Office of Public Relations:                                           For more information, contact: Stephen E. Snyder

(229) 931-2028                                                                         (229) 931-2037 ssnyder@canes.gsw.edu

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April 13, 2009

            AMERICUS--Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) President Kendall A. Blanchard, Ph.D. and his wife, Connie G. Blanchard, Ph.D., recently returned from a short trip to Korea where they signed a new agreement with Korean Digital University (KDU).

            Located in the heart of the capital city Seoul, KDU is the largest private on-line university in Korea and the fastest growing institution of higher learning in the country.  The agreement between Georgia Southwestern and Korean Digital opens the door for a range of cooperative enterprises.  KDU is seeking support for its English as a Second Language program.  It is also interested in developing several joint on-line programs with Georgia Southwestern.  KDU will use its network to promote GSW as a destination for those Korean students who wish to study in the U.S.

            “South Korea's modernization is unparalleled in human history, evolving as it did out of the ruins of the Korean War in the early 1950s and becoming a nation of impressive economic muscle and financial prosperity in a relatively short period of time,” said Blanchard. “One of the major factors in the country’s success is its strong emphasis on education. Almost 80 percent of Korean high school graduates go on to some form of higher education, in comparison to the approximately 56 percent of American high school graduates who continue their formal education.

            “Also, English is the most important second language in Korea, and as a result Korea sends more students to the United States to study than all other countries in the world except China and India,” added Blanchard. “For all these reasons, Korea provides many great opportunities for Georgia Southwestern.”

            The President of Korean Digital, Choong Soon Kim, Ph.D., is a long-time friend of President Blanchard. A graduate of the University of Georgia’s Ph.D. program in anthropology, Kim taught in Tennessee for many years before returning to Korea in 2001 to take over the helm at Korean Digital. 

            Kim is a widely published author and well-known anthropologist.  His most recent book, “Kimchi and I.T.,” is an introduction to Korean history and culture.  He and the Blanchards are currently working together on a book about the growth of the immigrant population and its impact on traditional Korean culture.

            The Blanchards’ trip, which was paid for in full by Korean Digital University, is part of a larger effort to increase international student enrollment at Georgia Southwestern and provide more study-abroad opportunities for its native students.  It is also a component of the University’s effort to broaden its on-line capabilities and out-reach, both nationally and internationally. 

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