In the early days, the future of the University of Utah’s Asia Campus was far from certain.

Former president David Pershing remembers a sign staked into the dirt in 2014—“University of Utah building.”

“I wasn’t sure it was going to work out,” he said. “It was a bit of a question if I’m honest.”

Those tentative doubts now seem misplaced. Ten years later, U Asia Campus students, faculty and university and state leaders took a moment to bask in the campus’ success at a gala celebration and capital campaign launch at the end of September.

“This is truly one of the most successful University of Utah startups I have ever seen. Forget Pixar and Marriott for a moment,” said President Taylor Randall. “It is the collective work and small achievements of success here that allow us to imagine a future that is even brighter.”

The U Asia Campus opened in September 2014 with fewer than 20 students and three undergraduate degrees offered—communication, psychology and social work. For the fall 2024 semester, 620 students are enrolled in nine major and five minor programs—ranging from accounting to urban ecology—taught by dozens of U faculty. This semester, 49 students from Salt Lake City are studying at the Incheon campus.

“The foresight, hard work and commitment of those who founded the Utah Asia Campus paved the way for everything we have created here,” said Greg Hill, chief administrative officer and dean of faculty at Utah Asia Campus. “We’re building a great university.”

Randall and Pershing highlighted the work of Mike Hardman—former chief global officer and president emeritus of UAC. Hardman received an inaugural achievement award from the two university presidents at the gala on Sept. 28.

“There were a lot of expectations at the very beginning of this initiative and a lot of unknowns,” Hardman said. “We have exceeded these expectations and dealt with the unknowns in such a positive way that our students­—and this is the most important aspect to me—our students have succeeded. Our students have had a world-class university experience, both in Incheon and in Salt Lake City.”

“Thank you for trusting us, students. To the families, to the community—thank you for your trust that we would stay. And I just want to emphasize we stayed, and we’re not going anywhere, and we are proud to be in Korea.”

The U is a founding member of the Incheon Global Campus (IGC)—located in Songdo International Smart City—along with Ghent University, the State University of New York-Stony Brook and George Mason University. The higher education complex is backed by a $1 billion investment from the Korean government and is projected to become home to 10 colleges.

During the week’s celebrations, 2,000 attended a carnival on the U’s Asia Campus on Sept. 26. And 600 attended the gala on Sept. 28. University leaders launched a capital campaign at the 10-year anniversary celebration, raising over $200,000 from 30 donors.

“The Utah Asia Campus is a great honor and a source of pride for Incheon Global Campus (IGC),” said Byeonggeun Park, CEO of the Incheon Global Campus. “I believe the campus has been able to develop so splendidly thanks to the support and care of many donors. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Asia Campus, I would like to ask for continued interest, participation and support. I hope the University of Utah Asia Campus will keep growing and earning even greater honors.”

Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and World Trade Center Utah President Jonathan Freedman were among the dignitaries who traveled to Korea to celebrate the milestone. All emphasized the synergy between the campus and the state’s other connections to Korea—including more than 35,000 Korean Americans living in Utah, a 41-year-old sister city relationship with Gyeonggi Province, a new chapter of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce, and Delta Airlines’ recent announcement of a nonstop flight from Salt Lake City to Seoul.

In a Deseret News op-ed Sept. 30, Randall and Freedman noted the establishment of an economic development-focused office—a collaboration between the university, World Trade Center Utah and Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity—at the Incheon campus.

“The most important thing of all is the students—they are the very best in a generation,” said Cox. “The connections they are making will serve them and all of us for a lifetime to come.”

With that in mind, Senior International Officer Randy McCrillis is looking ahead to new learning-abroad locales.

“As we move forward with a strategic eye on the U’s footprint around the world, I’m excited to explore new areas and consider where we can best share our strengths with our global community,” he said. “To our friends and colleagues in Incheon, chukhahaeyo! We are proud of you.”