The Ministry of Education of Korea on March 4 announced the holding of a ceremony the next day at FPT Tower in Vietnam to mark the signing of a memorandum of understanding on a university franchise operation between Kyungpook National University of Korea and FPT University of Vietnam. Shown is the latter school's campus. (FPT University HCMC's official YouTube channel)

By Lee Jihae

Students in Vietnam from this year can take the same courses as those at a Korean university and earn a degree.

The Ministry of Education of Korea on March 4 announced that a ceremony held the next day at FPT Tower in Hanoi marked the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on franchise operations between Kyungpook National University (KNU) of Korea and Vietnam's FPT University.

Inter-university franchising is a system that transfers the curriculum of a Korean university to a foreign counterpart to allow students at the latter to take the same courses and earn degrees like in Korea.

The MOU is the first collaboration between a Korean national university and a foreign counterpart to launch a university overseas that bears the Korean school's name, run its curriculum and confer degrees.

As Vietnam's largest information and communications technology company, FPT runs its eponymous university to develop human resources in the sector.

From the second half of the year, KNU and FPT University will set up KNU Vietnam, which will use KNU's curriculum. Students at KNU Vietnam will receive the same curriculum as those at KNU and receive a KNU degree when graduating.

The overseas expansion of national universities in Korea had been limited to personnel exchanges with foreign counterparts and joint curriculums. KNU Vietnam combines curriculum, academic administration and awarding of degrees.

Minister of Education Choi Kyo Jin said, "We will further strengthen the institutional basis to enable capable universities to advance abroad."

jihlee08@korea.kr