Honam University Wins National Service Award for 3 Consecutive Years in University-AI Specialization Category

Recognition of Efforts to Nurture AI Convergence Talents for All Students through AI Convergence Innovative Curriculum Reform and AI Campus Establishment

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Honam University (President Park Sangcheol) announced on the 15th that it has won the ‘2022 National Service Award’ for the third consecutive year in the ‘University-AI (Artificial Intelligence) Specialization Category’.

The 2022 National Service Award is the most prestigious award in Korea, hosted by the Industrial Policy Research Institute (IPS) and sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Honam University received the grand prize in recognition of its outstanding efforts to nurture all students as AI convergence talents through the reorganization of the AI convergence innovative curriculum and the establishment of an AI campus, as well as leading ‘AI popularization education’ to establish itself as a ‘National AI Convergence Education Institution.’

The university also won this award in 2020 and 2021.

The National Service Award selects excellent services that represent Korea and are widely loved by the public through a rigorous evaluation process including ▲service competitiveness and vision ▲industrial and social contribution ▲operational performance ▲sustainable management plan evaluation.

Honam University, recognized for three consecutive years as the best AI specialized university leading the 4th Industrial Revolution era in Korea, is creating future growth engines in line with the government’s ‘AI National Strategy’ and Gwangju Metropolitan City’s ‘AI-Centered City’ strategy through AI talent cultivation, infrastructure establishment, and industry-academia cooperation.

In 2019, Honam University launched the ‘AI-Centered University Promotion Committee’ directly under the president and has continued bold and proactive investments to nurture all students as AI convergence talents by building an AI convergence campus centered on the AI Education Center and AI Big Data Research Institute.

The AI campus, the first of its kind established nationwide in conjunction with an innovative curriculum requiring all students to complete more than 15 credits of AI courses, boasts 12 AI-dedicated classrooms, smart classrooms, laptops, electronic podiums, and state-of-the-art educational facilities and equipment.

In particular, the AI Education Center serves as a software development practice site implementing AI basic programming, deep learning basic education, video, voice, and language recognition technologies, and autonomous vehicle sensor technologies. The AI Big Data Research Institute is utilized as a research hub for AI convergence and AI-linked applied technologies (medical, healthcare, sports, etc.), big data and applications (including statistics and platforms), and overall IT technologies (IoT, embedded systems, cloud, robotics, drones, mobile communications, etc.).

Honam University has produced excellent talents who have built ‘IT Korea,’ having been selected as an Information and Communication Specialized University by the Ministry of Education (1997) and the top university nationwide in comprehensive university evaluations (1999).

The university has successfully completed or is currently pursuing national projects including six-time winner of the Local University Specialization (CK-1) project (2014), Leading University for Industry-Academia Education Activation (PRIME) project (2016), Leading University for Customized Industry-Academia Cooperation (LINC+) project (2017), 4th Industrial Revolution Innovation Leading University (2018), University Innovation Support (PILOT) project (2018), Humanities and Social Science Research Institute Support project (2019), AI Convergence University Support project (2021), and Regional Innovation Platform (RIP) project (2021). It was also selected as an autonomous improvement university in the 3rd cycle of the University Basic Competency Diagnosis evaluation (2021), making it the best small but strong university.

This year, alongside being selected for the Smart Manufacturing Advanced Human Resources Development project and the Leading University for Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation (LINC3.0) project, over 300 professors from 40 departments are actively establishing cooperative systems with companies to enhance corporate competitiveness through product development and advanced technology support.

Additionally, through customized talent cultivation linked with companies, Honam University is creating a virtuous cycle model of ‘industry-academia-research cooperation’ to increase student job creation and employment rates.

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

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