The Council of Presidents of National Hub Universities (Chair Kim Dong-won, President of Jeonbuk National University (JBNU)) held its first regular meeting of 2022 at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 4, 2022, at the Arte Resort in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province.

The meeting was attended by the presidents of the ten member universities of the council, Jo Hae-jin, Chair of the National Assembly’s Education Committee, Jeong Jong-cheol, Vice Minister of Education, Lee Gi-bong, Secretary-General of the Korea Council for University Education, and others to discuss current issues in higher education.

Notably, Professor Kim Jong-young of Kyung Hee University, author of "Making Ten Seoul National University-Level Institutions," delivered a lecture in which he proposed a university innovation plan aimed at elevating nine regional national hub universities to Seoul National University-level standards, drawing attention.

Professor Kim cited the example of ten California universities that, until before World War II, were so-called unknown institutions but became the world’s strongest public university system and the most innovative region in the world by transforming into research-oriented universities through institutional specialization. He argued that large-scale support for nine national hub universities is necessary to create ten universities at the level of Seoul National University.

In the lecture, Professor Kim said, "Without dismantling Seoul's domination (monopoly), it is impossible to escape extreme bottlenecks, and balanced regional development is also unattainable." He added, "Many remain skeptical that supporting regional universities will make them into institutions like Seoul National University, but it is necessary to develop specialized academic fields at each university and to have the 'time for accumulation'—consistent investment and patience like in California."

Following the lecture, during a discussion attended by Jeong Jong-cheol, Vice Minister of Education, and Lee Gi-bong, Secretary-General of the Korea Council for University Education, proposals were made to ensure that national hub universities can serve as foundations for balanced regional development. Suggestions included even allocation of the LINC 3.0 Project Group (Leaders in INdustry-university Cooperation 3.0) without regional concentration, proposals to pursue "right-sizing" under the 2022–2024 University Innovation Support Project, and reconstruction of aging buildings at national hub universities that are more than 40 years old.

Kim Dong-won, Chair of the Council of Presidents of National Hub Universities (President of JBNU), said in his opening remarks, "In an era of regional extinction, fostering national hub universities is a critically important task. Without education as a foundation, regional development will remain a distant prospect, and regional extinction cannot be prevented." He added, "To this end, the national hub universities will take the lead in innovating. We ask for active support from the National Assembly and the government."