Page 24 - Open and Distance Education In Asia : Good Practice From AAOU Members

4 OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATON IN ASIA
Good Practices from AAOU Members

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
As the Lifelong Education Act was established in 2000, KNOU strengthened its status in the era
of lifelong learning. Based on its philosophy of lifelong education, KNOU has proclaimed the
basic direction of education through the ‘Charter of Korea National Open University’ (revised
on May 31, 2001) based on the following philosophy:

Lifelong intellectual development to all members of society, regardless of time
and space, through advanced distance education.

Considering the basic direction of education, KNOU has been aiming for educational reform
based on openness, diversity, flexibility, and excellence since 2000. The educational purpose of
KNOU is “to foster talent who can adapt to a rapidly changing information-oriented society by
providing opportunities for higher education of new knowledge and technology to all people.”

Following up the afore mentioned new direction, KNOU established new schools and colleges,
as well as sets up new registration schemes and learning tracks. First, KNOU founded a graduate
school for master’s degrees in 2001 to provide opportunities for quality higher education.
Although the enrollment quota of the graduate school was 200 in 2001, it increased to 3,500
as of 2015. Second, KNOU established Prime College in 2012 and introduced the course-based
registration system in to provide a variety of learning media. With the revision of the school
regulations in 2013, KNOU introduced the cross-registration system between Prime College
and the preexisting departments.

Figure 1
Organization of Prime College and its academic affairs

Korea National Open University (KNOU)