South Korea’s Ghent University Global Campus Is A Step Towards Earning The Country A Nobel Prize

Ghent University Global Campus, which is based in Songdo, a new “smart city” in Incheon, South Korea, is an investment that is both fresh and familiar to the country.

While Ghent University will contribute to South Korea’s quest of being a part of the rapid globalization worldwide, it is also a step towards possibly earning the country a Nobel Prize, according to the news outlet Times Higher Education.

“Winning a Nobel prize is a national obsession,” stated Jozef Vercruysse, president of Ghent University Global Campus.

Ghent University Global Campus will reportedly hold three institutions, including the State University of New York, the University of Utah and George Mason University. The goal is to reportedly host about 10,000 students by 2025.

Ghent University professors who teach natural science courses will reportedly receive the help of PhD students in order to further their research on specific subjects. Collaboration with Korean universities and industry professionals will also reportedly be encouraged.

“Ghent and Korea see the many benefits of research on our campus,” explained Professor Vercruysse.

Despite the benefits of the institution, the making of a project like this comes with challenges. Ghent reportedly currently has only 95 students on its courses in South Korea.

That number would need to reach 1,000 to reportedly make teaching work out financially.

Reports of Ghent University Global Campus comes shortly after South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye called for more support for scientists who can pursue Nobel Prizes, according to The Korea Herald.

There has yet to be a Nobel Prize winner from South Korea in the physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine categories. This fact may have been what contributed to the reported media criticism that South Korea’s basic science has a long way to go before winning Nobel Prizes.

“If we consistently invest in basic science and concentrate on research, we can become a power of basic science," Park said in a meeting.