[1st Anniversary of Mayor Kang Gijeong of Gwangju in the 8th Civil Election]⑤The Greatest Competitiveness is 'Talent Development'

Operation of Education System Linked to Future Industries such as AI and Semiconductors

Mayor Kang: Focusing on a 'Business-Friendly' Region with No Worries about Talent

The advancement of science and technology and the prosperity of culture and industry are achieved only by people. No matter how intelligent artificial intelligence (AI) is, it is useless without people to operate it. Ultimately, it comes down to people, that is, talent.

Gwangju Metropolitan City is aiming for a major transformation into future industries. The competitiveness in the era of future industries such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and mobility lies in talent with problem-solving abilities. In particular, the city’s goal is to firmly establish a talent development ladder so that companies do not say they avoid coming due to a lack of talent.

◆ Strengthening the Link Between Future Industry Development and Talent Cultivation

Gwangju City is focusing on creating a “Gwangju where companies can operate without worrying about talent.” The strategy is to connect future industry development and talent cultivation into one system to complete “Gwangju as a Future Industry City.”

This is well reflected in Mayor Kang Ki-jung’s recent remarks at an expanded executive meeting: “We are strengthening the link between the development of future industries such as artificial intelligence, future mobility, and semiconductors, which will become future growth engines, and talent cultivation. Through this, companies, universities, and youth are all enhancing their competitiveness beyond mere survival, and Gwangju is completing a big picture that allows continuous development.” This is a thorough “practical and realistic” approach.

Global companies are also paying attention to the infrastructure being built in Gwangju, such as the “National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Center” and the “1 Million Pyeong Future Car National Industrial Complex,” as well as the software aspect represented by the “AI Talent Development Ladder.”

◆ Talent Development at Each Stage: Children, Secondary, University, Experts

One of Gwangju City’s strengths is its “strong talent development ladder from the roots.”

There is a systematically established formal education curriculum based on artificial intelligence (AI), including a children’s imagination playground based on AI → software (SW) future enrichment AI literacy courses for elementary and middle school students → AI specialized gifted high school discovering and nurturing AI prodigies → AI convergence universities linked to regional key industries (automobiles, energy, healthcare, and core technologies) → graduate schools specializing in AI such as Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) AI Graduate School and Chonnam National University AI Convergence Graduate School.

In addition, a detailed talent development ladder is established and operated step-by-step, including the AI Officer School and AI job transition education aimed at producing immediately deployable personnel in practical fields, NHN Academy and R&D centers for company-customized talent development programs, Samsung Electronics semiconductor contract departments, and Google Cloud-based AI talent development education.

Mayor Kang emphasized, “In fact, Gwangju is home to over 100 AI companies and startups, the nation’s only national AI cluster, and the National AI Data Center. Especially, the detailed talent development ladder plan covering children, secondary students, university students, and professionals is a pride of Gwangju AI.”

This solid AI talent development ladder is expanding into the semiconductor field.

To attract the “Semiconductor Specialized Complex,” the first Gwangju-Jeonnam mutual cooperation project, the “Gwangju-Jeonnam Semiconductor Industry Promotion Committee” was launched and a joint support ordinance was enacted. In particular, a semiconductor talent development system is being established to respond promptly to the demand for semiconductor specialized complex personnel.

In May, the city secured the nation’s only “Advanced Packaging Field Semiconductor Joint Research Institute,” and in June, it was finally selected as a “Semiconductor Specialized University” by the Ministry of Education.

Taking this opportunity, Gwangju City, Jeonnam Province, regional universities, and the education sector are joining forces to cultivate specialized talent in post-processing (packaging) tailored to the “Gwangju-Jeonnam Semiconductor Specialized Complex.”

◆ Leading Proactive Response to Changes in Local Education Policy

The city is closely cooperating with regional universities, the gateway for producing high-level talent.

The city has selected four universities as AI convergence universities: Chonnam National University (Energy), Chosun University (Healthcare), Honam University (Automobile), and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (Core Technologies), and is conducting various support projects.

The goal is to cultivate AI convergence personnel in three fields: automobile, energy, and healthcare, along with AI core technology development. Each university operates curricula composed of AI convergence courses by field and demand-oriented AI practical programs through industry-academia cooperation.

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) AI Graduate School has recently produced its first AI Ph.D., emerging as a cradle for AI talent cultivation. It has also signed an agreement with Samsung Electronics to establish a semiconductor contract department to nurture talent.

Chonnam National University operates industry-academia joint research and engineering master’s and doctoral degree programs for local company employees, producing advanced AI personnel.

To establish a stronger industry-academia-research-government collaboration system, the city expanded the Women and Family Education Bureau’s Talent Development Division into an “Education Policy Officer.” This is to break down barriers inside and outside universities and proactively respond to changes in local education policy environments such as the Ministry of Education’s Glocal University project, which leads university reform. The Education Policy Officer is responsible for overseeing education policies that complete the talent development ladder linked to future key and challenging industries.

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