Selected for Scale-up Project for Promoting and Supporting Leading Universities in International Cooperation in 2023
- Sogang to support three Chemistry Education Departments at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), and Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha Undiksha (UNDIKSHA) in Indonesia over the next six years (from 2023) -
Sogang University was selected as a finalist for the 2023 Scale-up Project for Promoting and Supporting Leading Universities in International Cooperation, for which the Ministry of Education in Korea had invited submissions. The highlight of Sogang University’s project is 'to improve chemistry and science education programs in the Java and North Bali regions of Indonesia and contribute to local communities (principal investigator: Chemistry Professor Lee Won-koo).'
The Support Project for Leading Universities in International Cooperation is carried out as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) project. In Korea, the project is undertaken by the Ministry of Education, which selects universities to support them in disseminating the education system of Korea to universities in developing nations.
Led by the College of Natural Sciences, Sogang University has been enthusiastically carrying out education projects in basic science fields in Southeast Asia. Over the period of six years from 2016 to 2022, Sogang University received a total of KRW 1.8 billion in funding from the government as one of the leading universities in international cooperation. After being selected for this project, Sogang University installed the Department of Chemistry Education at Sanata Dharma University, a Jesuit Catholic University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and Sogang’s sister university. Sogang University also set up English and Korean language courses and participated in volunteer works in local communities across Indonesia. By doing so, Sogang achieved its goal of disseminating its outstanding education system in basic sciences.
As a winner of the 2023 Scale-up Project for Promoting and Supporting Leading Universities in International Cooperation, Sogang University will receive a total of KRW 2.4 billion from the Korean government over a period of six years, beginning in 2023. These funds will be used towards expanding education programs to universities in Java and North Bali in Indonesia and for participation in volunteer works in local communities. Of note, Sogang plans to use this funding to support Chemistry Education Departments in the education colleges of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), and Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha Undiksha (UNDIKSHA) in Indonesia, and to pass on Sogang’s outstanding chemistry and science education programs. Additionally, Sogang University is expected to enjoy priority in accepting students receiving scholarships from the Indonesian government. By assuming a critical role in assisting programs undertaken by the Indonesian Department of Education, Sogang University will be able to disseminate its education philosophy across all of Indonesia and make significant contributions to helping relevant universities develop further in basic science fields.
