KNU Establishes ‘Department of Global Liberal Arts’ for International Students, Offering Support from Academic Korean to Degree Program Transition
- Date
- 2026/07/03
- Writer
- English
- Hit
- 194
Kyungpook National University (KNU) is establishing the "Department of Global Liberal Arts," an undergraduate school exclusively for international students. The Department of Global Liberal Arts offers a specialized curriculum where international students complete one year of academic Korean language training while exploring major courses before advancing to their desired department in their sophomore year. KNU will begin operating the school in the first semester of the 2027 academic year and will start recruiting new international students this coming October.
The establishment of this school aligns with the South Korean government’s policy to attract 300,000 international students. It also aims to improve the quality of education and support systematic academic settlement in response to the growing demands from international students.
Freshmen in the Department of Global Liberal Arts will spend their first year completing Korean language education and foundational competency courses tailored to various departments while adapting to university and local community life. From their second year, they will enter their chosen major programs. Major assignments will be available within the scope of the departments included in the university's special admission units for international students, excluding arts and physical education fields.
The number of Korean language trainees at KNU's Language Education Center more than quadrupled from 162 in 2022 to 712 in 2025. KNU has decided to strengthen its support system so that these trainees can smoothly transition into the university’s degree programs, including the Department of Global Liberal Arts. To achieve this, the university will operate a "Global Language-Study Linkage Program" that grants eligibility to enter the Department of Global Liberal Arts. Furthermore, it plans to lower the barriers to entry for degree programs and establish a stable path to advancement by introducing a "Credit Stepping Stone" system, which recognizes the achievements of the training program as university credits.
KNU's world ranking of 481st in the recently announced "2027 QS World University Rankings" is also expected to have a positive impact on attracting and settling international students. This ranking serves as bonus points when applying for research study or employment visas, and for Chinese students in particular, it is linked to preferential requirements for obtaining household registration (Hukou) in certain major Chinese cities.
KNU has been selected as an Excellent Certified University for three consecutive years in the Ministry of Justice's IEQAS evaluations, allowing it to receive benefits such as an expanded list of countries eligible for simplified visa issuance and preferential treatment in the selection of internationalization projects.
Choi Hee-kyung, Dean of International Affairs, remarked, "The Department of Global Liberal Arts goes beyond the simple establishment of a new faculty. It is an integrated support system for international student settlement that links Korean language education to degree programs, and ultimately, to domestic residency after graduation. Leveraging our rise in the QS World University Rankings and our achievement as an Excellent Certified University for international education quality for three consecutive years, we will simultaneously strengthen the international competitiveness of both the region and the university."
The establishment of this school aligns with the South Korean government’s policy to attract 300,000 international students. It also aims to improve the quality of education and support systematic academic settlement in response to the growing demands from international students.
Freshmen in the Department of Global Liberal Arts will spend their first year completing Korean language education and foundational competency courses tailored to various departments while adapting to university and local community life. From their second year, they will enter their chosen major programs. Major assignments will be available within the scope of the departments included in the university's special admission units for international students, excluding arts and physical education fields.
The number of Korean language trainees at KNU's Language Education Center more than quadrupled from 162 in 2022 to 712 in 2025. KNU has decided to strengthen its support system so that these trainees can smoothly transition into the university’s degree programs, including the Department of Global Liberal Arts. To achieve this, the university will operate a "Global Language-Study Linkage Program" that grants eligibility to enter the Department of Global Liberal Arts. Furthermore, it plans to lower the barriers to entry for degree programs and establish a stable path to advancement by introducing a "Credit Stepping Stone" system, which recognizes the achievements of the training program as university credits.
KNU's world ranking of 481st in the recently announced "2027 QS World University Rankings" is also expected to have a positive impact on attracting and settling international students. This ranking serves as bonus points when applying for research study or employment visas, and for Chinese students in particular, it is linked to preferential requirements for obtaining household registration (Hukou) in certain major Chinese cities.
KNU has been selected as an Excellent Certified University for three consecutive years in the Ministry of Justice's IEQAS evaluations, allowing it to receive benefits such as an expanded list of countries eligible for simplified visa issuance and preferential treatment in the selection of internationalization projects.
Choi Hee-kyung, Dean of International Affairs, remarked, "The Department of Global Liberal Arts goes beyond the simple establishment of a new faculty. It is an integrated support system for international student settlement that links Korean language education to degree programs, and ultimately, to domestic residency after graduation. Leveraging our rise in the QS World University Rankings and our achievement as an Excellent Certified University for international education quality for three consecutive years, we will simultaneously strengthen the international competitiveness of both the region and the university."