Yeungnam University, Largest Structural Reform in 75 Years Since Founding... Establishing Foundation for Enhancing University Competitiveness

Establishment of Two New Colleges for Software Convergence and Global Talent Universities to Prepare for the 4th Industrial Revolution

Key Changes in the Curriculum Reform of Yeungnam University for the 2023 Academic Year.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yeo Jong-gu] Yeungnam University is restructuring its academic system on the largest scale since its founding.

This academic restructuring is being evaluated as a bold departure from the existing academic classification system tailored to the industrial era after 75 years since its establishment, laying the foundation to strengthen university competitiveness in preparation for the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.

The main points include ▲renaming and standardizing colleges ▲transforming and reorganizing departments into sustainable undergraduate programs ▲adjusting freshman recruitment units as proactive measures against social and economic structural changes and the continuous decline in the school-age population.

The existing system of 16 colleges will be reorganized into 15 colleges through establishment and integration, including the creation of the College of Software Convergence and the College of Global Talent.

The College of Software Convergence is newly established to focus the university's educational and research capabilities on future new growth engines such as AI, blockchain, and metaverse. Additionally, the Department of Software Convergence, aimed at training AI software and software security experts, will begin recruiting freshmen from next year.

The College of Global Talent will incorporate the existing Department of Chinese Language and Culture and the Department of Saemaul International Development, and will establish three new departments: the Department of Global Education, the Department of Global Interpretation and Translation, and the Department of Global Business.

The College of Basic Education will be renamed the Cheonma College of Liberal Arts. Within Cheonma College, a major-free selection department will be established to provide flexible academic structures and opportunities to choose various majors without division by field through free major selection.

In addition, the College of Humanities will be renamed the College of Humanities, composed of departments centered on language, literature, and humanities. Some social science departments from the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Political Science and Public Administration will be integrated into the College of Social Sciences. The College of Design and Fine Arts and the College of Music will be combined into the College of Arts, and the College of Commerce and the College of Business Administration will be newly launched under the name College of Business Administration.

In particular, the College of Business Administration will establish the Department of Industrial Management (special admission for employed personnel outside the quota) in line with Ministry of Education policies. Through education for regional industrial manpower, the university will engage in social contribution activities for mutual growth with local companies and society.

This year, Yeungnam University also restructured its special graduate schools. The Graduate School of Business Administration and the Graduate School of Public Administration were integrated into the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration, and a Department of Leadership Coaching was newly established. The existing Graduate School of Sports Science was incorporated into the Graduate School of Environmental Health, where the Departments of Sports Science and International Development and Health were newly established.

The Department of Smart Healthcare in the Graduate School of Environmental Health, which allows students to earn a master's degree online, was newly opened in the second semester of this year. Thus, educational restructuring reflecting social demand has been implemented not only at the undergraduate level but also at the graduate level.

Choi Oechul, President of Yeungnam University, said, “This educational restructuring is the result of all university members, including students, professors, and staff, uniting with one heart to overcome the difficult environment surrounding the university and to nurture talents who will lead the future.”

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