The wave of changes caused by artificial intelligence (AI) technology is rushing to university districts. Universities entering the new semester are focusing their efforts on AI education to cultivate talents who will lead the future society. In addition to strengthening new technology-related departments such as AI and big data, more and more schools are requiring all students to complete basic AI education regardless of their major. Flexibility in choosing majors is also increasing. It introduces systems such as non-major, multi-major, and related majors to support students to access and explore various disciplines. It is also seen that the boundaries between disciplines are broken, such as the establishment of a convergence major with other disciplines.
Dankook University is drawing attention for promoting the ‘AI·X (AI Transformation) Campus’ strategy to reorganize the university system itself into AI. It introduces AI Transformation for Engaging Learning (AX-EL), an AI-based future education model, and combines active learning teaching methods with advanced technologies such as metaverse and XR to build a student-centered participatory learning environment. It has established the ‘AI Convergence Research Institute’ as a future strategic research institute overseeing research in the AI field and is also strengthening its competitiveness in convergence research that combines AI with core specialized fields of universities such as semiconductors, future automobiles, and digital healthcare. In 2026, an artificial intelligence department will be established to select 42 new students, and in 2027, an AI architecture and convergence department will be established.
AI education is also expanding for all students. SW and AI education, including the ‘University SW and AI Introduction’ course, has been designated as a mandatory liberal arts, and AI education tailored to the characteristics of each college is operated. AI-PD professors were assigned to each college to develop a total of 19 AI liberal arts courses. More than 3,000 students take more than 100 SW and AI courses annually.
Kyung Hee University is also accelerating the digital transformation of universities through the selection of AI-related government projects and the introduction of Generative AI platforms. Kyung Hee University was selected for the “2026 Advanced Industrial Talent Training Boot Camp” project organized by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KIAT) and the support of AI-related departments for the new Seoul RISE project. It plans to operate an AI boot camp that combines high-quality artificial intelligence education and high-density immersive practical training with a total of 7.125 billion won for five years.
This month, the Pangyo VI Campus of Kyung Hee University, which will serve as a base for AI education and industry-academic cooperation, will be opened to expand corporate cooperation projects, internships, and employment linkage programs. The introduction of the Generative AI platform ‘ChatKHU’ to strengthen members’ ability to use AI is also noteworthy.
It is a platform consisting of “studio” to create chatbots without coding, “store” to share useful chatbots, and “chatting” to use various latest LLM models and talk to custom chatbots, which can be used for repetitive administrative tasks, drafting lecture materials, and establishing learning plans. Starting with the introduction of ChatKHU, Kyunghee University plans to speed up the digital transformation of the university’s education, research, and administrative environment.
Sungkyunkwan University is preparing for a new era by restructuring its campus infrastructure on a large scale. Suwon Natural Science Campus successfully completed the completion of the E Center and CNS Center, a state-of-the-art research facility with a total floor area of about 15,000 pyeong, in October last year. In addition, as the 100,000 pyeong Suwon R&D Science Park enters the full-fledged formation stage, it will strengthen the social role of universities that lead the high-tech industrial ecosystem in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province.
In order to proactively respond to rapidly changing industrial demand and future technology trends, drastic innovation in the education organization is also being carried out. In particular, it plans to establish a new bio-new drug and regulatory science department and a battery department from 2026 to cultivate key talents to lead the bio and energy industries, respectively.
In addition, there are many universities that use AI as a growth engine. Soongsil University established ‘AI University’, the first college specialized in the field of AI in Korea. It operates under the “AI Software Department” system, which integrates the existing software department and AI convergence department, and is training key AI talents through convergence curriculum such as software, information protection, artificial intelligence, and AI systems. Keimyung University plans to train about 750 AI talents by investing a total of 10.325 billion won over the next five years, including 7.82 billion won in government, local governments, and corporate support and 500 million won in university school expenses. Deokseong Women’s University has established a series of high-tech departments such as the Department of Virtual Reality Convergence, the Department of Data Science, and the Department of AI New Drugs, and is presenting the “Deokseong AI Initiative” that applies AI to the overall university operation.
College of vocational education centered on industrial sites is no exception. Inha Technical College is restructuring the curriculum of each undergraduate and department to meet industrial demand and technological changes, and changing the direction of education so that students can have not only major practical competencies but also AI utilization capabilities, data comprehension capabilities, and convergent problem-solving capabilities.
There is also a wind of innovation in the CEO process. Unique processes linked to various industries are on the rise. Hanyang University will introduce a new defense industry CEO course this year in order to take K-bang to the next level as a national strategic industry and a major export industry.
Seoul National University will recruit the 14th top course in the well-aging and senior industry, which was opened in 2013 to respond to the super-aged society and improve the professionalism of senior industry managers in Korea. It is also noteworthy that Yonsei University’s Graduate School of Real Estate CEO course, which has produced more than 1,000 major leaders in the real estate industry for more than 20 years since its opening in 2003, and Yonsei University’s “Yeonhae Golf Top Course,” which was created to provide a new golf culture.
[Reporter Lee Yong-ik]
