opening, Kyungguk National University's Yecheon Campus Executive Vice President Kim Jongsoo will give the welcoming remarks, and Kwon Soon-tae, CEO of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Talent Lifelong Education Foundation, will deliver a congratulatory message.

During the keynote presentations, An Jeonggeun, Vice President of Kyungbok University, will present on the current situation of international students' settlement and ways to expand overseas talent recruitment in northern Gyeongsang Province. This will be followed by Jang Heunseong, Director of the K-Dream Center, who will suggest measures to increase settlement rates through support for academics, language, and daily life.

In the general discussion, Kim Byunggyu, Admissions Director at Kyungguk National University, will serve as moderator, joined by representatives from the three universities and the Gyeongsangbuk-do Human Resources Development Committee. Together, they will discuss how to build a local settlement ecosystem where international talent can remain, participate in economic activities, and integrate as community members after graduation.

Based on a previously signed international talent attraction agreement, Kyungguk National University, Andong Science College, and Catholic Sangji College continue to collaborate to recruit international students and promote their employment and settlement in the region. The three universities, together with Kyungguk National University's Glocal University Promotion Team, plan to use this forum as an opportunity to further detail the framework for joint cooperation.

Lim Utaek, Director of the Anchor Project Team at Kyungguk National University, stated, "If attracting international students remains focused solely on increasing numbers, it will not fundamentally solve the region's population issues. This forum will serve as the starting point for the three universities to jointly design a virtuous cycle in which international students learn, work, and settle in the local community."

Tae Jiho, Head of the Global Talent Exchange Center, said, "From the admissions stage, strengthening Korean language proficiency, preparing for job placement at local companies, and supporting settlement in daily life should form a continuous process. By coordinating the education and support programs of the three universities, we will strengthen field-driven support to ensure international students can stably work and live in northern Gyeongsang Province even after graduation."

The competitiveness of foreign student policy is determined less by 'how many were attracted' than 'how many have put down roots in the region.' In northern Gyeongsang Province, where declining school-age population and youth outflow intersect, overseas talent represents a new human resource base that supports not only university enrollment but also the sustainability of regional industries and communities.

If this forum results in an implementation system that connects education, jobs, and housing and living support—not just symbolic inter-university cooperation—the virtuous cycle of "attraction-education-employment-settlement" can become a reality.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.