S. Korea’s KAIST to open its first global Korean university campus in New York

South Korea's Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology or simply known as KAIST is set to establish its very first university campus outside of the country. The prestigious university is coming to New York in either 2024 or 2025.

The school will be KAIST's first international campus and will offer courses that the Korean national research university is known for. These are college majors related to financial engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), and cultural technology. The university will also support the entrepreneurial activities of both the students and faculty members.

With its plan to set up a branch in New York, KAIST has also become the first Korean university to open an official campus overseas. As per The Korea Economic Daily, the institution is considering some locations of where to set up the school and these are Staten Island and Long Island of New York.

It was reported that the final decision for the site would be determined after discussions with the Korean government and getting approval from the institution's board of directors, faculty, and students.

The new KAIST in the U.S. will be jointly established with Big Continent Inc., a New York-based real estate investment firm. The company's chief executive and Korean businessperson, Bae Hee Nam was assigned to be in charge of the building's remodeling and site purchase.

"To develop KAIST as a world-class university such as Harvard University or Massachusetts Institute of Technology, our professors and students must conduct research and create entrepreneurial activities with global perspectives.," Lee Kwang Hyung, KAIST president, said in a statement. "Therefore, the New York campus will be an enterprise-oriented university. "

Last week, Lee said that KAIST's campus in New York will accept both Korean and international students. Pulse News reported that Big Continent's chief Bae also made a pledge to donate land and building for the school. Lee and Bae confirmed that the leading candidates for the location are the 93,000 square meter site in Long Island and a 36,000 square meter land in Staten Island.

Finally, in the first year after KAIST's inauguration, the school will send some of its Korean students to New York and will choose 100 to 200 local students in the U.S. The campus will have 30 departments that students can enroll in.