Pusan, Chonnam, Chungnam national universities selected for '10 SNUs' initiative

Pusan National University, Chonnam National University and Chungnam National University have been selected for the government's "making 10 Seoul National Universities" initiative, the Ministry of Education announced Tuesday.

The three universities will each receive up to around 70 billion won ($51 million) in government funding.

Announced by the ministry in April, the initiative is designed to strengthen leading national universities outside the capital region by linking them with strategic local industries and developing them into regional hubs for education, research and development.

The broader goal is to create a pipeline in which students study, find jobs and eventually settle in the regions where they were educated.

Under the program, each selected university will receive a funding package spanning undergraduate and graduate education, research and artificial intelligence (AI) development.

The funding will be spread across several areas, with about 40 billion won earmarked for specialized colleges and interdisciplinary research institutes focused on regional growth industries. Another 10 billion won will support AI education and research, while about 20 billion won will go toward joint programs linking flagship national universities with other universities in their regions.

The ministry also plans to provide each university with an additional 20 billion won to 30 billion won compared with last year through separate programs, including funding for undergraduate education reform.

The universities were selected for their potential to align their innovation capacity with the Lee Jae Myung administration's regional development projects, including the "five hubs, three special zones" growth strategy, according to the ministry.

Pusan National University in Busan plans to establish a college of advanced manufacturing convergence covering key industries in the southeastern region, including shipbuilding and marine engineering, mechanical systems and aerospace. It will also launch industry-linked degree programs with companies including LG Electronics and three Hanwha affiliates, with the goal of developing the new college into one of the world's top 100.

The university also plans to establish Korea's largest AI college and turn its campus in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, into a research hub for AI-driven industrial transformation. The new infrastructure will be shared with other universities in the southeastern region, alongside joint programs focused on maritime industries.

Chonnam National University in Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City will establish a new college focused on advanced semiconductors and future energy, while expanding courses developed and taught in partnership with companies. It also plans to broaden its existing semiconductor packaging research partnership with Amkor to companies such as Samsung and Korea Electric Power Corp. and launch large-scale AI transformation projects to train AI experts.

Chungnam National University in Daejeon plans to establish the NEXUS College of Science and Technology and expand joint education and research with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The university aims to become a regional hub for training researchers and industry professionals in four key growth sectors in the central region.

Under the plan, the university, KAIST and leading companies will jointly design and operate curricula, with programs linked to employment opportunities at participating companies.

“We will continue working with relevant ministries to create successful models of regional growth driven by local universities and deliver tangible results for the public,” Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said.

“The ministry will provide full administrative and financial support to help national universities fulfill their role in advancing balanced regional growth.”