The National Information Center for Academic Recognition Japan (NIC-Japan) held an online seminar entitled "South Korean Education System and Higher Education Qualifications" on Friday, January 16, 2026.

As part of its efforts to provide information that contributes to the smooth recognition of higher education qualifications for the purpose of improving the international mobility of students and academics, NIC-Japan has been holding the "NIC-Japan Seminar Series" since 2021. Each seminar features presentations by domestic and international experts on various topics related to recognition of foreign qualifications, including examples of overseas education systems and procedures for qualification evaluation.

The second seminar in FY2025 focused on the South Korean education system and higher education qualifications. The lecture was given by ISHIKAWA Hiroyuki, Ph.D., the Professor of the Center for Research and Development of Higher Education at Kyoto Women's University. The seminar was attended by approximately 150 participants, mainly faculty and staff members involved in admissions and international affairs at universities and other institutions.

At the opening of the seminar, Professor MORI Rie, the Executive Director of NIC-Japan, expressed her appreciation to the lecturer and outlined the objectives and expectations for the seminar.

The lecture began with a systematic overview of the South Korean school system, the types of institutions offering higher education, and the qualifications awarded. Using data-rich materials reflecting recent trends in South Korea's education system, the lecture provided a comprehensive explanation of university restructuring and strategies to attract international students being implemented by the South Korean government in reaction to the declining birthrate.

The lecture also covered the degree acquisition framework based on the credit bank system, in response to requests for further explanation from Japanese universities and other institutions in the pre-event survey. Moreover, the government administrative service portal "Government 24," which enables the verification of the authenticity of academic qualifications, was introduced.

The lecture was followed by Q&A session, which involved lively interactions between participants and the lecturer, and the event ended on a high note.

The materials used in this seminar can be downloaded from the following link.
"South Korean Education System and Higher Education Qualifications (January 16, 2026)"(Presentation material) (In Japanese)
The video of this seminar (in Japanese) is available on YouTube until the end of August 2026.

In addition, the announcement page during registration period for the seminar can be viewed here.