[INTERVIEW] Incheon Global Campus aims to become engine of regional innovation

Incheon Global Campus CEO Byun Ju-young said the campus in the Incheon Free Economic Zone is shifting from attracting foreign universities to linking education and research with industry to support regional innovation and job creation. Established in 2012, IGC has grown from 46 students to more than 4,500 across five foreign universities, whose students follow the same curricula and earn the same degrees as at their home campuses. The foundation is expanding internships, industry partnerships and career support, while planning to add the University of Southampton. Byun aims to raise international students’ share of enrollment to 40 percent by 2030.

The five universities are Stony Brook University and the Fashion Institute of Technology under the State University of New York, George Mason University, Ghent University and the University of Utah.

About 100 students recently toured semiconductor packaging firm STATS ChipPAC Korea, and IGC plans visits to Amkor Technology and Celltrion.

An internship program launched with Incheon Technopark lets students earn academic credits while gaining work experience at local companies.

Nearly 90 percent of IGC’s regular enrollment is Korean; about 470 of roughly 4,500 students are foreign nationals, rising to 630 when short-term exchange students are included.

George Mason University’s C5I Center joined a local council of defense industry stakeholders after Incheon was designated a defense innovation cluster; SUNY Korea, George Mason University and the University of Utah also signed an agreement to participate.

Published Oct 29, 2026 2:00 pm KST

CEO says campus shifts focus from attracting foreign universities to strengthening industry, research ties

Byun Ju-young, CEO of the Incheon Global Campus Foundation, speaks during an interview at his office in Songdon, Incheon, Oct. 26. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Students seeking degrees from prestigious universities overseas could head straight to their main campuses overseas. But Incheon Global Campus (IGC) is making a case for choosing Korea instead, offering access to the country's thriving high-tech industries alongside a world-class education.

Located in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), IGC is seeking to turn its proximity to major biotechnology, semiconductor and other advanced technology companies into a competitive advantage, connecting international education with hands-on industry experience and career opportunities.

"Simply having prestigious foreign universities in Incheon is no longer enough to prove our value," said Byun Ju-young, CEO of the Incheon Global Campus Foundation, during an interview with The Korea Times.

"What matters now is whether their education and research capabilities can translate into technological innovation and job creation in the region."

Established in 2012, IGC was designed to serve as a global education hub within the IFEZ, attracting foreign universities while nurturing talent for the region's strategic industries.

Byun said the campus was intended not only to strengthen the region's educational infrastructure but also to support its industrial development and contribute to Korea's broader economic growth.

Since opening with just 46 students, IGC has grown to more than 4,500 students enrolled at five foreign universities: Stony Brook University and the Fashion Institute of Technology, both under the State University of New York (SUNY), George Mason University, Ghent University and the University of Utah.

Students follow the same curricula and earn the same degrees as those at the universities' home campuses, while studying in one of Korea's major industrial hubs.

IGC is now moving into its next phase, shifting its focus from attracting foreign universities to building stronger ties between academia, research institutions and industry.

Beyond educating students and producing skilled graduates, universities can also serve as engines of regional innovation, as demonstrated by institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford, which play central roles in their surrounding industrial clusters.

"We want universities at IGC to play a similar role, driving innovation by bringing education, research and industry closer together," Byun said.

Flags representing the foreign universities at Incheon Global Campus are displayed on the campus in Songdo, Incheon. Courtesy of Incheon Global Campus

Following Incheon's designation as a defense innovation cluster, George Mason University's C5I Center, which specializes in command, control, communications and cybersecurity, joined a local council bringing together defense industry stakeholders.

Three IGC universities — SUNY Korea, George Mason University and the University of Utah — also signed an agreement to take part in the initiative.

To strengthen such partnerships, the IGC Foundation has established a committee bringing together local businesses and institutions, aiming to coordinate industry-academia cooperation that individual universities previously pursued independently.

IGC is also strengthening ties with local industries through internships and hands-on training.

In partnership with Incheon Technopark, the campus has launched an internship program that allows students to earn academic credits while gaining work experience at local companies. The program also brings Korean and international students together, helping foreign students gain exposure to Korea's industrial sector.

Byun said about 100 students recently toured semiconductor packaging firm STATS ChipPAC Korea, with plans to expand such visits to other major companies, including Amkor Technology and Celltrion.

The foundation also plans to expand career and startup support, connecting students with businesses and entrepreneurship networks across the IFEZ.

