Cooperation Project with the Ministry of Education, Korea Foundation for the Promotion of Private School, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongsan-si, and 5 Universities including YU
The Center will act as global exchange hub by accommodating 240 international students and international student support center
It is Scheduled for opening in August of next year, and it will be Established and operated for the special purpose corporation
[June 19, 2013]

 A residential and general support center for international students who came to Gyeongsangbuk-do to study will be opened in YU.

 YU (President Noh, Seok Kyun) held the 'Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center' (GGEC, hereinafter referred to as 'Center') groundbreaking ceremony near Hyangtogwan dormitory of at 3 P.M. on the 19th.

 Government officials such as the Korea Foundation for the Promotion of Private School President Lee, Won Hee, Gyeongsangbuk-do Vice Governor for Political Affairs Lee, In Seon, Gyeongsan Mayor Choi, Young Jo, Gyeongsan City Council Chairperson Heo, Gae Yeol, Ministry of Education International Education Cooperation Division Manager Lee, Joo Hee, and officials from 5 universities from the Gyeongsan region such as YU President Noh, Seok Kyun, Daegu Haany University President Lee, Joon Koo, Catholic University of Daegu Planning Office Director Lee, Bok Hee, Kyungil University Planning Office Director Han, Sung Won, and Daeshin University Planning Office Director Lee, Gyeong Shil, and representatives of international students Farhad Faisal (24, YU School of Mechanical Engineering) from Saudi Arabia and Charlotte Ferlette (19, female, YU Korean Language Institute) from Switzerland attended the ceremony.

 YU President Noh, Seok Kyun stated in his greeting address, "There is no meaning to differentiate the capital area and provincial areas in the global era. From a global perspective, we are all in the same area. Thus, each region must procure channels for communicating with the world." He also added, "The Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center that will open its doors at YU next year will be this channel."

 For the construction of the 'Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center' that began today, a total of 9.8 billion won with 2.5 billion won from national funding and 500 million won from provincial funding (Gyeongbuk-do, Gyeongsan city) will be invested. It is scheduled for opening in August of next year in the south of the YU Gyeongsan Campus Hyangtogwan dormitory, with a total area of 5,121㎡, standing five stories tall with one underground level.

 The 240 person capacity dormitory will board 160 international students at YU, and 80 international students studying at Kyungil University, Catholic University of Daegu, and Daeshin University. It will also contain additional facilities such as conference rooms, a global lounge, international student support facility, cultural exchange facility, seminar room, prayer room, and kitchen.

 Operation of the Center will be carried out by an SPC (special purpose corporation) established in March of last year. For this, the Korea Foundation for the Promotion of Private School and Yeungnam Academy Foundation halved the capital of the SPC, while the operation rights will be under the SPC for 20 years and then returned to Yeungnam Academy Foundation afterwards.

 The Gyeongbuk Global Exchange Center will help improve the residential conditions of international students in the region through programs for adapting to life in Korea and the job fair, while various cultural exchange programs with foreigners will be operated to make it the base for global exchange in the Gyeongbuk region.

 Meanwhile, as of April 2012, there are 2,780 international students studying in the 5 universities of Gyeongsan region, with 1,230, or 44% of the total, studying at YU.