지역 인적자원개발을 위한 지방대학의 육성방안

Abstract

지역 인적자원개발 및 지역혁신체제 구축ㆍ운영의 중요성 부각, 지방대학 경쟁력의 지속적 약화, 기존 중앙 정부부처 중심의 개별적 지방대학 육성정책의 성과 미흡, 노무현 정부의 국가 균형 발전 정책 추진 등은 지방대학의 육성이 지금까지와는 다른 새로운 관점에서 접근할 필요가 있음을 시사하고 있다. 이에 이 연구에서는 지금까지 추진된 지방대학 육성정책이 소기의 성과를 거두지 못하고 있는 현실에 착안하여 향후 지방대학 육성정책이 성공할 수 있는 제도적 기반 및 환경을 조성하는데 논의의 초점을 두었다. 구체적으로 이 연구는 국가 경제ㆍ사회 균형발전 정책의 큰 테두리 내에서 지방대학 육성정책을 논의하여야 한다는 전제 하에 지방대학의 현황 및 문제점, 지방대학 개혁의 국내ㆍ외 우수사례 등을 분석ㆍ논의하고, 이에 기초하여 지방대학 육성정책의 목적 및 추진 방향, 정책방안, 그리고 추진방식을 중앙정부 관점에서 제시하였다.

1. The background and goal of the study There is a growing need for a new approach to foster local junior colleges and universities (hereafter local universities). There are complex reasons behind this: the emerging importance of the regional human resources development and regional innovation systems; the steadily weakening competitiveness of local universities; central government's policies for nurturing local universities that have failed to bear their expected fruits, and the new policy for balanced national development pursued by the current government. Against this backdrop, this study seeks to lay the groundwork for mapping out new policies that will support the development of successful local universities. In detail, this study discusses and analyzes the current status and problems of local universities, and draws upon exemplary cases from within and outside the nation on the premise that the policies for nurturing local universities should be prepared within an overall policy framework for balanced national social and economic development. Based on this, the study proposes from the perspective of the central government the goals, direction, and specific policy measures for nurturing local universities. 2. The current status and problems of local universities Among two-year colleges across the nation, non-metropolitan schools account for 67.9% and 62.7% of the number of schools and the number of students respectively (metropolitan areas, here, means Seoul, Inchon and Kyungki province). In the case of four-year universities, the corresponding figures are 59.5% and 60.7%. The numbers show that a relatively greater number of colleges and universities and students are located in non-metropolitan regions, a reflection of the population of Korea as a whole. 53.8% of people reside in non-metropolitan areas and 55.2% of total gross domestic product is generated by these regions, which also account for 55.2% of total enterprises and 51.1% of those engaging in businesses. Currently local universities in Korea are facing a variety of problems such as the increasing number of talented students flocking to universities in the metropolitan area, the growing trend of the lack of applicants and the low employment rate and relatively low employment status of local university graduates. Specifically, the more able students are opting for universities in metropolitan areas over those in non-metropolitan areas for reasons of employment opportunities and the prestigious hierarchical system among universities in Korea. This regional migration is further aggravated by the fact that a growing number of students in local universities are transferring to metropolitan universities. In addition, local universities have witnessed a sharply increasing trend of a declining number of applicants; a trend that is likely to deepen further after 2012. It was also found that the average employment rate of graduates from local universities and their rate of employment by the top 100 business are lower than those of graduates from metropolitan universities. Also, it took more time for local university graduates to find their first job than their metropolitan counterparts. In light of these problems, local universities are now caught in a vicious circle of weakened competitiveness that is both the cause and result of an academic brain drain, which, in turn, will be a drain on the competitiveness of the regions and the nation as a whole. There are complex reasons behind the current problems facing local universities. The economic and social gap between the metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas has kept widening; jobs preferred by graduates from two-year and four-year colleges and universities such as those requiring expertise and skills or administrative managerial jobs are mainly located in metropolitan areas; planning and operation of policies by central government are not reflecting the reality of local conditions; partnerships among local universities, local governments and local businesses have not been strong; educational and research facilities of local universities have been poor, which has undermined their competitiveness and finally, from a national perspective, there has been an oversupply of higher education itself. An analysis of the current status and problems of local universities has led to the following conclusions. First, it is necessary to prepare comprehensive measures that will ensure the co-operation and participation of both central and local governments in order to support local universities effectively. Second, more efforts should be made to improve the competency levels of local authorities for planning and reforming local policies. Third, measures for nurturing local universities should focus on the enhancement of local university's competitiveness. Fourth, to achieve an equilibrium in the balance of supply and demand of university education, non-performing universities should be forced out of the education market and university integration and restructuring should be encouraged. Finally, local schools should be equipped with better employment information systems for effective career and employment guidance. 