Pusan National University Selected as 'Climate Change Response Environmental Health Center' by Ministry of Environment

by Jo Chunghyeon

Published 26 Mar.2025 09:02(KST)

Updated 31 Jul.2025 18:17(KST)

Professors Lee Hwanhee from the Department of Biomedical Convergence Engineering and Kang Jungeun from the Department of Urban Engineering... 1.3 Billion KRW in Funding Over Five Years
Promoting Convergence of Public Health and Engineering to Support the Establishment of Proactive and Active Climate Change Response Policies

Pusan National University (President Choi Jaewon) announced on the 26th that it has been designated as an 'Environmental Health Center for Climate Change Response' by the Ministry of Environment.

Since 2007, the government has been designating and operating 'Environmental Health Centers' at national and public research institutes, universities, and public hospitals across the country to investigate, research, prevent, and educate about health damages caused by environmental hazards.

This year, four institutions nationwide, including Pusan National University, have been designated, with Pusan National University being the only university selected.

Professor Lee Hwanhee (Center Director) of the Department of Biomedical Convergence Engineering and Professor Kang Jungeun (Deputy Director) of the Department of Urban Engineering at Pusan National University were selected for the 'Environmental Health Center for Climate Change Response' with the main focus on 'the convergence of public health and engineering to support the establishment of proactive and active climate change response policies.' The center will receive a total of 1.3 billion KRW in government funding, with 260 million KRW provided annually for five years until 2029. The center will be located at the Kyungam Engineering Building on the Yangsan campus of Pusan National University.

Through this project, Pusan National University plans to: provide evidence for formulating environmental health policies in response to climate change; establish a system for assessing environmental health disparities and vulnerabilities based on the current status of environmental hazards; monitor vulnerable groups and prevent environmental health damages through a digital environmental health system; offer climate and environmental health education led by local governments and citizens; support climate and environmental health policies at the national and local government levels; and build a data-sharing system among environmental health centers as a data hub.

Accordingly, the university will identify environmental hazards caused by climate change and establish a risk and vulnerability assessment system based on big data and AI. It also plans to offer preventive and alert services using wearable and IoT (Internet of Things) devices, provide offline education and environmental health information for digitally marginalized areas and vulnerable groups, and more.

Professor Lee Hwanhee of the Department of Biomedical Convergence Engineering said, "This Environmental Health Center for Climate Change Response will take the lead in providing policy support for building a climate change response and environmental health response system at both regional and national levels, and its main goal is to minimize the health impacts of environmental hazards caused by climate change." He added, "We plan to establish a proactive climate change response process based on AI and big data and to lead digital-based climate change environmental health strategies in the future."

Pusan National University