The University of Utah Asia Campus has a new and permanent home in Incheon, South Korea. The 170,000 square foot state-of-the-art building is located on a complex within the Incheon Global Campus that also includes George Mason University and Belgium’s Ghent University.
PHOTO CREDIT: University of Utah
The University of Utah Asia Campus
The nine-story, LEED-certified facility is modeled after the iconic J. Willard Marriott Library on the Salt Lake City campus. The building includes a welcome center, student lounge, 26 lecture halls and classrooms, counseling center and more than 100 faculty and student support offices.
A ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony took place today, hosted by the mayor of Incheon city and the Incheon Global Campus Foundation, with University of Utah President David W. Pershing, Sandi Pershing and other notable Korean and Utah dignitaries.
The UAC has more than 200 students currently enrolled in three undergraduate programs, communication, psychology and social work and one graduate program in public health. Four additional degrees are planned for spring 2017 pending final approval from the Korea Ministry of Education. These include a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies, Bachelor of Science in Urban Ecology, Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics and a Global Juris Doctor.
“Playing a key role in Korea’s plans for innovation in education, business and smart city development is consistent with the University of Utah’s vision to meet critical global needs through knowledge generation, innovative teaching and community engagement,” said David W. Pershing. “With these four new majors the U is expanding our offerings to meet the needs of our students here in Asia.”
Established in September 2014, the goal of the UAC is to fully prepare students with the knowledge and expertise needed to succeed in their chosen careers through critical thinking skills with an emphasis in global citizenship. With the same program requirements as the main campus in Salt Lake City, the UAC offers an American university experience in a global setting with all classes taught in English by University of Utah professors. Students applying to the UAC meet the same admission standards as the main campus, spend one year in Salt Lake City and receive a University of Utah degree upon graduation.
Application for spring 2017 admissions to the UAC is now underway. More information on the Asia Campus, including how to apply can be found at asiacampus.utah.edu.
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