The primary goal of this research is to suggest policy implications for improving junior college degree programs in terms of degree courses of certain curricula, operated in collaboration with foreign junior colleges or universities. While Article 21 of the current Higher Education Law displays a willingness to support the operation of college curricula in cooperation with foreign colleges by presidential order, the fact remains that there are no clear plans to bring about their actual implementation for junior colleges.
The cooperation system of college programs with foreign institutes is aimed to improve the quality of vocational education of Korean colleges. Through collaboration with advance foreign programs of the curricula, equipment, facilities, degree courses, and qualification courses, we can seek improvement of the quality of educational programs for students and benefits of increased employment.
There are several types of collaboration for programs or curricula. One is to operate a bachelor degree program between two colleges. They should contract an agreement regarding the details of contents of the curriculum, the portion of teaching, recognition of learning and credits, degree awards and so on. Through these programs students can upgrade the results of their education and increase opportunities for employment abroad. Another is to only share a part of curricula or degree courses, in which case the colleges attempt to purchase the best quality curricula and to provide students chances to experience foreign culture and studies.
In the practical application, there are a lot of problems in obtaining excellent results for junior colleges. To grasp the situation and problems of collaboration of college programs with foreign colleges, several methodologies are employed; questionnaire surveys to junior colleges nationwide, analysis of case studies in foreign countries as well as domestic colleges, and the delphi method. Most of all, the language barrier to studying in foreign colleges is the largest hurdle for college students to overcome. Additionally, several problems can be pointed out, such as the economic burden by the students to pay the cost to study abroad; lack of selection criteria for foreign colleges to collaborate with; lack of support by the legal system, etc.
Based on the brief analysis provided above, some development strategies of collaboration programs with foreign colleges can be suggested. First, at the government level, the aims of collaboration for junior college programs should be reestablished. It should be practical to activate the benefits of vocational education for students.
Second, the information system of foreign colleges should be established so that colleges can pursue proper choices regarding advanced education and curriculum. The colleges want the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development to accumulate and provide data and information on foreign countries.
Third, colleges should consider taking advantage of cyber-learning, through which we can overcome the limits of time and distance.
Fourth, collaboration should not be limited to only curricula or degree courses but be extended to certificate and qualification courses considering the possible employment of graduates abroad.
Fifth, the system should be based on the guarantee of learning rights of students. It should not be operated for the benefit of colleges or the government, but with students as the main focus.
Sixth, the system should be operated to reinforce the vocational education of junior colleges, not just for the aquisition of a Bachelor's degree.
Seventh, it should be developed taking into consideration realization of lifelong learning to help the careers of individual students.
Eighth, the program should be operated based on the principles of free competition and a market economy. This will allow students to judge the quality of learning and curriculum as a purchaser.