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The International Campus as Prototype for International 
Collaboration: South Korea’s Incheon Global Campus 

 
Anne Schiller and Minkyung Park 

 
George Mason University, USA 

 
Abstract 

Institutional leaders drawn to the idea of opening new campuses overseas 
are often hindered by expense and concerns including that faculty there will 
be unable to remain engaged in research. This article focuses on how one 
international development project, the establishment of Incheon Global 
Campus (IGC) in Incheon, South Korea, has been based upon a novel 
partnership model with potential to reduce expenses incurred by any single 
higher education institution and promote research. The objective of the 
Incheon Global Campus project is the creation of a dynamic, multi-
institutional, truly international campus. In this consortium model, an 
alliance of foreign institutions cooperates in various dimensions of 
academic, research, and extracurricular activity on a shared campus site. 
Participants leverage and combine respective strengths, experiences and 
expertise, among themselves and with a local foundation that manages 
campus operations. The IGC case suggests that a consortia approach to 
the operation of overseas campuses may better the odds for the mutual 
success of foreign universities and local managers, as well as enhance an 
overall international development initiative in important ways. 

Introduction 

The American Council for Education’s 2012 report, Mapping Internationalization, 
suggested that comprehensive internationalization involves six key activities including 
“Collaboration and Partnerships.” An internationalization effort that particularly requires 
collaboration is establishing an offshore or branch campus (Lane & Kinser 2012). 
Depending upon circumstances, establishing an offshore campus can involve 
partnerships with foreign governments, businesses, or other universities. 

Without start-up funds or the authority to spend state monies abroad, many institutions 
are unable to consider offshore campuses as part of their global portfolio. Some 
institutions seek to overcome this obstacle by taking a fresh approach. This article 
focuses on the establishment of Incheon Global Campus (IGC) in Incheon, South Korea, 
which is based upon a novel multi-partner model. The partnerships will potentially reduce 
expenses incurred by any single institution and developers while contributing to the 
creation of a dynamic international campus experience that supports students, faculty, 
and the community in which it is located. In this consortium model, an alliance of foreign 
institutions cooperates in various dimensions of academic and extracurricular activity on 
a shared campus site. Participants leverage and combine respective strengths, 
experiences and expertise among themselves and with a local foundation that manages 

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campus operations. The IGC case suggests that a consortia approach to the operation of 
overseas campuses may better the odds for the mutual success of foreign universities 
and local managers, as well as enhance an overall international development initiative in 
important ways. 

The Incheon Higher Education Hub Development Project 

One of the world’s newest cities, Songdo is built on 1,500 acres of reclaimed land near 
the Incheon Metropolitan area. Korea’s ambitious plans for a higher education hub began 
with the designation of the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ), one of Korea’s six free 
economic zones (KFEZ). IFEZ was designated as Korea’s first free economic zone in 
2003 and has been working on infrastructure development ever since. This mega 
construction project is considered “the largest private real-estate development in history” 
(Lindsay, 2010), and called the “city of the future” because of the smart and green 
technologies integrated throughout the city (Day, 2012). 

The Songdo City project is motivated by the Korean national government's partnerships 
with localities to drive regional economic development. New Songdo City, located within 
the IFEZ, already includes a business district, research complex, residential area, 
commercial and shopping areas, schools, cultural amenities, and green spaces. Songdo’s 
higher education hub is a key part of the city’s plans for self-sustainability. This ambitious 
project was motivated by the rapid changes and growth of Korea’s economy over the last 
half-century. Yet the success of the Korean economy has been based largely on applied 
technologies rather than original and innovative technologies (SGU Foundation, 2012). 
Korea is now challenged by other rapidly growing countries in Asia, and has yet to obtain 
a significant competitive platform alongside the most advanced countries in the world. Its 
circumstances are often referred to as the “dangerous nutcracker situation” (SGU 
Foundation 2012). Increasing globalized competition has impelled Korea to explore new 
growth engines for their economy with both knowledge-based and culture-based creative 
industries. New Songdo City is attempting to become a regional hub by bringing in 
knowledge-based industries (e.g., Bio-industry, IT industry, and Creative Technology 
industries), research centers, and educational institutions. Eventually, Korea hopes to 
take the lead in these industries to serve growing demand from the emerging Asia market, 
also creating a necessary fundamental shift in the Korean economy. In this context, 
Incheon Global Campus will play a central role in fostering future leaders and a 
modernized workforce in those areas by collaborating with respected universities from 
around the world. 

