The MEST initiated the University Educational Capacity Building Business in 2008 in order to support schools to achieve higher educational competence and foster global leaders by providing improved, high-quality education. With government’s fervent support, the business has now reached nearly 2,411 trillion won in 2012.
“Ewha has a vision to foster global intellects with some support from the business,” the official of Office of Planning said.
Strict evaluation methods are implemented in selecting the University Educational Capacity Building Schools. Some of the criteria follow; employment rate, recruitment rate of currently enrolled students, scholarship rate, investment in student education, and tuition fee relief level. With 143 participants this year, the MEST categorized them according to their qualification level.
As all women’s universities were disqualified in 2011, including Ewha, schools urged a reformation in the MEST’s grading system.
Acknowledging some disadvantages for women’s universities in the traditional grading method, the MEST changed a part of its grading method for the year of 2012 in an effort to establish an impartial system. According to the newly implemented method, it now separates the female and male population as well as their employment levels in the process of calculation, instead of adding the two gender rates without any separation.
With the money Ewha received as a subsidy, it plans to use it wisely and solely for the improvement in the educational system and in elevating statistical rates such as employment rates.
In 2008, 2009, and 2010, when Ewha had been elected, it spent the subsidy on employment promotion programs, student volunteering activities abroad, and scholarship programs. It plans to spend this year’s award on similar areas.
“We are working on the business plan, stating specifically where and how much we will spend the money. The plan will be open to the public after revisions,” the official at the Office of Planning said.
Oh Seo-jin
seojinoh@ewhain.net