Changwon Special City, "We Will Foster Changwon-Type Innovative Talent to Lead 50 Years of Future Innovation Growth"

All-In on Selection of Three Major Projects for Changwon-Style Innovative Talent Development

On the 19th, Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam announced that it will focus its administrative efforts on selecting three major projects for nurturing Changwon-type innovative talents in the first half of the year, aiming to transform into a city with a stable future where young people return.

The three major projects for nurturing Changwon-type innovative talents are ▲designation as an education development special zone ▲selection as a Glocal University ▲establishment of Changwon Medical School. The goal is to respond to population decline and regional extinction by transforming into a city with a stable future where young people return.

Regional University-Centered Talent Development Agreement Ceremony.

Currently, Changwon is experiencing a rapid decrease in the youth population compared to other regions. The main causes cited include a lack of quality jobs desired by young people, absence of specialized training institutions, and inadequate talent development systems.

As a solution to these problems, the city has selected the three major projects for nurturing Changwon-type innovative talents, aiming to achieve both the creation of quality jobs and the cultivation of local talent.

On the 8th, the city applied for the designation of a ‘Smart Manufacturing Education Development Special Zone’ to the Ministry of Education’s first round of pilot area selection for education development special zones, aiming to establish a customized skilled workforce training system tailored to regional strategic and specialized industries.

The Ministry of Education plans to announce the results in early March after deliberation and approval by the Local Era Committee at the end of February. The pilot areas will receive special grants ranging from 3 billion to 10 billion KRW annually for three years, along with special privileges tailored to regional characteristics.

The city is committed to the designation of the education development special zone, a government policy where local governments, education offices, universities, companies, and public institutions cooperate to nurture future talents, creating a virtuous cycle ecosystem where young talents settle in the region.

In particular, the city plans to further develop and operate the ‘Changwon-type Education Development Special Zone,’ which reflects regional characteristics such as companies in the national industrial complex, universities, and specialized high schools, linking education and employment processes with the goal of supporting talent development, employment, and settlement.

Glocal University 30 is a project by the Ministry of Education that selects 30 local universities facing crises due to rapid changes in population and industrial structure from last year until 2026. It supports each university with 100 billion KRW over five years to enhance the competitiveness of regional universities through bold innovation led by the universities themselves.

Although three universities in Changwon applied last year and were not selected, this year the city aims to have at least one university selected. In January, it signed agreements with the presidents of six local universities to unite efforts for nurturing local talent.

If a local university is provisionally designated in April, the city plans to actively take steps such as enacting support ordinances and linking support with companies and research institutes by August for official designation. If selected as a Glocal University, the city plans to discover additional projects linked with the 2025 RISE project led by Gyeongnam Province.

Through the selection as a Glocal University and the RISE project, Changwon plans to develop local universities into world-class universities (Local+Global) that leverage regional characteristics by opening departments related to future new base industries such as medical, bio, and AI.

Although Changwon is a metropolitan city with a population of one million, it lacks medical professional training institutions such as medical, dental, Korean medicine, and pharmacy schools. The city has actively promoted the establishment of a medical school to resolve regional medical imbalances and nurture local talent.

The city plans to continuously visit the government and National Assembly to secure consensus for the establishment of Changwon Medical School and actively propose that the establishment be reflected in government policies by delivering petitions and signatures.

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, stated, “Changwon-type innovative talents are not just about talent development but a model leading regional development linked with employment, entrepreneurship, and settlement support policies. In the first half of this year, we will concentrate all administrative power on nurturing Changwon-type innovative talents who will lead Changwon’s next 50 years, striving to make Changwon a city where young people flock, not leave.”

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