7 universities chosen for new AI education push

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The Ministry of Science and ICT said Tuesday it has selected seven universities from among 10 schools to lead the training of artificial intelligence (AI) talent under a new “AI-focused university” initiative.

The selected universities — Gachon University, Korea University, Sogang University, Sungkyunkwan University, Soonchunhyang University, Soongsil University and Yonsei University — will transition from the existing software-centered university program to the new AI-centered model.

The initiative aims to upgrade university education systems around AI by leveraging the software education infrastructure already built at participating schools, in response to surging demand for AI talent across industries.

Each selected university will receive up to 24 billion won ($17 million) over eight years, or about 3 billion won annually.

Under the program, universities are required to establish a presidential-level task force dedicated to AI and AI transformation education, introduce AI convergence bridge courses, provide basic and applied AI education to all students and develop industry-linked problem-solving projects.

The ministry plans to select three additional AI-focused universities in June from schools that are not part of the existing software-centered university program.

“AI is rapidly spreading across industries and daily life, making it necessary for university education to undergo a new transformation centered on AI,” said Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and science minister.

“We will actively support universities so they can lead innovation in AI education based on their accumulated software capabilities and contribute to expanding educational value across local communities.”