This paper presents ‘Regional-Academia Cooperation’ and RISE (Regional Innovation System & Education) ‘as new structural paradigms for collaboration between higher education and local communities in response to the multifaceted crises of declining school-age population, metropolitan concentration, and regional extinction. Unlike traditional university-industry cooperation, Regional-Academia Cooperation, as proposed here, emphasizes horizontal partnerships between universities and various local actors, including local governments, businesses, and civil society, to jointly address regional challenges. It is emerging as a model that expands the social responsibility of higher education. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical foundations of Regional-Academia Cooperation, domestic and international case studies, implementation practices at Kangwon National University, the background and structure of RISE, and the strategies and execution process of the'Gangwon RISE ‘project. Based on this analysis, the proposed recommendations for institutionalizing and legalizing Regional-Academia Cooperation and strategies for advancing RISE are expected to contribute to the integration of higher education accountability and national balanced development.