Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) has been finally selected for the large-scale national project, the 'Basic Research Institutes Support Program for Humanities and Social Sciences', which is being promoted as part of the government's 'Create 10 Seoul National Universities' policy. Totaling KRW 20 billion, it is a core project aimed at establishing basic humanities and social sciences research hubs at regional flagship national universities and cultivating regionally based research personnel.

This program was newly established to strengthen the research infrastructure in the humanities and social sciences and to revitalize the regional academic ecosystem. The Ministry of Education will select three universities and provide each selected university with KRW 4 billion per year for five years, totaling KRW 20 billion. The support budget will be invested in establishing humanities and social sciences research institutes within universities, building research institute management systems, training the next generation of scholars, and conducting joint research with regional universities.

JBNU presented the vision "Building a Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Based on Honam Studies in the AI Transition Era and Nurturing Future Convergence Talent" and was recognized for its differentiated strategy and research capabilities. In particular, the convergence strategy that combined field-based Honam humanities assets such as Mahan, the Donghak Movement, and Pansori; the structural crises facing the region, including population decline and rapid population aging; and large-scale Physical AI R&D infrastructure received high evaluation.

This outcome is analyzed as being supported by JBNU's accumulated experience in carrying out large national projects and its basic research capabilities, including top-tier international academic publications.

Accordingly, JBNU plans to launch the "Jeonbuk Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences" in June. It will integrate and reorganize existing affiliated humanities and social sciences research institutes around core hubs and establish governance capable of independent operation. Dedicated on-campus space will be secured immediately, and a director-led accountable operational system will be introduced to concentrate research capabilities.

Moreover, convergence research will be intensified around two key institutes. The Honam Studies Institute will build the region's humanities assets into a digital archive and develop an AI-based historical document translation platform to promote the globalization of Korean studies. The Institute for AI and Future Social Integration will diagnose strategies to respond to social isolation and regional population decline in a shrinking society, and design and pilot a Korean-style social integration model that integrates AI and digital twin technologies.

Training regionally settled research personnel is also a core pillar of the project. JBNU will progressively recruit a large number of outstanding doctoral-level academic research professors and provide exceptional support measures such as stable salaries, housing support, and fellowships for conducting independent research projects. At the same time, through the undergraduate research credit program (U-REACH) and integrated master's–doctoral curricula, it will build a "growth ladder" for the next generation of scholars and complete a talent development system that enables them to settle in the region and continue their research.

Yang O-Bong (President) said, "This selection is the fruition of the strategy of proactively fostering basic disciplines and strengthening research competitiveness that we have implemented through the previously selected 'Glocal University 30.' Based on this, we will dramatically enhance the competitiveness of regional flagship national universities, establish a successful model that leads the 'Create 10 Seoul National Universities' policy, and propel Jeonbuk into a global hub for humanities and social sciences convergence research and the cultivation of regionally based talent."

Yoon Myeong Sook (Executive Vice-President of Foreign Affairs and Professional Affairs), who oversees the project, also said, "Amid the crisis in basic disciplines, we will establish a differentiated academic ecosystem unique to JBNU and drive a sustainable future for the region and the nation through field-oriented research that addresses complex societal problems."