South Korea Satellite Campus Still in the Works
By Micah Danney Plans for Stony Brook University's proposed satellite campus in Songdo, South Korea are still in the works, but a lot depends on the South Korean government. "The major issue is financing," said Deputy Provost W. Brent Lindquist in an e-mail. Lindquist, who is in charge of the plans for the new school, said that no New York State money can be used to operate the campus. This means that "substantial financial support" will need to be provided by South Korea. "We have had several face-to-face meetings over the last two months regarding financial support from the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority," he reported. The Incheon Free Economic Zone, or IFEZ, is an area just west of the capital of Seoul that the South Korean government aims to develop into a center of business and higher education. The Sondo campus would be a collective of satellite campuses from a number of universities. According to Lindquist, other U.S. schools currently planning to operate in Songdo are North Carolina State University, University of Delaware, George Mason University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Missouri and the University of Southern California. The two university task forces responsible for the Songdo campus' planning are meeting on a weekly basis, and Lindquist said he has been giving a series of update talks. "I would be more than willing to give an update talk to interested student organizations," he offered. "Any campus constituency interested in an update should contact me." |