The focus on local industries extends to IGC's academic offerings. Byun said the foreign universities were selected for their strengths in fields that align with Incheon's industrial priorities.

Ghent University's biotechnology, food technology and environmental technology programs support the region's growing biotech sector, while the University of Utah offers programs in film, media arts and gaming. SUNY Korea's engineering programs complement the region's semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries.

"We didn't simply bring in foreign universities for their names," Byun said. "We chose institutions whose academic strengths match Incheon's industrial needs, so they can train the talent those industries require."

IGC is taking a similar approach to its future expansion, with plans to bring in the University of Southampton to broaden its offerings in aerospace and maritime-related fields, capitalizing on Incheon's role as a major aviation and logistics hub.

Byun said the priority is not simply to attract more universities, but to ensure that new additions bring academic strengths and opportunities that complement those already available on campus.

Incoming students for this year's fall semester at the University of Utah Asia Campus pose with the university's mascot, Swoop, during an orientation event. Courtesy of Incheon Global Campus

Meanwhile, attracting more international students is a task for IGC, where Koreans currently account for nearly 90 percent of regular enrollment.

Of its roughly 4,500 students, about 470 are foreign nationals, a figure that rises to 630 when short-term exchange students are included. Byun aims to raise the international student share to 40 percent by 2030.

To reach that target, IGC is tailoring its recruitment efforts to individual countries, drawing on its universities' global networks.

In the United States, it is working with the University of Utah to attract students interested in studying at its Songdo campus while experiencing Korean culture. In Mongolia, IGC is pursuing partnerships with education authorities and local governments to tap into growing demand for overseas education among young people.

The foundation also plans to expand housing, internship and career support to encourage international students to stay and work in Korea after graduation.

Looking ahead, IGC aims to redefine its success, placing greater emphasis on its contribution to regional innovation and economic growth than on enrollment figures or the number of universities it hosts.

"We want universities to become drivers of innovation by working closely with research institutions and businesses," Byun said.

"Our ultimate goal is to nurture talent that contributes not only to Incheon's development but also to Korea's future growth."

仁川全球校区首席执行官卞柱英表示，位于仁川自由经济区的仁川全球校区正在转型，从吸引外国大学转向将教育和研究与产业相结合，以支持区域创新和就业增长。仁川全球校区成立于2012年，学生人数已从最初的46人增长到超过4500人，涵盖五所外国大学。这些大学的学生在仁川全球校区学习相同的课程，并获得与其本国大学相同的学位。仁川全球校区正在拓展实习、产业合作和职业发展支持，并计划将南安普顿大学纳入其中。卞柱英的目标是到2030年将国际学生的入学比例提高到40%。

这五所大学分别是纽约州立大学石溪分校和纽约时装学院、乔治梅森大学、根特大学和犹他大学。

最近约有 100 名学生参观了半导体封装公司 STATS ChipPAC Korea，IGC 计划参观 Amkor Technology 和 Celltrion。

与仁川科技园合作推出的实习项目，让学生在当地企业获得工作经验的同时，还能获得学分。

IGC 的常规入学学生中，近 90% 是韩国人；在约 4500 名学生中，约有 470 名是外国公民，如果算上短期交换生，则有 630 名外国公民。

在仁川被指定为国防创新集群后，乔治·梅森大学的 C5I 中心加入了当地国防工业利益相关者委员会；纽约州立大学韩国分校、乔治·梅森大学和犹他大学也签署了参与协议。

发布于2026年10月29日下午2:00（韩国标准时间）

首席执行官表示，校园的重点已从吸引外国大学转向加强与产业界和科研机构的联系。

10月26日，仁川全球校园基金会首席执行官卞柱荣在仁川松屯的办公室接受采访。韩国时报崔元硕摄。

想要在海外知名大学攻读学位的学生可以直接前往海外主校区。但仁川全球校区（IGC）则力证选择韩国的理由，它不仅提供世界一流的教育，还能让学生接触到韩国蓬勃发展的高科技产业。

IGC位于仁川自由经济区（IFEZ），致力于利用其毗邻大型生物技术、半导体和其他先进技术公司的地理优势，将国际教育与实践行业经验和职业机会联系起来。

“仅仅在仁川拥有著名外国大学已经不足以证明我们的价值了，”仁川全球校园基金会首席执行官卞柱英在接受《韩国时报》采访时表示。

“现在重要的是，他们的教育和研究能力能否转化为该地区的技术创新和就业机会。”

