Aberdeen first UK university to open campus in South Korea

The campus, which will be located in Hadong, in the south of the country, is scheduled to open in September 2016.

It will offer courses in energy-related disciplines, including MSc programmes in oil and gas topside engineering, subsea engineering, and petroleum engineering, plus an MBA in energy management.

An agreement has been signed to secure funding from South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Seth Kunin, Aberdeen’s vice-principal for internationalisation, said the new campus would also provide opportunities for Scotland-based students to learn overseas.

“As part of its economic strategy the South Korean government is keen to develop its offshore industry, and it is a testament to the academic expertise that exists here that we were chosen as a partner in this project,” Professor Kunin added.

“The new campus will export our world-class educational offering to a new market in East Asia, but it will also open up huge opportunities in research thanks to the impressive facilities located there.”

Hee Bong Lee, commissioner of the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone Authority, said the campus would become “a centre of expertise in offshore engineering thanks to the strong curriculum on offer, and the university’s reputation for excellence in offshore teaching and research”.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com