Incheon Global Campus 

Songdo City’s focal point is a truly international university designed to be comprehensive 
and academically competitive. Cutting-edge campus facilities, including an auditorium, 
gym, lab facilities, academic buildings and faculty housing are under construction on 75 
acres, and will be completed by 2020 (SGUC). Over one-third of the facilities are now 
completed and operational. Degree programs from up to ten foreign universities will be 
offered at the IGC. The programs are non-duplicative by design and are operated 
independently; yet at the same time, the universities will share campus resources, 

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including libraries, classrooms, cafeteria, dormitories, faculty housing, and fitness 
facilities, as well as some aspects of administrative and student services. The campus is 
managed by the Incheon Global Campus Foundation (IGCF), comprised of civic officials, 
business leaders, and university representatives.  

The collaboration between the foreign institutions and the Foundation is one of the unique 
features of this development model. The Foundation itself was established by the Incheon 
Metropolitan City government, and its Board is chaired by the Mayor of Incheon City. The 
Foundation consists of three primary divisions: Facility Operation, Support, and 
Marketing, with twenty-one staff and three executives as of March 2014. The Foundation 
manages both academic and residential facilities, including student and faculty housing, 
the health clinic, a guesthouse, parking structures, auditoriums, recreational facilities, the 
central library and the book store. The Foundation also runs student activities that involve 
multiple foreign universities as well as activities and support programs provided by 
individual institutions. Freshmen orientation for housing and campus life is being jointly 
held by the Foundation and the institutions. Student Affairs Managers from each 
institution work with a Foundation counterpart to enrich student experiences on campus. 
As the overall student population grows, administrators also anticipate the organization 
of athletic and other tournaments between IGC students and other university teams. 

Other exemplars of the collaboration between the Foundation and foreign universities are 
found in the technological classroom support and marketing teams. Smart boards and 
smart platforms in classrooms have all been provided by the Foundation, and the 
classroom and instructional technologies are serviced by a distinct IT staff for each 
institution. The Foundation's own IT team plans to work closely with those of the 
participant institution to build the IT infrastructure for the library. Regional information 
sessions have been hosted by marketing teams from the Foundation collaborating with 
recruiting teams from the participant institutions. The Foundation promotes both the 
Incheon Global Campus as well as each individual institution, building the collective 
image of Incheon Global Campus while providing each participant institution the ability to 
promote its own brand. 

Finally, at the executive level, the Songdo Campus Presidents Group is a newly 
established policy-making body that has been founded to collaborate with the Foundation 
President. Various working committees comprised of representatives from each entity will 
plan and implement agreed upon policies after approval from the home campus or other 
entity in charge of operations.  

As of this writing, four foreign universities are part of the Songdo Alliance Universities 
group: George Mason University, State University of New York (SUNY), University of 
Utah, and Ghent University (Belgium). These four institutions have formed a consortium 
that collaborates in many aspects of operations for the IGC, and each university has taken 
voluntary leadership for specific initiatives such as language programs, library 
management, information technologies (IT), and classroom technologies. Alliance 
partners meet regularly at one another’s home institutions, in Korea, and via 
teleconferencing.  As the Songdo project moves forward, the frequency of contact has 

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increased, as has the number of inter-institutional subcommittees reporting to the Alliance 
senior leadership at each university.  

Two universities are already in operation: Mason Korea and SUNY Korea, with the other 
two, Ghent University and Utah’s Asia Campus, slated to open in Songdo in late 2014 
(Eun-ji, 2014). Internationalization is deeply embedded in their individual campus 
missions. More than a collection of different foreign universities operating independently 
in the same space, IGC is a true convergence of multiple institutions implementing an 
innovative model of educational collaboration. Other foreign institutions have been 
approached by the IGC Foundation as potential campus co-residents, and their presence 
would increase the internationality of the Songdo experience even further.  Songdo will 
not be an “American” university abroad; rather, it is a resolutely and demonstrably global 
higher education hub. 

