President Kim Dong-won has been inaugurated as chair of the Council of Presidents of National Hub Universities and will serve a one-year term through the end of this year.

The Council of Presidents of National Hub Universities is a consultative body of the presidents of national universities representing their respective regions. Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), along with Kangwon National University, Kyungpook National University, Gyeongsang National University, Pusan National University, Seoul National University, Chonnam National University, Jeju National University, Chungnam National University, and Chungbuk National University, is among the ten member universities.

President Kim said that during his term he will move beyond the previous competitive framework among universities, overcome universities' crises through sharing and cooperation, and open a new higher education paradigm in which national hub universities drive change and grow together through innovation.

In particular, ahead of the upcoming presidential election, he plans to bring forward, at the council level, proposals on key issues for hub national universities, including the enactment of the National University Act; expansion of mandatory regional talent recruitment; introduction of a free tuition system for students at national and public universities; and the establishment of regional research-focused universities.

Kim Dong-won stated, 'National hub universities are strengthening solidarity with various sectors of society to turn the crisis facing universities—such as declining school-age population—into an opportunity, to lead balanced national development, and to create diverse public forums to shape the future of higher education. Through openness and sharing, we will open a new paradigm for higher education, and in time for the inauguration of the next government we will prepare campaign pledges for the future of national/public and hub universities.'

Meanwhile, President Kim Dong-won graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and earned his master's and doctoral degrees from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Hokkaido University in Japan, respectively. He has served as Vice-President of Industry-University Cooperation, Dean of the College of Engineering, and Chair of the Ministry of Education's accreditation review committee. He is a full member of the Korean Academy of Engineering.  He has been serving as JBNU's 18th president since January 2019.