Jeonbuk National University, Buan County agree to cultivate talent for regional growth

Jeonbuk National University President Yang O-bong, fourth from left, poses with Buan County Mayor Kweon Ig-hyeon, third from left, after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation at the university’s campus in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of Jeonbuk National University

Jeonbuk National University and Buan County in North Jeolla Province have agreed to cultivate talent for regional growth and promote industry-academia collaboration, the university said Wednesday.

Yang O-bong, president of the university, and Kweon Ig-hyeon, mayor of the county, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation at the university’s campus in Jeonju on Tuesday .

The two sides have agreed to cooperate in developing Jeonbuk National University into a regional hub university under the government’s “10 Seoul National Universities ” project.

The initiative seeks to develop flagship national universities into hubs linking industry, academia, research institutions and local governments.

Under the agreement, both sides will work together to elevate the university to a level comparable to Seoul National University in an effort to promote balanced national development and help address regional decline and depopulation.

“We will create a successful model of industry-academia collaboration that drives regional development by closely aligning the university’s research and educational capabilities with Buan County’s key growth engines,” said Yang.

He added, “Building on strong partnerships with local governments, we will continue working to realize the vision of the 10 Seoul National Universities initiative while fulfilling our responsibility as a flagship national university.”

The university and the county have also pledged to nurture talent tailored to regional needs and establish a joint framework for education and research that supports their mutual growth.

The two organizations also plan to launch industry-academia cooperation projects designed to develop regional talent aligned with the county’s key growth engines.

The agreement calls for integrating the county’s strategic industries and other core growth drivers with the university’s outstanding research and educational capabilities to cultivate highly skilled, industry-ready professionals who can meet the evolving needs of local industries.

The initiative aims to build a virtuous cycle in which the university’s research outcomes and talent contribute to strengthening the county’s industrial competitiveness, while the growth of local businesses generates quality jobs that encourage local talent to remain in the region and contribute to its development.

In addition, the two organizations will expand shared infrastructure by making joint use of educational and research facilities.

They also plan to expand a cooperation network for regional prosperity through participation in government-led initiatives, including the “Five Hubs, Three Specialized Shared Universities” project, a regional talent development framework aimed at fostering sustainable regional growth.