Lander University President Daniel Ball has returned home from an 18-day trip to three Asian countries where he negotiated a number of agreements that will benefit Lander students and faculty.
He described the academic impact of his trip as significant. "For example," he said, "Kyungpook National University, in Daegu, Korea, is offering our students the opportunity to earn a dual degree by completing 30 hours of their academic requirements at Kyungpook and the rest at Lander." In addition, students would be eligible for internships in Daegu, which has been designated by the Korean government as an economic development center, and is home to Hyundai, Samsung, LG and other large corporations.
Ball said completing a dual degree program and an internship would make Lander students more competitive in the job market.
Kyungpook has similar arrangements with universities in Europe and elsewhere, but Lander is the first American school to be selected to participate.
He also signed memoranda of understanding with the presidents of Qingdao University and Xi'an University of Science Technology in China, and Dongseo University and Keimyung University in Korea. With the new signings, Lander now has academic agreements with 17 colleges and universities in Asia.
Ball also met with the administrators of Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon in Bangkok, Thailand, which is one of Lander's original sister universities.
His visit to Incheon National University in Korea, another of the original partner schools, resulted in an agreement that will allow Lander students and faculty to spend five days at Incheon, all expenses paid, and encourage faculty members to accept one-month teaching assignments there.
Ball was accompanied on the trip by his wife, Marge, and senior advisor and Lander's former dean of international programs Sung-Jae Park, and his wife, Gemma. Except for airfare, in-country travel, hotel accommodations and meals were paid for by the international partners and hosts.
Ball said he and his party were warmly received at each of the Asian schools they visited. "They are eager to give Lander students an opportunity to study on their campuses and to have their students come to Lander."
Po Hu, Lander's dean of International Programs, said, "Because of the partnership agreements, more international students, particularly from Asia, will come to Lander for degree-seeking, exchange and short-term summer-study programs." He added that more opportunities are available in Asia for Lander students to study and accept internships, and for Lander faculty to teach and engage in research.
Hu also indicated that agreements are pending with universities in Japan and Taiwan.