Honam University, Nurturing AI Talent... Cultivating the 'Next Champion'

2020 National Service Awards 'University-AI Specialization Category' Grand Prize Winner

Mandatory AI Curriculum for All Students... Education Innovation Including Curriculum Reform

Highly Praised for Establishing AI Research Center and Provi

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Honam University (President Park Sangcheol) has received recognition both domestically and internationally for its systematic efforts such as nurturing AI (Artificial Intelligence) convergence talents for all students, building AI infrastructure, and providing AI talent scholarships. It reaffirmed its reputation as the only ‘AI Specialized University’ in Korea leading the 4th Industrial Revolution era.

Honam University announced on the 15th that it recently won the ‘University-AI (Artificial Intelligence) Specialization Division Grand Prize’ at the ‘2020 National Service Awards,’ the most prestigious award in Korea, hosted by the Industrial Policy Research Institute (IPS) of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

It was highly evaluated for bold investments and continuous efforts to leap forward as an ‘AI Specialized University,’ including curriculum reform to nurture all students as AI convergence talents for the first time nationwide, building an AI campus with ultra-high-speed wireless internet service available throughout the campus, establishing an AI Education Center and AI Big Data Research Institute, and providing AI talent scholarships.

In 2019, Honam University accelerated its leap to an ‘AI Specialized University’ by launching the ‘AI-Centered University Promotion Committee’ directly under the president. It prepared an innovative curriculum focusing on ▲building an AI campus ▲developing AI basic convergence liberal arts courses ▲mandatory offering of AI courses in major curricula ▲developing at least one AI-linked (convergence) major in every department, requiring all students to complete more than 15 credits of AI courses.

Additionally, by concentrating its budget, it completed the construction of an AI campus for AI convergence education for the first time among universities nationwide. It is equipped with 12 AI-exclusive classrooms and state-of-the-art educational equipment such as laptops and electronic podiums necessary for AI education and smart lectures.

By the end of this year, it is progressing with the installation of ultra-high-speed Hoipai (Honam University + Wi-Fi 6) throughout the campus, enabling students to freely use various smart devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs anytime and anywhere without data charges.

The AI Education Center, which opened in June, is a genuine AI education facility where students can practice software development implementing AI basic programming, deep learning fundamentals, video recognition, voice recognition, language recognition technologies, and autonomous vehicle sensor technology implementation.

Various courses are operated using big data and AI autonomous driving training kits, including implementing sensor technology for autonomous driving model cars, playing a core role in innovative education that activates AI convergence education across all academic fields.

Alongside this, the Information and Communication Research Institute was reorganized into the AI Big Data Research Institute, focusing on education and research across IT technologies including AI convergence/AI-linked applied technologies (medical, healthcare, sports, etc.), big data and applications (including statistics and platforms), AI teaching methods, and overall IT technologies (IoT, embedded systems, cloud, robotics, drones, mobile communications, etc.).

Honam University expressed a strong commitment to nurturing AI convergence talents by providing AI talent scholarships that supply essential smart devices for AI education to all freshmen in the 2021 academic year.

The AI talent scholarship provides vouchers or cash worth approximately 550,000 KRW for purchasing various smart devices such as smartphones or tablet PCs to freshmen who register after being admitted through early admission.

Additionally, those who register after being admitted through early admission supplementary rounds will receive smart devices such as AirPods worth about 200,000 KRW or cash.

The AI talent scholarship is provided regardless of academic merit scholarships, significantly expanding benefits for high-achieving students.

The provision of AI talent scholarships is a groundbreaking support measure following an 11% tuition reduction for the second semester this year, despite ongoing tuition freezes and reductions over the past decade and increasing financial difficulties due to COVID-19, expected to alleviate tuition burdens for freshmen and their parents.

Also, under COVID-19 prevention measures, Honam University is holding the nation’s first ‘2021 Online Admission Fair’ in a showcase format, featuring promotional videos for all 40 departments and various admission information.

Accessible via the Honam University homepage as a hub and various school SNS channels, it provides admission information at a glance through various devices including PCs, tablet PCs, and mobile phones.

Honam University plans to select all 1,651 students in the 2021 academic year early admission from the 23rd to the 28th.

The ‘General Student Selection’ for the 2021 early admission reflects 60% school records and 40% interviews.

The Nursing and Physical Therapy departments select five times the number of applicants based on 100% school records in the first stage, followed by interviews. Other general departments conduct interviews for all applicants. The biggest feature of the ‘General Student Selection’ is that it does not apply minimum CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test) grade requirements.

The 2021 early admission interviews will be conducted non-face-to-face (online) to prevent infectious diseases amid the COVID-19 spread. The non-face-to-face interview allows examinees to respond to interviewers’ questions via webcam-equipped computers or smartphones (mobile applications) in a safe space without time or location constraints.

President Park Sangcheol said, “Honam University, which has led innovative education ahead of its time for half a century since its establishment in 1978 with the founding philosophy of ‘Education for National Prosperity,’ is smoothly advancing the long-term development plan ‘DREAM 2028’ ahead of its 50th anniversary.” He added, “We will devote ourselves to nurturing ‘Next Champions’ by cultivating all students as AI convergence talents, expanding infrastructure, and industry-academia cooperation, realizing the vision of a ‘Happy University Where Students Achieve Their Dreams,’ and creating future growth engines for the nation and region.”

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