Honam University Stands Out in Industry-Academic Cooperation Among Universities in Honam and Jeju Regions

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Honam University (President Park Sangcheol) has risen as the top university among industry-academia cooperation universities in the Honam and Jeju regions.

On the 16th, Honam University announced that it was selected as the most outstanding university in the Honam and Jeju regions in the 4th-year evaluation of the Ministry of Education's Social Customized Industry-Academia Cooperation Leading University Development (LINC+, hereafter Link Plus) project.

Accordingly, Honam University will receive 4.34 billion KRW in project funding this year, an increase of 550 million KRW from last year's 3.79 billion KRW.

Link Plus is the largest-scale university financial support project in Korea, launched in 2017 following the Industry-Academia Cooperation Leading University Development (LINC) project initiated by the government in 2012. It is a regional-industry-academia (地産學) cooperation project where local governments, industries, and universities closely collaborate to solve difficulties, create new growth engines, and improve students' employment and entrepreneurship rates.

Honam University, the only Ministry of Education-selected 4th Industrial Revolution Innovation Leading University in the Gwangju area, has successfully carried out large national projects such as Local University Specialization (CK-1), PRIME, Link Plus (LINC+), and University Innovation Support Pilot (PILOT). It was also selected as an autonomous improvement university in the 2nd cycle university basic competency diagnosis evaluation, establishing itself as a prestigious private university representing Honam.

In particular, through customized (practical) talent cultivation and employment rate improvement via the Link Plus project, it has been recognized for creating a leading model of industry-academia cooperation where universities and companies grow together.

Honam University, which has promoted close industry-academia cooperation with about 900 family companies, is pursuing mutual growth through ICT convergence in the region's three major specialized industries: future automobiles, new energy industries, and cultural contents.

It has established a concentrated support system for companies through Future Automobile ICC, New Energy Industry ICC, Cultural Contents ICC, and Artificial Intelligence ICC.

The Gwangsan-gu Corporate Doctor Center, which supports local small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners to improve productivity and competitiveness, visits more than 200 companies annually to resolve difficulties, receiving great acclaim for its regional-industry-academia (地産學) cooperation activities.

To quickly support companies facing difficulties such as technology development, productivity improvement, and business conversion, the university provides on-site, close-contact services by diagnosing and offering solutions for management, technology, finance, and marketing issues with a team of specialized doctors including professors.

Honam University is the only university in Korea to declare itself an AI-specialized university and conducts AI convergence education for all students through curriculum reform.

It has completed the establishment of an AI campus for nurturing AI convergence talents for all students by preparing 12 AI-dedicated lecture rooms and equipping cutting-edge AI education facilities such as autonomous driving training kits and high-performance deep learning servers.

In line with the government's ‘AI National Strategy’ and Gwangju Metropolitan City's ‘AI-Centered City’ initiative, the university aims to create future growth engines for the nation and region through AI talent cultivation, infrastructure construction, and industry-academia cooperation, as well as enhancing students' employment and entrepreneurship.

Park Sangcheol, President of Honam University, stated, “Honam University will stand tall as an AI-specialized university nurturing AI convergence talents for all students to realize the vision of AI Korea and AI-centered city Gwangju in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution and AI.” He added, “We will do our best to help students achieve their dreams and lead regional and national development through AI talent cultivation and strengthened industry-academia cooperation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.