Leveraging Benefits and Addressing Challenges 

IGU’s status as the centerpiece of a new Korean research and business hub development 
initiative models a path toward including branch campuses more intentionally as part of 
international development projects. Successful offshore campuses provide universities 
with a “strong promotion opportunity” and enhanced visibility (MacDonald, 2006, p. 207). 
Sharing services dramatically reduces the financial and human resources necessary to 
launch and maintain a second campus for all parties. The consortium course-sharing 
agreement broadens the range of courses available to students and helps them remain 
on track for timely graduation. As at Songdo, consortia share recruitment initiatives, as 
differences between their degree programs preclude direct competition. When 
consortium partners join forces, opportunities to foster a vibrant intellectual life increase 
exponentially. While only a handful of faculty may be sent from the home campus of any 
one institution, the presence of consortium colleagues fosters the establishment of 
communities of practice and other professional development opportunities (Wenger, 
McDermott, & Snyder, 2002). Consortium members can collaborate in joint research 
activities and the organization of conferences and lecture series as institutional partners 
reinforce one another’s efforts. Another potential advantage is the enhanced 
internationalization of the branch campus itself. At Songdo, for example, negotiations are 
currently underway with Russian and Dutch institutions that appear likely to join the US 
and Belgian universities already in place. Furthermore, because each foreign institution 
in Songdo must pass a rigorous accreditation review by Korea’s Ministry of Education 
(MOE) prior to opening, the universities are considered accredited institutions in Korea 
and eligible to compete for government research funds. 

There are clear advantages for the host partners as well. IGCF has created an advanced 
and unique educational system using this consortium model. The consortium can import 
high quality faculty and instruction to the IGC. Korea can therefore recruit more 
international students to their country and reduce the educational cost for citizens and 
residents who want to study at foreign institutions. According to Yonhap News Agency, 
Koreans spent 3.9 billion US dollars studying abroad in 2013 (“Students’ Overseas 
Spending,” 2014). Education in foreign countries is a large contributor to Korea’s service 
sector trade deficit. Providing a world-class education and employment opportunities with 

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the many international companies located in Songdo, such as Samsung and Cisco, will 
“help Korea retain its own students and stem the brain drain that happens when they send 
their own high-quality students to foreign institutions abroad” (Dessoff, 2012). SGUF can 
eventually go beyond “brain drain to brain circulation” to what Wildavsky (2012) called 
“brain growth” through the successful management of this consortium and global 
university in Korea. 

Of course, an operation of this scale is not without challenges. For the developers, the 
lengthy deliberations of foreign partners concerning whether and when to launch at 
Songdo has meant under-utilization of purpose-built facilities, occasioning some local 
controversy. Also, in some quarters, the project is considered unstable because 
enrollment quotas have not been met. In fact these quotas are five- to ten-year goals, so 
that particular criticism reflects a misunderstanding of recruitment plans rather than a 
failure of the project. For foreign university partners, a pressing concern is their desire to 
be afforded greater involvement in the selection of future university partners. Involvement 
would allow them to assist in the development of a comprehensive plan that facilitates 
general education course-sharing and the creation of research centers in areas of related 
interests. Another challenge has been maintaining commitment to the non-duplication of 
programs within the alliance. Shifting priorities and changing leadership at home 
institutions could potentially put this fundamental principle in jeopardy, with consequences 
for whether, and how, collaboration can be sustained.  

