Recently, Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), which has been recognized as one of the most active institutions in industry–university collaboration nationwide — including receiving the top national evaluation in the Leaders in INdustry–University Cooperation (LINC) project — is expanding its collaboration to the Yeongnam region.

This decision reflects the judgment that maintaining close partnerships with outstanding companies outside the Jeonbuk area is urgently needed to improve employment rates and to carry out practical industry–university collaboration such as joint research and technology exchanges.

Accordingly, JBNU has launched the Global Industry–University Collaboration Center, targeting the Yeongnam region, which has a stronger industrial base and a concentration of leading companies compared with the Jeonbuk area. The center held its opening ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on June 3 at Changwon Hotel in Jungang-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, Gyeongnam.

JBNU is the first regional university to open an office such as an industry–university collaboration center outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Once the center is fully operational, significant achievements are expected in student employment and industry–university collaboration.

In fact, JBNU had been operating an office for about three months before the center's official opening and attracted 34 partner companies in the Yeongnam region. Among them, the chemical machinery manufacturer (주)IPT, ship engine manufacturer (주)삼정 E&W, and automotive parts producer S&T 중공업 have pledged to hire students.

The center has also continuously identified companies offering field training and internship opportunities so that students can develop practical skills required by industry, thereby providing concrete support to help them secure employment.

The opening ceremony was attended by 서거석 총장 and representatives including 창원대 이찬규 총장, 경남경영자총협회 한장규 회장, 두산중공업 강병길 상무, (주)한조 노경환 대표이사, (주)반석스틸 박찬만 대표이사, (주)대륭 장주택 대표이사, (주)현대위아 김양수 전무, and approximately 100 representatives of JBNU partner companies in the Yeongnam region, who gathered to celebrate the opening.

In particular, 박찬만, CEO of JBNU partner company (주)반석스틸, donated KRW 30 million as the "Banseok Scholarship" for the university's development.

After the opening ceremony, 서거석 총장 and university officials visited 두산중공업 창원 본사 및 공장 and held discussions with executives to explore cooperation measures.

The newly opened Global Industry–University Collaboration Center aims to expand collaboration with the Yeongnam region, promote specialization in tailored industry–university–research cooperation, raise student employment rates, and establish an industry–university–research knowledge ecosystem between JBNU and the Yeongnam region.

In particular, JBNU seeks to strengthen links with Yeongnam companies through the center to expand field training opportunities and to pursue tangible increases in employment.

Accordingly, JBNU will use the center to establish partner company agreements with Yeongnam industries, provide various support programs and customized industry-linked education, and match job-seeking students with Yeongnam employers.

Beyond student employment, the center will work to transfer and commercialize outstanding technologies to Yeongnam industries. It will also identify technology and product development ideas needed by Yeongnam companies and provide them to research teams to enable customized research.

In addition, JBNU will explore collaborative industry–university research between its researchers and Yeongnam industries, support connections with appropriate companies or strategic partners, and actively participate in providing industrial consulting services required by Yeongnam firms.

President 서거석 said, "Although our university has strengths in industry–university collaboration—such as recently receiving the highest national rating in the LINC project—we also face limitations due to a weak regional industrial base. By expanding industry–university collaboration hubs into the industrially strong Yeongnam region, we will enable more students to obtain employment with excellent companies."