JBNU is expanding cooperation with global aerospace and defense company Thales Korea and accelerating efforts to train future talent for the defense and space industries.

Francois Piolet, CEO of Thales Korea, visited JBNU on May 22 and met with President Yang Oh-bong to discuss ways to expand industry–university collaboration in advanced defense fields. The visit was a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defense talent development and industry–university cooperation signed in March.

The two institutions had previously agreed under the MOU to establish a cooperative framework linking education and industry, including training global defense talent, operating scholarship programs, conducting joint research, and promoting internships and mentorships.

During the visit, Mr. Piolet visited JBNU's Physical AI Innovation Research Center to receive a briefing on manned–unmanned integrated systems and Physical AI–based R&D, and discussed ways to expand global industry–university collaboration. He then delivered a special lecture to about 100 students enrolled in the Department of Advanced Defense Technology and Industry and the Defense Industry Convergence Program.

In a lecture titled "Prospects and Future of the Global Defense and Space Industry Ecosystem," he outlined the future battlefield environment led by AI and digital technologies, the growth trajectory of the space industry, and the core competencies demanded by global defense firms, emphasizing the importance of strengthening students' global competitiveness.

Notably, Thales Korea will provide scholarships to first-year students in JBNU's Department of Advanced Defense Technology and Industry—the first such initiative in Korea—and plans to connect these scholarships with internships and mentorship programs in the future. The move is significant as a model for global defense firms' direct involvement in talent development from the undergraduate level in Korea.

President Yang Oh-bong said, "Cooperation with Thales marks an important turning point for JBNU’s strategy to specialize in advanced defense and to expand global industry–university collaboration. We will actively support students so they can acquire practical global competencies through direct interaction with world-class companies."

Francois Piolet said, "It was a meaningful time to confirm the high potential and enthusiasm of JBNU's students and researchers," and added, "We will continue to partner in cultivating the global talent that will lead the future defense and space industries."

Meanwhile, JBNU established Korea's first undergraduate program in advanced defense and admitted its first cohort of new students this year. Based on an integrated education system covering AI, space, drones, robotics, and defense policy, the university is training specialists for Korea's defense industry. At the same time, it is strengthening efforts to build an industry–university collaboration ecosystem that links education, research, and employment by expanding cooperation with global defense firms and overseas universities.