NCSU set to delve into deal with South Korea

CHAPEL HILL -- N.C. State University got thumbs up Thursday to accept $1 million from the South Korean government to study the idea of building a campus at a $200 billion business and research park taking shape near the port city of Incheon.

The campus -- likely a collaboration by several universities -- would not only give NCSU an Asian operations hub but could expand the economic development reach of the whole state, university officials told members of a UNC Board of Governors committee.

South Korea would pay for all construction costs, and no money from the state of North Carolina would be required to build or operate the campus, university officials said.

The committee endorsed the idea unanimously. Approval by the full board today was regarded as no more than a formality.

It would be the university's first overseas campus, though NCSU has programs in several other countries, including India and China. The idea fits the university's strategy of creating international centers in strategic locations to make sure students and faculty are in step with the global economy.

The campus could also serve as an Asian entry point for other schools in the UNC system and for North Carolina companies, said NCSU Provost Larry A. Nielsen.

South Korea doesn't get as much attention as other Asian countries with fast-growing economies such as China, India and Japan, Nielsen said, but it's a particularly attractive location for several reasons.

For one, NCSU already has strong ties with South Korea; the country is one of its top sources of foreign students and is home to about 2,000 alumni. Some of them are highly placed in major companies such as Samsung, where four of the eight senior vice presidents are NCSU grads, Nielsen said.

The park where the campus would be built, the Incheon Free Economic Zone, is adjacent to a new airport that already is the world's third-busiest and is a short hop from other major Asian economic centers, including Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai. It's also minutes from the South Korean capital, Seoul.

Research at the park will focus on information technology, biotechnology and advanced materials, making it a good fit for NCSU and businesses at Research Triangle Park, Nielsen said.

NCSU could provide training for North Carolina companies that want to expand into South Korea, according to a written proposal the university provided to the committee.

Chancellor James L. Oblinger told the committee that talks with South Korean officials had been under way since late 2006.

The South Korean government has told NCSU that in addition to the feasibility study, it's willing to pump another $4 million into planning and startup costs, spread over four more years. Nielsen said the university also was in negotiations with the South Koreans for another $1 million a year for the same length of time for biotechnology research.

Besides classrooms, South Korea also would build all labs, research facilities and housing for students and faculty.

The campus would likely include about five U.S. universities. Stony Brook University in New York recently agreed to accept a similar planning grant, and the South Koreans are in talks with others. Being one of the first could give NCSU an edge in shaping the campus, said Vice Chancellor Charles D. Leffler said.

The feasibility study will take about a year. Among the issues that university leaders will study are how to make it all work without using North Carolina money, what programs to offer and what facilities would be needed.

If the university staff thinks the idea will work, it would seek approval from the NCSU Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors.