Choi Il, President of Dongshin University, "We Will Create a New Growth and Development Model for the Local Community"

[3rd Anniversary of Inauguration]

'Declaration of Educational Innovation and New Challenge'... Full Effort for Growth as a Leading University in the 4th Industrial Revolution

Major Achievements Including Best University Innovation Project an

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] On the 15th, Choi Il, president of Dongshin University, who marked his third year in office, stated, “We will create a new growth and development model for the local community through the establishment of a regional sharing economy platform centered on our university.”

President Choi has devoted his efforts over the past three years to transforming Dongshin University into a leading university in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution through educational innovation.

Through the ‘New Challenge Declaration,’ he called for proactive university responses to the post-COVID-19 era, including ▲building a hybrid campus ▲strengthening eco-friendly education ▲student-centered education ▲expanding the campus beyond regional, national, and border boundaries.

Last year, the university achieved significant accomplishments such as receiving the highest A grade in the first-year annual evaluation of the University Innovation Support Project Type 1, establishing the nation’s first ultra-high-speed wireless campus based on Wi-Fi 6 (cloud), ranking first in employment rate for three consecutive years among general universities in Gwangju and Jeonnam with over 1,000 graduates, and being selected for the Science and Technology Project Opening the Future of the Region.

President Choi plans to develop Dongshin University into an e-smart mobility campus and transform the university campus and Naju City into the nation’s only energy new industry experience city where future energy meets.

In particular, he envisions building a regional sharing economy platform utilizing secondary batteries that will lead to regional industrial development, revitalization of the local economy, job creation, and welfare benefits for vulnerable groups.

Dongshin University achieved a remarkable feat by being selected as the highest grade ‘Excellent A’ in the ‘2020 University Innovation Support Project Type 1 First-Year Annual Evaluation’ announced by the Ministry of Education. Along with the highest grade, it was designated as a ‘Regional Small but Strong University’ and received an additional incentive of 1.727 billion KRW. Dongshin University is the only private university in Gwangju and Jeonnam to receive an A grade in Type 1.

The university continues to achieve significant results in government-supported projects.

Following designations as a Fourth Industrial Revolution Innovation Leading University, Maker Space Project Specialized Lab, Southwest Hub Project of the National Human Resources Development Consortium, IPP-type Work-Learning Dual System Project, and University Job Center Project, this year it was finally selected as the recipient of the ‘2021 Science and Technology Project Opening the Future of the Region’ with a budget of 11.5 billion KRW.

Based on Dongshin University’s research capabilities and infrastructure, it is expected to generate high added value across the regional bio-industry, create new regional growth engines, foster win-win development with participating local companies, create jobs in the local community, and improve the quality of life for local residents.

The secured budget is being channeled into bold investments for educational innovation and student education.

For the first time among universities in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, the university installed Wi-Fi 6 across the entire campus, establishing an ultra-high-speed wireless campus. Recently, through unprecedented scholarship benefits such as freezing or reducing tuition fees for 12 out of the past 13 years and providing full scholarships for early admission students, the university supports outstanding talents to pursue their dreams without worrying about tuition fees.

In particular, regarding scholarships, in the 2020 academic year, out of 6,065 enrolled students (average of first and second semesters), 1,535 students (25.3%) received a full-year full scholarship, and 2,220 students (36.6%) received a full-semester full scholarship. The number of students who received scholarships at least once reached 6,339 (including those on leave), exceeding the average number of enrolled students.

Additionally, the university is rapidly emerging as a ‘university strong in employment’ and a public enterprise and civil servant academy.

Among general universities in Gwangju and Jeonnam with over 1,000 graduates, Dongshin University has maintained first place in employment rate for three consecutive years and has produced over 170 regular employees in public enterprises, civil servants, and teachers in the past two years, achieving outstanding results.

From 2019 to 2020, 26 current students and graduates were employed as regular workers in public enterprises such as Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

By institution, the numbers were highest at KEPCO KDN with 9, Korea Electric Power Corporation with 7, and KEPCO KPS with 3, with employment also achieved at various organizations including Korea Internet & Security Agency, Korea Rural Community Corporation, Korea Communications Agency, and Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation.

The university’s reputation as a civil servant academy is also well established.

During the same period, it trained 150 civil servants including 23 firefighters, 16 police officers, 66 military academy and ROTC second lieutenants, 14 counseling teachers, 4 national and public kindergarten teachers, 2 nutrition teachers, and 19 national and local government officials.

Moreover, it is the only university in Jeonnam to have produced regional talent 7th-grade trainee civil servants for three consecutive years recently.

Based on these achievements, Dongshin University has secured first place in employment rate for three consecutive years among general universities in Gwangju and Jeonnam (with over 1,000 graduates) and has ranked first in employment rate for nine out of the past eleven years, demonstrating overwhelming success.

The retention employment rate (first standard), indicating whether graduates have secured stable jobs, was 90.5% in 2016, 90.2% in 2017, 91.1% in 2018, and 89.7% in 2019, reflecting high qualitative employment levels.

Dongshin University plans to maximize employment outcomes by conducting employment academy projects such as DS STAR and Daejeong Program targeting second to fourth-year students.

The university is also focusing on building the region’s first sharing economy platform utilizing secondary batteries.

Dongshin University is collaborating with local governments and the university-based regional innovation project and Maker Space (Energy Makers Farm) to establish a ‘Used Battery Smart Energy Campus.’

Visitors to Dongshin University can ride autonomous electric wheel Segways (two-wheeled vehicles ridden standing) and electric kickboards equipped with reused batteries to tour the campus, experience secondary battery recycling lines, and engage in energy new industry convergence making experiences using IoE (Internet of Energy), 3D printers, big data, and blockchain.

After experiencing the Dongshin Smart Energy Campus, visitors will be able to tour promotional and experience centers owned by 16 innovative city public institutions and the Jeonnam Realistic Media Industry Support Center by riding smart mobility such as electric kickboards.

At the Dongshin University Maker Space, visitors can experience app creation using secondary batteries, 3D printing, IoE, blockchain, and big data. After tours of Naju Moksa, the old downtown, and the National Museum, an energy experience-linked tourism platform will be created that allows accommodation at Dongshin University dormitories or local hotels.

Furthermore, the university is promoting the establishment of an energy welfare prosumer platform that develops solar panels over ten years old, owned by energy public institutions, into products linked with secondary battery recycling and provides them free of charge to vulnerable and welfare groups in the region.

President Choi Il said, “This will be the region’s first sharing economy system and platform,” adding, “We expect effects such as the development of the regional tourism industry, revitalization of the local economy, discovery and attraction of strong small and medium enterprises, job creation, and welfare benefits for vulnerable groups.”

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