Gyeongsang National University Selected as Operating Institution for 'Blue Foodtech Contract Department'

Recruiting 20 Master's Students to Operate a 2-Year, 4-Semester Program Starting This September

Contributing to Strengthening Internal Capabilities and Self-Sustainability of Small and Medium-Sized Seafood Food Companies in Gyeongnam Region

The College of Marine Sciences at Gyeongsang National University announced on the 2nd that its Department of Marine Food Engineering has been finally selected as the operating institution for the ‘Blue Food Tech Master's Program Contract Department,’ supported by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Fisheries Infrastructure Public Corporation.

The ‘Blue Food Tech Master's Program Contract Department’ is an educational program designed for employees working in seafood companies. It was introduced for the first time this year to provide a foundation for seafood companies to enter the blue food tech industry. The selection process included document screening and presentation evaluations through a nationwide open call.

Front view of the College of Marine Sciences, Gyeongsang National University.

Blue Food Tech is an industry that creates new added value through the convergence and fusion of new technologies across the seafood food industry, including 3D printing and alternative meat. The ‘contract department’ is a company-customized department that cultivates professionals needed by industries, enhancing the capabilities of employees and supporting the acquisition of master's degrees.

The College of Marine Sciences at Gyeongsang National University will newly establish the ‘Blue Food Tech Master's Program Contract Department’ in September, with a recruitment quota of 20 students, operating on a 2-year, 4-semester system. To provide convenience for working students, the program will be offered during weekday evenings and weekends. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will support 65% of the total operating costs and tuition fees. Additionally, it will provide support for technical problem-solving projects at the companies where the students are employed, with an annual budget of approximately 60 million KRW.

Professor Hwang Hee-jeong of the Department of Marine Food Engineering, who will serve as the responsible professor for the contract department, said, “This project is significant as it is the first time a contract department is established in the marine and fisheries food sector. The curriculum is composed of basic, advanced, and applied major theories and practices, company-linked field training, and team projects, contributing to strengthening the internal capabilities and self-sustainability of small and medium seafood food companies in the Gyeongnam region.”

Dean Lee Jeong-seok of the College of Marine Sciences said, “We are very proud that the Department of Marine Food Engineering has been selected for the Blue Food Tech contract department. Going forward, our College of Marine Sciences will actively attract national projects based on local production and learning (Jisanhak) research and education, presenting a successful educational model in the domestic marine and fisheries field.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Marine Food Engineering at Gyeongsang National University was established in 1917 and has a long history and tradition. It is an excellent department that ranked second for two consecutive years among 101 departments in the university’s self-evaluation. Additionally, this year, the Department of Marine Food Engineering, together with other departments in the College of Marine Sciences, is preparing to apply for the ‘4th phase BK21’ project to attract the ‘Shellfish Byproduct Industrialization Support Center’ and to cultivate high-level innovative talents in smart aquaculture and the blue food tech industry.

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