SEOUL, February 21 (AJP) - The number of foreign engineers with PhD degrees from South Korean universities has nearly doubled in recent years, with Chinese making up a significant portion, an analysis reveals.
According to a report released earlier this week by the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), Chinese students accounted for three out of every ten foreign engineering PhD graduates here as of 2023. China's share of foreign PhD graduates in engineering has been growing steadily, rising from 21.4 percent in 2017 to 30 percent in 2023.
The institute analyzed trends by examining the overall number of foreign PhD holders, changes in their majors, and their countries of origin during the period between 2016 and 2023.
The findings showed that the number of foreign PhD graduates in engineering rose from 423 in 2016 to 813 in 2023, nearly doubling over seven years. Their proportion also grew from 13.1 percent in 2016 to 17.8 percent in 2023.
KISTEP also found that while the number of South Korean PhD holders has slowed and even begun to decline recently, the continued rise in foreign graduates has helped maintain the offering of PhD programs in the field of engineering studies. It added that attracting foreign talent will be crucial for sustaining graduate programs as South Korea faces a shrinking student population.
The report also highlighted that most of them came from Asia. In 2023, students from 51 countries earned PhDs in engineering in South Korea, with 23 of them coming from Asian countries. Of the overall 813 foreign graduates across all fields of study, 737 — or 90.7 percent—were from Asian countries.
Students from China, India, Pakistan and Viet Nam accounted for over 70 percent of all foreign students with PhDs in engineering. While the rankings among these four countries saw changes over the years, they consistently held the top spots.
KISTEP emphasized the importance of diversifying foreign students, suggesting that universities should go beyond personal networks and establish accessible channels to attract and retain a wider range of international students.
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