The North Korean government highly values education and claims to provide free and compulsory education to all its citizens. The country follows a highly centralized education system, and education is mainly focused on political indoctrination and communist ideology. North Korean students attend twelve years of compulsory education, consisting of one year of preschool, five years of primary school, and six years of secondary school. After completing basic education, students have the option of attending vocational schools, colleges, or universities.
Some well-known organizations in North Korea’s higher education system are:
- Kim Il-sung University: The prestigious and oldest university in North Korea, it was established in 1946 and named after the country’s founding father, Kim Il-sung. The university has faculties of social sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences, and liberal arts. Around 20,000 students from all over the country study at this university.
- Pyongyang University of Science and Technology: It is a private university established in 2010 with support from the United States and South Korea. The university is known for its focus on science and technology education, and its curriculum is taught in English.
- Kim Chaek University of Technology: This university is primarily focused on engineering and technology and is considered one of the most prestigious and elite institutions in the country. It has faculties of machine engineering, electronics and information science, and materials science.
Despite claims of free education for all, access to higher education in North Korea is limited, and admission to prestigious universities is highly competitive. Moreover, the education system is tightly controlled by the state, and students are subjected to intense political indoctrination and censorship, with little room for free thought or creativity.
In conclusion, due to the lack of comprehensive information and controversy about the North Korean education system, it is difficult to provide an unbiased opinion on the best colleges and universities in North Korea. Nonetheless, the above-mentioned institutions are some of the well-known organizations providing higher education in the country.