Polytechnic gains South Korean partner

An introduction organised by a South Korean educational agent has resulted in Otago Polytechnic and Kookje College forging a partnership.

The two colleges found they were "an amazing fit", Otago Polytechnic's marketing and communications general manager, Mike Waddell, said this week.

Kookje has about 4300 equivalent full-time students and Otago about 3150.

Both concentrated on applied education and both shared curriculum areas such as product design, fashion design, information technology, engineering, tourism and hospitality.

The relationship was formalised on Tuesday when a delegation from Kookje, in Gyeonggi-do province, near Seoul, visited for the first time and the two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding.

Otago has relationships with 15 institutions in nine countries including Germany, the United States and Chile.

Otago becomes Kookje's fourth partner, alongside a Japanese college and two in China.

Otago international and domestic liaison staff member Sarah Gauthier said the first Kookje students had already arrived.

The 10 students were on a three-week intensive English language and cultural programme.

It was hoped academic collaborations would allow Kookje students to complete qualifications at Otago and vice versa.