Korea’s 1st unified provincial university sets sights on Global Top 100 ranking

Kangwon National University President Jeong Jae-yeon speaks during the school's vision proclamation ceremony at its campus in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Monday. Courtesy of Kangwon National University

A month after merging with Gangneung-Wonju National University, Kangwon National University unveiled a strategic road map Monday to transform itself into a global research powerhouse.

A vision proclamation ceremony held at the Chuncheon campus marked the high-profile debut of the newly unified institution, formally established on March 1 through the historic merger.

Kangwon National University President Jeong Jae-yeon, addressing a combined student body and faculty of more than 30,000, outlined a strategic pivot toward the "artificial intelligence era." By consolidating resources across the province, the university aims to set a national benchmark for integrated higher education, fostering regional industry-academia growth while competing directly with elite international institutions. The president’s stated goal is to propel the new unified entity into the ranks of the world’s top 100 universities.

Jeong joined the presidents of its four campuses — Chuncheon, Gangneung, Samcheok and Wonju — for the vision proclamation. More than 1,000 people attended the ceremony, including Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-tae, Vice Education Minister Choi Eun-ok and leaders from national higher education bodies.

The combined institution now enrolls about 30,000 students and employs roughly 1,400 faculty members, making it the largest national or public university in the country.

The university and the education ministry also signed an implementation agreement covering the integration through Feb. 28, 2030.

Under the deal, the two sides agreed to reallocate resources based on regional strengths, secure funding for specialized programs and work together to strengthen the university’s overall competitiveness.

"We must respect what makes each campus distinct while creating greater synergy under the single name of Kangwon National University," Jeong said.

The university has aligned its four campuses with regional industry clusters — precision medicine and life sciences in Chuncheon, advanced materials and marine sciences in Gangneung, liquid hydrogen and energy in Samcheok, and semiconductors and digital health care in Wonju.