JBNU has established the College of AI to create a regional hub for artificial intelligence (AI) education and research and to actively respond to the government’s AI talent development policy.

This move is linked to the Ministry of Education’s 'Growth Engine–Linked Regional Talent Development Plan,' specifically the 'Development of Regional AI Education and Research Hubs' task. It is a strategic measure to respond to the national-level direction for AI talent cultivation.

The College of AI launched by consolidating the existing Department of Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence and the Department of Software Engineering into a single college. This consolidation brings together AI-related faculty and education and research resources that had been dispersed across the College of Engineering into a single hub. The college will operate based on six majors: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Cloud, Information Security, and IoT. Through this structure, the college plans to build a system that cultivates not only AI specialists but also interdisciplinary talents who meet industry demand.

In particular, JBNU is emphasizing practical talent supply linked to the regional industrial structure. It will design AI education in connection with three specialized areas—intelligent robot mobility, energy systems, and bio foodtech—and will strengthen cooperation with Hyundai Motor Company’s Saemangeum investment hub, a 9 trillion won investment.

The investment hub is planned to include an AI data center, an electrolytic water, solar and robotics cluster, and an AI hydrogen city, and the 'Physical AI Jeonbuk AX Main Project (2026–2030)' will also be pursued. Based on this, JBNU plans to supply AI and software (SW) specialists needed by future industries such as data centers, software-defined vehicles (SDV), smart factories, autonomous ports, and dark factories.

At the graduate level, JBNU will enhance its system for training advanced talent centered on the 'Graduate School of AI Convergence,' established in 2025. It has systematized career paths from undergraduate study to research and industry by pursuing a joint-degree program with KAIST, implementing research institute- and company-linked project-based education, and operating an integrated 5.5-year bachelor's-master's-doctoral program.

Global collaboration will also be expanded. In addition to joint education and research with KAIST’s AI college, collaborative research and visiting professor programs will be pursued based on the 'JBNU–Purdue Advanced Research Institute (JPRI)' with Purdue University in the United States. Industry partners expected to participate include Naver Cloud, FuriosaAI, Upstage, and Amazon Web Services.

AI education and research infrastructure will be expanded in phases. JBNU will expand its existing 400 kW-class AI server room to 1 MW or larger, and will strengthen practice-oriented AI and software (SW) education using a shared GPU system and its own education platform, JEduTools. JEduTools is an open-source-based SW education platform built and operated directly by students; it won a prize at the 2024 'University Education Innovation Best Practice Contest.'

In addition, JBNU will establish field-centered education systems—company-linked PBL projects, industry mentoring, capstone design, internships, and bootcamps—and will promote AI capacity expansion programs linked with local universities and the 14 cities and counties in the province.

Park Hyun-chan, Dean of the College of AI, said, 'AI is a core area that determines national competitiveness, and the university’s role is expanding beyond education to become a platform connecting industry and region. JBNU’s College of AI will train practice-oriented talents closely linked to regional industry and advance as an AI hub with global-level education and research competitiveness.'