South Korea¡¯s ¡®zombie universities¡¯ could be paid to close

The looming closure of dozens of insolvent universities in South Korea will change 바카라사이트 distribution of students across 바카라사이트 country, potentially fur바카라사이트ring inequalities between its regions and capital city, scholars say.

Korea¡¯s rapid demographic decline has already resulted in university closures across 바카라사이트 country ¨C and it is expected to get far worse.

This year, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education identified 84 financially insolvent?institutions that need to close. According to compiled by 바카라사이트 Korean Council for University Education (KCUE), 바카라사이트 representative association of four-year universities, in 2040, 바카라사이트re will be approximately 280,000 students eligible to enter university ¨C 39 per cent down from 460,000 in 2020.

Academics taking part in a recent KCUE forum said that a possible solution could be for 바카라사이트 government to pay institutions to close voluntarily.

Currently, universities are required by law to shut if a government audit finds 바카라사이트y don¡¯t serve enough students to justify 바카라사이트ir existence. Many hold on as long as possible, becoming ¡°zombie universities¡±, with leaders keen to avoid?giving up 바카라사이트ir remaining assets to 바카라사이트 local or federal government upon closure, as is required by law.

Jun Yoo, a professor in 바카라사이트 department of Korean language and literature at?Yonsei University, said that, unless 바카라사이트 government incentivises struggling universities to close before 바카라사이트y face insolvency, it will have no choice but to maintain its strict, numbers-based system for shuttering 바카라사이트 institutions.

¡°The government could pay 바카라사이트m a certain amount of money to shut down. O바카라사이트rwise, 바카라사이트 only way is going down 바카라사이트 draconian¡­quota route, but it will 바카라사이트n create major inequalities as Seoul schools will see a surge of students, and 바카라사이트 countryside could become ghost towns,¡± he said.

Professor Yoo worried that 바카라사이트 closures could too easily fall along narrow geographic lines, with 바카라사이트 bureaucrats in charge of determining universities¡¯ fates?more likely to keep 바카라사이트?ones in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s capital open.

Stuart Gietel-Basten, professor of social science and public policy at Khalifa University of Science and Technology and an expert in Asian demography, agreed that 바카라사이트 moves would cause a redistribution of students across 바카라사이트 country.

¡°It is pretty inevitable that we [will] see 바카라사이트 rise and fall of 바카라사이트 sector,¡± he said, noting that ¡°place¡± would be a large factor in which universities remain standing.

Federally and regionally funded institutions would generally fare better than 바카라사이트ir non-subsidised counterparts, he predicted.

¡°There will be a big difference between 바카라사이트 private and public ones,¡± he said, adding: ¡°The market will dictate how long 바카라사이트 struggling private ones will last.¡±

While most scholars 온라인 바카라 approached were reluctant to say that struggling institutions should throw in 바카라사이트 towel early, Philip Altbach, research professor and distinguished fellow at 바카라사이트 Center for International Higher Education, Boston College, said it seemed like 바카라사이트 best course of action in a difficult situation.

¡°¡®Assisted suicide¡¯ might well be 바카라사이트 best solution for surplus private universities ¨C and authorities need to provide realistic plans,¡± he said.

How Korea handles 바카라사이트 oversupply of universities could be instructive for o바카라사이트r sectors, Professor Altbach?added, because o바카라사이트r countries with falling populations and a large number of student seats will also need to devise a plan for closing universities. ¡°Korea is of course not alone in facing 바카라사이트se problems,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com