- Yonsei International Campus Advances as Biocluster Hub October 18, 2018
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Yonsei to create a biocluster hub in Songdo, Incheon by opening Severance Hospital and Yonsei Science Park
Overview of Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, IncheonTo prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Yonsei University will create a biocluster hub at Yonsei International Campus in Songdo, Incheon by constructing Severance Hospital and Yonsei Science Park.
On March 29 at Underwood Memorial Library, President Yong-Hak of Yonsei University and Mayor Jeong-bok Yoo of Incheon Metropolitan City signed an agreement to jointly collaborate on the “Second Stage” development plan of Yonsei International Campus (YIC), in particular regarding the opening of Severance Hospital and Yonsei Science Park, to create a successful biocluster hub that supports cutting-edge research in biotechnology and information technology.
The conception of Yonsei International Campus in Songdo was first born 12 years ago in 2006, when Incheon City sought a leading Korean university to host in the Incheon Free Economic Zone and Yonsei University was looking to expand its campus. The partnership culminated into the beginning of “First Stage” development plan of the campus.
YIC has systematically expanded since its official opening in 2010 and now is home to differentiated academic and research units, including the Residential College system, which houses the entire freshman undergraduate class, School of Pharmacy, School of Integrated Technology, and global degree programs such as Underwood International College and Global Leaders College. A total of 5,500 students across a range of academic levels currently study at the campus and the numbers are consistently growing.
Innovative international and domestic institutions, including United Nations Office for Sustainable Development, Yonsei-SL Biopharma Institute, and Design Factory Korea are also housed at Yonsei International Campus, thus leading the symbiosis between academia and industry and establishing YIC as a truly global campus. Yonsei University has greatly contributed to transforming Songdo into a global metropolis and will continue to initiate groundbreaking development within the area.
The success of YIC’s “Second Stage” development plan will depend largely on mutual cooperation between Yonsei University and Incheon City. While the “First Stage” plan focused on education and globalization, the second stage will put more emphasis on developing innovative research and opening the Yonsei Science Park. Along with the new Severance Hospital, Yonsei International Campus is expected to play a crucial role in realizing Incheon City’s intention to create a biocluster hub.
Songdo International Business District is one of the few areas which meet the requirements for an innovation cluster, with its strategic location, stable living conditions, abundance of inbound human resources, and network of global start-ups, firms and leading research universities. The new Severance Hospital’s world-class clinical and research capacities will add to this massive synergy for growth. To support this initiative, the University will create an ideal research environment by launching various interdisciplinary research and education programs.
In addition, Yonsei University plans to bolster ties with local communities in Incheon. The flagship project “Yon-In”, named after the first syllables of Yonsei and Incheon, provides language and arts mentoring for 482 elementary, middle and high schools in the region. With the launch of the “Second Stage” development plan, YIC is expected to expand its scope and broaden outreach in the local community. Furthermore, Yonsei University plans to coordinate projects which embody the spirit of openness and sharing with local colleges and the community. The new Severance Hospital will provide clinical and research duties to the local community.
“Yonsei International Campus in Songdo will be the locus of research and education to pioneer the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Yonsei will break from its conventional role of the university by engaging and cooperating with various partners to support new industries and create new jobs,” said President Yong-Hak Kim.
<Originally published on April 5, 2018>
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