Gov¡¯t to suspend subsidies to grad. schools for int'l studies

The government will suspend financial support of the nation's graduate schools for international studies next year.

The Ministry of Planning and Budget said Tuesday that the 10 billion won from the budget earmarked for these graduate schools this year would be distributed to the schools on a differential basis according to their business results, but from next year all subsidies will be cut.

A ministry official said that an inspection of the management of the nine graduate schools for international studies, including one in Seoul National University, unearthed many problems such as the unplanned distribution of government subsidies.

He said that the government financially assisted the graduate schools to help them foster specialized manpower that will advance into international organizations, but most of the graduates found work at domestic organizations, countering the original purpose of the schools¡¯ establishment.

Since the foundation of the international graduate schools has been consolidated to some extent over the past five years, they have to stand on their own two feet from now on, he said.

According to the ministry, some schools used most of the government subsidies for facility investment and failed to honor their earlier promise to create funds corresponding to the subsidies.

The rate of graduates¡¯ employment at international organizations was also very poor with only 20 out of the total 661 graduates having found jobs at global bodies.