IGC成立于2012年，旨在成为IFEZ内的全球教育中心，吸引外国大学，同时为该地区的战略产业培养人才。

卞表示，该校区不仅旨在加强该地区的教育基础设施，而且旨在支持其产业发展，并为韩国更广泛的经济增长做出贡献。

自成立以来，IGC 已发展成为拥有 4500 多名学生的五所外国大学：纽约州立大学 (SUNY) 下属的石溪大学和纽约时装学院、乔治梅森大学、根特大学和犹他大学。

学生们在韩国的主要工业中心之一学习，学习的课程与大学本校区的学生相同，获得的学位也相同。

IGC现在正进入下一个阶段，其重点从吸引外国大学转向建立学术界、研究机构和产业界之间更紧密的联系。

除了教育学生和培养技能娴熟的毕业生之外，大学还可以成为区域创新的引擎，麻省理工学院和斯坦福大学等院校就证明了这一点，它们在周边产业集群中发挥着核心作用。

“我们希望IGC的大学发挥类似的作用，通过拉近教育、研究和产业的距离来推动创新，”卞说。

仁川全球校区位于仁川市松岛，校园内悬挂着代表各外国大学的旗帜。图片由仁川全球校区提供。

在仁川被指定为国防创新集群之后，专门从事指挥、控制、通信和网络安全的乔治·梅森大学 C5I 中心加入了一个汇集国防工业利益相关者的当地委员会。

三所IGC大学——纽约州立大学韩国分校、乔治·梅森大学和犹他大学——也签署了协议参与该计划。

为了加强此类合作关系，IGC 基金会成立了一个委员会，汇集了当地企业和机构，旨在协调各大学此前各自独立开展的产学研合作。

IGC还通过实习和实践培训加强与当地产业的联系。

该校与仁川科技园合作推出了一项实习项目，学生可以在当地企业积累工作经验的同时获得学分。该项目还促进了韩国学生和国际学生的交流，帮助外国学生了解韩国的产业结构。

卞表示，最近约有100名学生参观了半导体封装公司STATS ChipPAC Korea，并计划将此类参观活动扩展到其他主要公司，包括Amkor Technology和Celltrion。

该基金会还计划扩大职业和创业支持，将学生与IFEZ各地的企业和创业网络联系起来。

对本地产业的关注也体现在IGC的学术课程设置中。卞先生表示，选择这些外国大学是因为它们在与仁川产业优先发展领域相契合的优势领域拥有专长。

根特大学的生物技术、食品技术和环境技术项目为该地区蓬勃发展的生物技术产业提供支持，而犹他大学则提供电影、媒体艺术和游戏方面的课程。纽约州立大学韩国分校的工程项目与该地区的半导体和先进制造业相辅相成。

“我们并非仅仅因为外国大学的名气就引进它们，”卞先生说。“我们选择的院校的学术实力与仁川的产业需求相匹配，这样它们才能培养这些产业所需的人才。”

IGC 对其未来的扩张采取了类似的策略，计划引进南安普顿大学，以扩大其在航空航天和海事相关领域的业务，充分利用仁川作为主要航空和物流枢纽的地位。

卞表示，首要任务不仅仅是吸引更多大学，而是要确保新加入的大学能够带来学术优势和机会，与校园内已有的资源和机会形成互补。

在迎新活动中，犹他大学亚洲校区今年秋季学期的新生与学校吉祥物Swoop合影。图片由仁川全球校区提供。

与此同时，吸引更多国际学生是IGC面临的一项任务，目前韩国学生占该校常规入学学生的近90%。

该校约有4500名学生，其中约470名是外国学生；如果算上短期交换生，这一数字则上升至630人。卞教授的目标是到2030年将国际学生比例提高到40%。

为了实现这一目标，IGC正在利用其大学在全球的网络，针对各个国家调整其招生工作。

在美国，IGC正与犹他大学合作，吸引有兴趣到其松岛校区学习并体验韩国文化的学生。在蒙古，IGC正积极与教育部门和地方政府建立合作关系，以满足年轻人日益增长的海外教育需求。

该基金会还计划扩大住房、实习和职业支持，以鼓励国际学生毕业后留在韩国工作。

展望未来，IGC 旨在重新定义其成功，更加注重其对区域创新和经济增长的贡献，而不是招生人数或其拥有的大学数量。

“我们希望大学通过与研究机构和企业密切合作，成为创新的驱动力，”卞说。

“我们的最终目标是培养不仅能为仁川发展做出贡献，而且能为韩国未来发展做出贡献的人才。”