Pusan National University, Chonnam National University, and Chungnam National University were selected as universities to receive the government's "create 10 Seoul Nationals" package support. Up to 100 billion won will be provided to the three universities to support the five-pole three-special strategic industry growth engines and the artificial intelligence (AI) field.
Minister Choi Kyo-jin of the Ministry of Education on the 1st announced the results of the package support university selection at Government Complex Seoul. To select the universities, the Ministry of Education formed a working committee composed of government members from eight ministries, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, and an external expert group recommended by the government members. The working committee reviewed primarily on four selection criteria: alignment with the national land space grand transition project strategy; regional conditions and readiness; university conditions and readiness; and overall university education and research innovation and structural reform. It then selected three schools—Pusan National University, Chonnam National University, and Chungnam National University—as the final support universities at the "pan-government council for promoting the national land space grand transition" chaired by the prime minister.
The Ministry of Education said, "The three selected universities have established concrete education and research plans and industry-academia-research cooperation systems to support talent development for regional growth engine industries such as megaprojects," and noted, "They were recognized for effectively linking the pan-government balanced growth strategy with the universities' capabilities."
Pusan National University proposed establishing an innovative manufacturing convergence college encompassing Southeast region growth engine industries such as shipbuilding and marine, mechanical systems, and aerospace, and newly creating contract departments with LG Electronics and three Hanwha affiliates, among others, with the goal of fostering colleges ranked within the global top 100. It also presented plans to establish the largest AI college in Korea and to develop the Yangsan campus into an industrial AI transformation (AX) research campus to back Southeast region growth. The working committee assessed that Pusan National University's plan aligns with regional industrial conditions, future investment plans, and the government's southern marine capital area development strategy, making the project highly feasible with strong spillover effects.
Chonnam National University proposed establishing an advanced convergence college focused on advanced semiconductors and future energy, and presented concrete plans to expand and operate courses with corporations' participation. It said it would expand the Amkor semiconductor packaging joint research lab model to Samsung and Korea Electric Power Corporation, among others, and train AI talent. The working committee evaluated that, given the large-scale investments in megaprojects building an industrial base and the launch of the integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju special city underpinning ultra-wide-area policies, the plan aligns well with the national balanced growth strategy.
Chungnam National University submitted a plan to establish the Nexus (NEXUS) College of Science and Technology and build a joint cooperation system with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). It also said it would expand the existing education-centered shared university into a growth engine and artificial intelligence (AI) package-type shared university.
Regarding Chungnam National University's plan, the working committee assessed that it well reflects the Mid-region megaproject large-scale investment situation and the regional characteristics of a dense concentration of research institutions such as the Daedeok Research and Development Special Zone and government-funded research institutes.
The Ministry of Education plans to support the selected universities so they can establish themselves as hubs for regional-industry-academia-research cooperation through joint consultations with relevant ministries. Minister Choi Kyo-jin said, "Through continued collaboration with relevant ministries, we will create a successful model of regional growth through regional universities and produce results that the public can feel," and added, "We will spare no administrative and financial support so that national universities can fulfill the mission of achieving 'national balanced growth.'"