Chungnam, Kongju face merger clash ahead of Glocal University 30 funding project
Published: 05 Aug. 2025, 13:41
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- LEE TAE-HEE
- [email protected]
![Officials of Chungnam National University and Kongju National University, shortlisted for the Glocal University 30 project as a coalition, hold a meeting on Aug. 1 to discuss details of their plans to get chosen for the funding project. [CHUNGNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/08/05/fca49b7e-3336-4761-909e-09f28588194e.jpg)
Officials of Chungnam National University and Kongju National University, shortlisted for the Glocal University 30 project as a coalition, hold a meeting on Aug. 1 to discuss details of their plans to get chosen for the funding project. [CHUNGNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY]
With less than a week remaining until the deadline to submit final proposals for the government’s multibillion won funding project, two universities still face a last hurdle of getting merger approval from students and faculty.
Chungnam National University and Kongju National University — short-listed for the Glocal University 30 project as a coalition — is running an online vote among faculty, staff and students until Wednesday, asking whether they support submitting the final action plan and moving on with the selection process.
A key aspect of the plan is a merger of the two universities, which the schools must carry out if chosen for the funding, as they have applied as a coalition.
The Glocal University 30 project offers funding of up to 100 billion won ($72 million) over five years to universities outside greater Seoul, encouraging schools to enhance their competitiveness to attract students who largely prefer Seoul-based universities.
The Ministry of Education short-listed 18 applicants — which includes the coalition between Chungnam and Kongju national universities — and is waiting for them to submit the final action plan by Aug. 11. The ministry will select the final winners based on the plan, which will be around 10 applicants, in September.
While the funding can be a boost to the schools, the coalition may choose not to submit its final proposal if a majority of online voters don't support the merger.
Chungnam National University said during a faculty meeting on July 30 that it will not submit the action plan if less than 50 percent support it. Faculty votes will be given a 50 percent weight, staff and teaching assistant votes will be weighted at 30 percent, graduate students at 5 percent and undergraduate students at 15 percent.
The result of the online voting will be announced via the universities' websites within three business days.
Another lingering struggle is the clashing opinions of the two universities' students.
According to Chungnam National University's student council, they have requested that the merged institution take on Chungnam National University's name.
They also wish diplomas of students who have enrolled before the merger to be issued under the name of their original institutions, and for the merged institution's headquarters to be located on Chungnam National University's Daedeok Campus in Yuseong District, Daejeon.
Kongju National University students have a different approach, according to a survey conducted by its student council between May and June.
Of the 1,985 respondents, 72.6 percent want diplomas of students who enrolled before the merger to be issued under the name of the merged institution, not the name of the university they first enrolled at.
For the merged institution's name, 58 percent want an entirely new name. Another 25.6 percent want the new institution to be named Chungnam National University and 16.2 percent want it to be named Kongju National University.
For the university headquarters, 43.1 percent want it to be located at their university's Gongju Campus in Gongju, South Chungcheong. Another 38.9 percent want it to be at Chungnam National University's Daedeok Campus and 17.8 percent want it to be in an entirely different location outside Daejeon and Gongju.
Another obstacle is the high number of students against the merger, with 63.6 percent of the respondents not wanting to merge and only 36.4 percent approving of the merger.
Despite various opinions, Daejeon hopes the city's universities' get chosen for the funding opportunity.
The city held a meeting with Daejeon-based universities short-listed for the funding — which also include Hannam University and Hanbat National University — on Monday and Tuesday to review whether each university's action plans are appealing and meet the evaluation criteria.
“Each university has spent a long time preparing for the Glocal University 30 project, and we sincerely hope they will see successful outcomes,” said Go Hyun-deok, head of the city's Educational Policy and Strategy Division. “Daejeon will continue to provide the utmost support until the very end.”
BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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