Ministry of Science and ICT Announces New Selection of 13 Software-Centered Universities

Expansion of Support for SW Specialists and Convergence Talent

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 12th that it will open applications for the 'New Selection of Software (SW) Centered University Project' until the 20th, planning to select 13 universities.

The SW Centered University project aims to innovate university education systems centered on software by reflecting the demands of the industrial field and to cultivate SW-specialized and convergent talents that meet the demand for new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). In addition to activating new technology curriculum development, practical industry-academia cooperation projects, and SW convergence education programs, it also contributes to expanding the base for spreading SW value and nurturing SW talent by supporting SW education for elementary and secondary school teachers.

This year, the project plans to operate 51 universities with a total budget of 83.8 billion KRW. It supports 38 universities in the general track and 6 universities in the specialized track. Among them, a total of 13 universities, including 11 in the general track and 2 in the specialized track, will be newly selected.

The general track is open to universities with an SW department admission quota of 100 or more and that operate graduate schools for SW departments. Selected universities receive 2 billion KRW annually. The support period for the general track is up to 8 years, but if a university previously selected as a Phase 1 SW Centered University and whose support has ended is reselected, the support period is 6 years.

The specialized track is only open to small and medium-sized universities with fewer than 10,000 enrolled students and does not have qualification conditions such as SW department quotas or graduate school operation, unlike the general track. Selected universities receive 1 billion KRW annually. The support period for the specialized track is up to 6 years. To expand participation opportunities for small and medium-sized universities, universities operated with government budget support as science and technology specialized universities and universities previously selected as SW Centered Universities are restricted from applying. To promote the spread of SW talent cultivation in regions, when evaluating the new selection of 13 universities, universities located outside the metropolitan area and in unselected regions (Ulsan, Sejong, Jeonnam) will be awarded an additional 2 points each.

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