McRobbie travels to Asia to work with Korean Universities

IU President Michael McRobbie leaves today for a trip to South Korea and China.
McRobbie, along with several IU faculty and staff members, will spend six days in Korea and two days in China, where they will attend a conference on the globalization of education, according to a press release.

IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said the biggest goal of the trip is to create new agreements with institutions in Korea concerning the exchange of professors and students.

He said McRobbie believes IU students should have access to Asian culture, as well as opportunities in Asia. He said this is especially important as students move into the 21st century.

The trip has several specific goals for those going.

Dan Smith, dean of the Kelley School of Business, said the details of a new global master of business administration degree will be finalized during the trip. The degree’s program will involve faculty from the Kelley School and Sungkyun Kwan University.

The degree will be aimed at mid-career executives and will be awarded through the Kelley School starting in 2009.

McRobbie will also hear a concert from Jacobs School of Music alumni while in Korea.
Mira Jang, president of the Korean Student Association, said in an e-mail she hopes the trip creates a better relationship with alumni because they are important for advising students and providing aid.

She said most Korean students go back to Korea after graduation, so she hopes the University group will give a good impression to Korean companies.

Korea’s economy is bad, Jang said, so she hopes the group notices this and the University provides more scholarships to Korean students.

“We will also reconnect with many alumni from Kelley,” Smith said. He said he hopes to update them on what’s going on at IU.

MacIntyre said there’s a “fairly strong” alumni base in the region. He said keeping in touch with alumni is one of McRobbie’s major responsibilities, and alumni all around the world still contribute.

There are about 1,200 international students from Korea at IU each year, according to a press release.

“We’re very pleased we have that kind of support,” MacIntyre said.