A SCOTTISH university has entered into an historic agreement to establish an international campus in South Korea.
In a UK first, representatives from Aberdeen University signed a deal with its new partners the Gyeongsangnamdo Prefecture, Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone Authority and Hadong County.
The agreement will secure funding from the Korean Ministry of Trade and Industry, paving the way for the campus to open in September 2016.
The campus - based in the south of the country in the Hadong District, in the Gwangyang Free Economic Zone - will specialise in offering courses in offshore-related disciplines, including MSc courses in Oil and Gas Topside Engineering, Subsea Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, and an MBA in Energy Management. It will also provide new research facilities in engineering.
The university is the first in the UK to have a campus in the country, providing Aberdeen students with the opportunity to develop their international experience and build links with students from the East Asia region.
Seth Kunin, the university's vice principal, said: "This agreement is a significant milestone in the long history of the university and we are all excited by the prospect of establishing our first overseas campus in South Korea.
"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.
"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 Korean partners actively support the establishment of the university's Hadong campus, which we look forward to becoming 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."
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