Chonnam National University, Gwangju City, and Jeonnam Province Jointly Selected for 'Regional Innovation Project'

683 Billion Won Supported Over One Year Including 47.8 Billion Won in National Funds

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Chonnam National University is promoting a mega national government-funded project worth 68.3 billion KRW together with Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeonnam Province.

According to Chonnam National University on the 16th, the Ministry of Education has finally selected the Gwangju-Jeonnam region as the recipient of the 'Local Government-University Cooperation-Based Regional Innovation Project.'

The project team will receive a total project budget of 47.8 billion KRW in national funds and 20.5 billion KRW in local funds over one year, totaling 68.3 billion KRW, to engage in industry-academia cooperation and talent development in two core areas: new energy industries and future transportation devices. Furthermore, follow-up support is expected to continue as the project progresses.

The 'Regional Innovation Project' is a key public contest project by the Ministry of Education aimed at overcoming regional crises by fostering sustainable regional industries through joint utilization of university resources with local governments via educational innovation, and by nurturing and supplying necessary talent.

In this contest, 14 regions and 10 platforms nationwide competed fiercely, resulting in the Gwangju-Jeonnam region being selected for the multiple-type project, while Gyeongnam and Chungbuk were selected for the single-type project.

To this end, Chonnam National University has been actively responding since last year by spreading the agenda of the 'Regional Innovation Platform,' including the Regional University Presidents Forum, and conducting briefings, public hearings, and multiple working-level consultations with related institutions and organizations.

The active participation of Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop and Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok is also evaluated as playing a significant role.

In particular, the project scope selecting two core areas, 'New Energy Industry' and 'Future Transportation Devices,' directly aligns with the government's top 10 representative tasks of the Korean New Deal policy, and considerable synergy effects are expected depending on coordination with government policies.

Chung Byung-seok, President of Chonnam National University, said, "With the selection of the innovation platform, our regional universities have been given an excellent opportunity to directly engage in regional innovation, urban regeneration, and sustainable industrial development by nurturing and supplying outstanding talent, thereby restoring the regional ecosystem to a virtuous cycle structure through strengthening competitiveness and job creation." He added, "Facing a turning point due to COVID-19, we will do our best as a subject of regional innovation to become a world-class region-friendly and industry-friendly university education through bold and proactive educational innovation."

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