Beyond the obvious challenge of a language barrier, misunderstanding and 
miscommunication stemmed from cultural difference adds another layer of complexity. 
Different styles of negotiation sometimes generate misunderstandings about the intent of 
partners and jeopardize the trusting relationships between partners. For example, a 
Korean partner may politely defer questions to avoid putting problematic issues on the 
table. Western partners may perceive that strategy as avoidance or concealment. 
Particularly when contentious issues or conflicts arise in the course of negotiation, 
differences in negotiation styles hinder the solution and progress of the negotiation, which 
inefficiently delays overall progress of the project. Lack of official communication channels 
among the participant institutions is another challenge in obtaining updates and sharing 
information. Coordination of facilitating the multi-lateral communication between entities 
will be crucial to successful collaboration 

Another challenge is the fundamental difference in conceptualization and definition of 
“contract.” The Korean perspective prioritizes verbal communication, while the Western 
perspective prioritizes written communication. In this situation, cross-cultural 
understanding and interpersonal diplomacy are required. Finally, there are different 
expectations about college students. What is acceptable and even encouraged in the 
United States is beyond the pale in South Korea. For example, mixed-gender housing, 
with men and women living in adjacent rooms, is commonplace in the United States. On 
Incheon Global Campus, male and female student dormitories are separated by wings, 
floors, or even into separate buildings. 

 

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Concluding Note 

Among the most pressing questions faced by international education leaders is how to 
educate students to be global citizens (Stearns, 2008). In crafting internationalization 
plans for US institutions of higher education, we must hold in mind the expectations of 
what John Zogby has termed the “First Globals” generation to spend significant time 
abroad (Loveland, 2010). The establishment of overseas campuses is a visible 
commitment to internationalization that creates new opportunities for student learning and 
for direct international experience. While some institutions have decided not to invest in 
overseas campuses (Redden, 2014), others are devoting much time and talent to these 
local-global initiatives. It has been noted that “there can be many benefits to partnering 
with a local institution” in realizing a branch campus (Harding & Lammey, 2011, p.77). To 
that point, this article has highlighted a case where the “local institution” is, in fact, a group 
of fellow foreign universities co-partnering with a local organization in an innovative 
international development experiment with many mutually-reinforcing goals. 

References 

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Engagement (CIGE). (2012). Mapping internationalization on U.S. campuses. 
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Day, J. (2012, January 9). Songdo in South Korea leading charge to become city of the 
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Dessoff, A. (2012, July-Aug). Asia’s burgeoning higher education hubs. The International 
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Eun-ji, B. (2014, March 12). Global learning experience: George Mason University 
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About the Authors 
 

Dr. Anne Schiller is Vice President for Global Strategies and Professor of Anthropology 
at George Mason University.  She earned her B.A. in Anthropology at the University of 
Virginia and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology at Cornell University.  Her research 
among indigenous peoples in the rainforests of Indonesian Borneo has been supported 
by fellowships and grants from the Fulbright Foundation, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, 
the National Geographic Society, and others.  Her current  studies concern identity and 
social change in Florence, Italy.  She has authored books and numerous scholarly articles 
and chapters based on her findings.  Before coming to Mason, Dr. Schiller served as 
Director of International Programs and Director of the International Studies in the College 
of Humanities and Social Sciences at North Carolina State University. Dr. Schiller can be 
reached at schiller@gmu.edu.  

 

Dr. Minkyung Park is Assistant Vice President for International Campus Operations in 
the Office of Global and International Strategies at George Mason University, where she 
coordinates university-wide planning and management for Mason’s international campus 
in Songdo, South Korea. As an Associate Professor of Tourism and Events Management 

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http://www.herdsa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/conference/2006/papers/Macdonald.pdf
http://www.herdsa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/conference/2006/papers/Macdonald.pdf
http://www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/mayjun10_voices.pdf
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/03/12/amid-branch-campus-building-boom-some-universities-reject-model
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/03/12/amid-branch-campus-building-boom-some-universities-reject-model
http://www.sgu.or.kr/sgu/eng/main.htm
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http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/business/2014/02/02/8/0503000000AEN20140202001600320F.html
mailto:schiller@gmu.edu


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at the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), Dr. Park’s research 
specializes in the social impact of tourism and visitor management in tourism and 
recreation settings. Partnering with various agencies nationally and internationally, she is 
involved with diverse research projects and has produced over 60 publications in a 
combination of journal articles, book chapters, professional conference proceedings, and 
technical reports. Dr. Park can be reached at mparka@gmu.edu.  

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