Inha University World-class university in logistics education & research As a frontrunner of logistics education, Inha University is becoming an object of international interest with the plan for a Masters of Global Logistics Management (MGLM). For the purpose of developing this educational program as well as establishing the direction for developing human resources to work in the regional logistical field, Inha University held 'The International Logistics Education Conference' over two days, June 13-14 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Seoul. The Conference was intended to serve as a review of global trends in logistics education and to provide information on Inha's Master of Global Logistics Management (MGLM). First off, in a session with a title, "Plan of Master of Global Logistics Management (MGLM) at Inha University", the University's Prof. Kwon Oh-Kyoung said that the aim of the University's APSL (Asia Pacific School of Logistics) is to educate and train logistics professionals to lead global logistics and supply chain innovation on behalf of business as well as to support Korea's logistics hub strategies. This APSL, not the least, aims to be a world-class university in logistics education and research as well as a supply base of logistics professionals for the Northeast Asian region. APSL offers programs in five categories as follows: undergraduate, graduate, international, executive, and interdepartmental programs. Its education programs consist of courses specialized in logistics, interdisciplinary curricula, international joint education programs, multiple languages, and internship and industry outreach programs. Prof. Peter J. Rimmer, and Prof. Young- Tae Chang at Inha University elaborated in their presentation, entitled "APSL Plan of Developing MGLM in Korea", that demand for logistics education has stemmed from the growth of trade arising from an expanded market that has been variously attributed to liberalization, deregulation, globalization, advanced technology (e.g. IT) and the development of multimodal transport. The proposed MGLM program is an initiative of the Global U8 Consortium, of which Inha Univ is a member. "Despite the expansion, a lack of human resources to meet the increased demand for logistics professionals has been identified in Western countries and an even greater shortfall of human resources has been recognized in the Asia Pacific to meet these needs, particularly in the 'growth engine countries'," Prof. Rimmer contends. To cope with such a challenge, Inha University aims to become a mode in the global network of logistics education, emphasizing the exchange of knowledge and people across boundaries, to create a multiple-point 'knowledge space . The two professors said that Inha Univ. recognizes the need to collaborate across the globe in logistics with partners in the Global U8 Consortium drawn from Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Inha Univ's APSL framework is not simply for teaching as it includes provision for both joint research and building administrative capacity, they explained. They added that Inha's APSL appreciates the need to provide additional services for students and staff working in radically different cultures and learning environments. Reflecting the different continental strengths across the spectrum of logistics education, the faculty will team together to offer a unique Masters course in Global Logistics Management that provides fresh perspective on the Asia Pacific region. An official at Inha Unviversity involved in the MGLM project explains that its objective is to develop a new generation of logistics and supply chain professionals in the Asia Pacific region, capable of meeting the changing demands and evolving challenges of a globalizing logistics and supply chain industry. Specifically, the MGLM program seeks to produce visionary logistics and supply chain leaders for Korean and Asia Pacific companies. At the corporate level, the focus of the proposed MGLM program is directed to exploring ways to: * Enhance operational excellence in organizations * Building strategic leadership capabilities among logistics and supply chain managers * Both create and expand the Northeast Asian business network. The MGLM program is structured to comprise a set of core courses, complemented by a range of elective courses to enable students to develop an area of specialization based on their specific interests and career aspirations, and a research project to provide academic rigor. In its first session concerning "Current Status of Global Education in Logistics", Prof. Rimmer and Prof. Young-Tae Chang said that the government of Singapore has gone beyond attracting specialized logistics companies and is now developing a regional distribution hub and SCM "Control Tower" under the recognition that logistics education has an important role in the nation's global competitiveness. Singapore is seeking to meet 70 percent of the global demand for international education in 2025 expected from Asia. It is a known fact that Singapore is now pursuing a "national" approach in logistics education through which has attracted an assemblage of 11 elite overseas universities (10 from the United States and 1 from Germany) to form the basis of a strategy entitled the "Singapore Global Schoolhouse", which will draw students from across the globe. For instance, Georgia Tech (GT) is partnering the National University of Singapore (NUS) in the Transport Logistics Institute Asia Pacific and offering a "dual" degree with a separate Masters degree from each institution. Via a presentation entitled Dual Master of Science in Logistics & Supply Chain Management Program Briefing', Dr. Lee Chulung, Industrial Systems Engineering Department, National University of Singapore, said that the Logistics Institute-Asia Pacific's mission is to be the premier institute in Asia Pacific by focusing on excellence in logistics research and education. Its Dual M.Sc in Logistics & Supply Chain Management Program (DMP) is a full-time, one and a half year program that addresses the need by industry for skilled logistical personnel, and enhances and preserves Singapore's position as the premier logistics hub in the region.