Sejong University drew about 600 foreign students from 43 countries to a career and startup forum in Seoul last week, part of efforts to connect overseas talent with employers as South Korea faces labor shortages.
The 7th International Student Futures Spring 2026 Career Fair and Startup Forum, held March 25 at the university’s Gwanggaeto Hall, featured 60 booths from companies, financial institutions and startup support groups, including Wonik IPS, Oakwood Premier Hotel, Mercure Seoul Magok and Jeonbuk Bank.
The event was organized in partnership with international student platform Stuvisor and career services provider Careertus.
Participants came from 54 universities and institutions. Students from Uzbekistan accounted for 20 percent, followed by China, Bangladesh and Vietnam. By field of study, business and economics majors made up 33 percent, followed by science and engineering at 28.3 percent.
The turnout points to intensifying competition among universities to retain foreign graduates and link them to employers, as the country looks to offset demographic decline with overseas talent.
“This is the result of seeing international students as core partners, not just admissions resources,” Lee Choong-hoon, head of external cooperation at Sejong University, said. He added the university aims to strengthen links with industry, government and global education networks to improve graduate employment outcomes.
The event also featured a startup forum dedicated to foreign students, with sessions in Korean and English focusing on entrepreneurship and hiring in the artificial intelligence era.
Mohammed Iqbal Khazi, president of Indian Students and Researchers in Korea, delivered the keynote address. Panels included university officials and startup founders who discussed support programs, hiring practices and career pathways after graduation.
The forum drew participation from global education firm QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the British Council and local organizations, including the Korea Association of International Educators and Seoul’s foreign resident support offices.
Thirteen universities, including Sungkyunkwan University, Kyung Hee University and Hanyang University ERICA, also operated booths to recruit prospective students.
Attendees said the event offered access to job placement, startup guidance, academic pathways and settlement services in one place. Employers and participating institutions described it as an efficient channel to identify international talent and assess graduates’ readiness for the labor market.
Yang Gil-jun, chief executive of Stuvisor and Careertus, said the forum is developing into a platform linking students, universities, companies and government bodies.
The next edition of the International Student Futures forum is scheduled for Oct. 1 at Sejong University.
hnpark@heraldcorp.com
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