3. Analysis of policies for nurturing local universities The study analyzes existing policies carried out by central government including the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Information and Communication. The policies are organized into four categories according to their goals - whether the nurturing of local universities themselves is the goal or the nurturing of local universities is just a part of fulfilling other objectives - and according to type of application - whether they are school-oriented or professor-oriented. The analysis found that the following problems exist in carrying out the aforementioned central government policies. First, it was difficult to make an accurate assessment of the results of projects arising from such policy since project goals had not been specifically described in the first place. Second, local universities do not have institutions in place capable of responding to policy projects designed to help in their improvement. As for the government's policies in general, it has been pointed out that policy projects have been carried out without the necessary coordination among the government agencies themselves. For example, projects commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development have been executed without proper coordination with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy. The effective execution of policy projects has also been further undermined by the failure of local universities to make required improvements in their institutions. In conclusion, before pursuing any policy project with the goal of nurturing local universities, it is first necessary to determine whether a similar kind of policy project is underway, and, if there is, to make sure that proper coordination on both content and methodology between the existing and new project is carried out. 4. Case studies of local universities for development of local human resources In order to discover factors for nurturing local universities and to seek ways to strengthen the competitiveness of local universities, an analysis was made of successful cases in Japan and the U.K. and of certain domestic universities, such as Handong University, Yeongsan University, Bugyeong University, Hoseo University, Gyeongnam Information College and Daedeok College. As a result, some factors were identified as being essential to the carrying out of policies for nurturing local universities. First, universities themselves should be strongly committed to the principle of ongoing development. Second, restructuring of universities should be planned and implemented in the long-term perspectives taking into account the opinion of every party of the university. Third, local universities need to strengthen practical education in response to the demands of local industry and facilitate cooperation with businesses in order to raise the employment rate of graduates and to draw more applicants. Fourth, it is necessary to pursue the development of local universities in line with the economic, social and cultural development of the region in a comprehensive and systematic way through coordination among government agencies. Fifth, partnerships among local universities should be established in order to heighten their competitiveness and to tackle the problem of decreasing numbers of applicants. Finally, local universities need to develop and provide education and training programs for employees in local businesses. 5. Measures to strengthen the competitiveness of local universities Based on the analyses mentioned above, the study discussed and proposed the goal of nurturing local universities, and policy directions and measures for their implementation from the perspective of central government. The strengthening of the human resources development and R&D for the development of industry and science of local universities was set up as a policy goal. Policy directions are also proposed: policy implementation from the viewpoint of comprehensive and balanced national and local development, policy initiation and pursuit by local stakeholder, and performance-oriented policy implementation. Along with the goal and directions of policies to nurture local universities, the study also proposed policy measures from the perspective of the central government. First, a system to link and coordinate policies for nurturing local universities should be put in place. In detail, the policies for local universities should be linked and coordinated with the policies for balanced development of the nation through the Council for Balanced National Development. Also, the function of the Committee on Human Resources Development should be strengthened in terms of linkage and coordination with policies for nurturing local universities. In addition, a consultative body for local development with the participation of local entities should be formed and operated. Second, local partnerships should be set up and facilitated. As part of these efforts, central government should provide financial and administrative incentives to encourage local stakeholder to actively participate in local university development projects and to induce local universities to make closer cooperation among themselves. Third, there should be extended supports for universities making efforts to reduce enrollment quota and to redesign the department structure including the integration of departments, as well as for the specialization project to develop university's specialty. Fourth, a legal and institutional framework should be laid for the closure of non-performing schools and easier integration among schools. Fifth, administrative and financial support should be increased for enhanced cooperation with businesses and for the establishment and operation of an association composed of business representatives from industry and an academic-industry consultative body. Sixth, information infrastructure for local human resources development and a system for ensuring the stability of local employment should be established and operated. The study also proposes policy implementation methods as follows: enactment of a Special Act for Nurturing Local Junior Colleges and Universities, incorporation of provisions for the development of local universities into the Special Act for Balanced National Development, establishment and operation of a Special Account for the Development of Local Universities, incorporation of items concerning the development of local universities into the Special Account for Balanced National Development, and establishment of a scientific and objective policy assessment system. As for the distribution of central government's budget for nurturing local universities, the study suggests two measures. First, it is necessary to set a national minimum level of educational and research standards and to distribute fairly a certain proportion of the budget to each region in order to guarantee the minimum level and later adjust the budget distribution based on the result of policy implementation. Second, in distributing the R&D budget of each government agency, it is desirable to distribute a certain share of the budget to each region and then let the local universities compete among themselves.