Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) demonstrated its global competitiveness on the 18th by recording substantial gains across key indicators in the 2027 QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings.

JBNU ranked 23rd domestically and 3rd among national flagship public universities in this evaluation, and its global ranking jumped 27 places from the previous year to 677th. Notably, scores increased in six of the nine assessment indicators, showing balanced growth across research, education, and internationalization.

The QS World University Rankings is a globally recognized university ranking that comprehensively evaluates nine indicators across five areas—research quality, employability, teaching environment, internationalization, and sustainability—and is considered a key measure of a university's global competitiveness.

In this evaluation, JBNU's "Citations per Faculty" indicator, which reflects research competitiveness, rose, indicating an enhanced quality and international impact of its research outcomes. Employment outcomes, student-to-staff ratio, proportion of international faculty, and sustainability indicators also improved, suggesting strengthened competitiveness in education and overall university operations.

In particular, the proportion of international students increased the most, rising by 12.1 points from the previous year. This is interpreted as the result of strategic internationalization policies — including expanded recruitment of outstanding overseas talent based on the Glocal University 30 project, activated international exchange programs, and the enhancement of support systems for international students — translating into tangible results.

Tangible results are also continuing in global collaborative research. In partnership with Purdue University (U.S.), JBNU established the "JBNU–Purdue Research Institute (JPRI)" to pursue joint advanced engineering research, dual-degree programs, and talent exchange. Domestically, in cooperation with KAIST, it has built a Physical AI demonstration lab, among other initiatives, thereby enhancing a research system that combines core AI technologies with field validation.

These efforts have been reflected in major global rankings. In the recently published "2026 THE World University Rankings by Subject", JBNU ranked first among national flagship public universities in the "research quality" category for engineering and natural sciences. In the "2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject", it also ranked first among national flagship public universities in chemical engineering, environmental science, and materials science.

Recently, at the "QS EduData Summit 2026", President Yang O-bong presented AI-based university innovation cases, garnering attention as a global model of higher education innovation and expanding the university's presence in educational innovation.

President Yang O-bong said, "This achievement is the result of all university members working together to strengthen research competitiveness, advance educational innovation, and expand international cooperation," and added, "We will continue to pursue AI-based university innovation, global research collaboration, and sustainable development strategies to advance as a world-class research university."