Mokpo National University has formally proposed that the headquarters of a merged university be located at Suncheon National University — a move aimed at breaking a deadlock over where a new national medical school should be established.
Mokpo National University President Song Ha-cheol held a press conference Wednesday at the South Jeolla Provincial Office of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City Council, proposing that the merged university's main campus be based at Suncheon National University while the medical school be placed at Mokpo National University.
Song reaffirmed the two universities' commitment to establishing one medical school and two university hospitals, saying the plan reflects both the transition committee's proposal for the special city and the spirit of the agreement reached between the two institutions.
He added that Mokpo National University had been preparing to meet medical school accreditation requirements as quickly as possible through measures including securing a site for the medical school, establishing a new college of life sciences and restructuring its academic programs around biomedical sciences. "I believe this was reflected to some degree in the transition committee's proposal as well," he said.
Song also acknowledged the difficulty ahead, saying that even with full support from the government and the special city, "this will by no means be an easy journey," and called on Suncheon National University to make a forward-looking decision.
The two universities had already discussed the "Suncheon headquarters, Mokpo medical school" arrangement at a working-level meeting Monday but failed to find common ground.
Wednesday's announcement by Mokpo National University was largely a formal confirmation of what had been discussed at that Monday meeting, making it appear unlikely that Suncheon National University would accept the proposal.
The Ministry of Education plans to accept applications for medical school quota allocations in August, meaning the two universities must reach a merger agreement by the end of this month at the latest or risk losing the chance to establish a joint national medical school.
South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City Mayor Min Hyeong-bae urged both universities to make a bold decision, saying "there is not much time left" to improve health care for residents and upgrade the region's medical system.
sij@heraldcorp.com
