Prestigious U.S. schools turn attention to Jeju

JDC signs MOUs with two institutions to establish international schools in Jeju



A number of prestigious U.S. private schools, including Wilbraham & Monson Academy and Perkiomen School, are expected to discuss setting up overseas branches in Jeju.

Jeju Free International City Development Center signed memoranda of understanding with Wilbraham & Monson Academy and Perkiomen School on each campus on Jan. 18 and 19 to establish international schools at Jeju Global Education City.

JDC Chairman Byon Jong-il inked MOUs with the two schools during a visit to six schools in the U.S. The remaining four schools, all expressed high interest in JGEC and shared opinions that could lead to tangible results.

Yet more schools have also expressed a strong desire to establish a presence in Jeju.

Founded in 1804 and located in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, Wilbraham & Monson Academy is a college preparatory, co-educational school for grades 6-12. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, offering 17 Advanced Placement courses.

The school is known in Korea as the alma mater of Kim Hyun-chong, the former chief trade negotiator. It runs a variety of globalization programs, including economics and finance courses, in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology to grow students into next-generation global leaders.

Perkiomen School, founded in 1875 and located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a co-educational college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 6-12.

Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Perkiomen offers 20 AP courses, English As a Second Language programs and special support programs for students who want to go on to university. It also works to help international students successfully integrate into an American educational environment.

JDC visited four elite private schools in the eastern U.S. to see whether they had an intention to set up an affiliated school in JGEC and discuss how they can enter the Korean educational market.

Meanwhile, Cheshire Academy expressed its intention to establish a presence in JGEC and to sign an MOU during a visit to Jeju on Jan. 10. It will discuss MOU schedules with JDC after receiving approval from the school’s governing body.

Representatives from St. Johnsbury Academy visited Jeju in December 2011, toured the JGEC site, and held working-level discussions with JDC counterparts. The school said that it expects to receive approval from its governing body in late January and then conduct follow-up steps to set up a branch in Jeju. One of the notable alumni of the school is Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States.

Founded in 1759, Germantown Academy, a sister school of NLCS UK, is located in Pennsylvania, boasting 250 years of tradition. It is one of the top U.S. private schools with all graduates advancing to four-year universities. Encouraged by the successful opening of NLCS Jeju, Germantown Academy seems set to vigorously pursue entry into JGEC.

The Hun School of Princeton, a prestigious independent college preparatory school in New Jersey, has shown a deep interest in the Jeju project. It is understood that the school’s next plans include having internal discussions, seeking approval from its governing body and visiting Jeju. The school has a high admission rate to Princeton University.

Educational institutions at home and abroad have actively looked into entry into Jeju. In particular, there have been discussions about the establishment of U.S. schools offering AP courses, which are preferred by Korean students. This suggests that the JGEC project is expected to settle in earlier than expected.

NLCS Jeju and KIS Jeju successfully opened in September last year, and construction for Branksome Hall Asia is on target to open this October.

If U.S schools set up on Jeju, their educational programs would be mutually complementary to those of NCLS Jeju, KIS Jeju and Branksome Hall Asia, leading to more diverse curricula available to Korean and Asian students. In addition, this would help spark strong interest among Korean parents, giving considerable momentum to JDC’s education city project.