Auburn University has formalized research efforts with The Korea Institute of Technology, or KITECH.
Auburn University President Jay Gogue signed a memorandum of understanding with Youngsoo Lee, president of KITECH. The memorandum formalizes joint research efforts between Auburn's faculty and labs and KITECH to support local companies and Korean automotive companies.
According to Andy Gillespie, assistant provost for international programs, KITECH is a Korean, government-funded agency that does research and development for small and medium-sized businesses and industries.
"It is an arm of the Korean government that helps the Korean industry around the world, and so they have offices around the world," Gillespie said. "Now [KITECH is] going to be working with [the University] to reach out to the industries here, the companies you see up and down the I-85 corridor, to help them with their research needs."
While the agreement will benefit local businesses such as the Kia and Hyundai plants, the University has been establishing up many different international programs for students in recent years to be more inline with a globalized economy. The University has established language and cultural programs and the 3+2 Program, which provides an accelerated master's degree for exchange students here in Auburn.
These programs will not only benefit exchange students, they will benefit students who are from the states. Gillespie said the University is looking to do similar programs in Korea. A number of University officials will be traveling to South Korea this fall to begin looking for these kind of opportunities for Auburn students.
"Today's society is a global society," Gillespie said. "Every major here on campus is international, and so to make our Auburn students more competitive in this marketplace once you graduate, you need to be exposed to different cultures and different ways of work and different contexts that we find globally."
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