Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) has fired the opening salvo in advancing the 'Create Ten Seoul National Universities' policy aimed at a new leap forward for national flagship universities. JBNU held a public hearing on the Growth Engine‑Linked Local Talent Development Plan at 3:00 PM on the 24th in the Donghaeng Hall of the JBNU International Center, attended by faculty, staff, and students, and began comprehensive consultations to gather opinions for policy implementation.

The public hearing was convened to share JBNU’s response strategy to the Ministry of Education’s Growth Engine‑Linked Local Talent Development Plan (the 'Create Ten Seoul National Universities' initiative), announced in April, and to the June 17 announcement of the selection plan for universities receiving package support in 2026. The goal was to further refine the strategy through wide-ranging input from university constituents.

The Ministry of Education’s proposal centers on fostering regional national universities as hubs for education and research by region. This year, three regional national universities will be selected first to receive concentrated package support for 'brand colleges' in growth‑engine (strategic industry) fields and for AI Hub Universities. Selected universities will receive financial support on the order of approximately KRW 100 billion per university per year for five years, including projects such as the '5-Region, 3-Specialty Shared University' program and educational innovation initiatives. Package selections will be made within the third quarter after growth‑engine areas are finalized. If JBNU is selected, it is expected to secure annual funding of roughly KRW 126.5 billion, including existing project budgets.

The hearing featured presentations and Q&A on five topics: the Ministry’s initiative and response strategies; support for innovation at regional national universities (National University Development Project); development of growth‑engine brand colleges and research hubs; and AI Hub Universities.

In particular, the presentations broadly introduced JBNU’s major education innovation plans based on industry–university–research collaboration. JBNU plans to establish systems to recruit and support outstanding faculty, provide basic AI education and AI‑based educational support services to all students, and implement industry‑integrated field education. The university intends to build a staged educational system linking general education, majors, and convergence programs. The presentations emphasized developing students’ AI application capabilities alongside practical skills.

As part of this effort, an industry–university–research collaborative experiential learning program was also introduced, linking majors and career pathways to problem analysis and resolution. This model converts instructor‑centered lectures into learner‑centered immersive learning and involves field experts in project implementation to strengthen practice‑oriented education and hands‑on experience. JBNU plans to develop the educational model, enhance teaching capacity, and manage and disseminate outcomes in phases through a dedicated organizational structure to cultivate graduates with practical competencies.

The presentation on developing growth‑engine brand colleges and research hubs introduced an integrated development system connecting undergraduate programs, graduate schools, and research institutes. JBNU plans to establish and link undergraduate programs that specialize in growth‑engine fields with graduate schools that train advanced researchers through partnerships with leading industry partners, and to tie these to specialized research institutes to create a seamless flow from education to demonstration and research.

The specialized research institutes serving as research hubs will be organized around regional growth engines, with institutes for fields such as robotics and mobility, energy systems, and bio and foodtech. Through industry–university collaborative research laboratories jointly operated with companies and research institutions, technology development through demonstration can be conducted in one place, and talented individuals can progress stepwise from undergraduate education to graduate study and research practice.

The AI Hub University presentation described the operational framework for JBNU’s AI Hub University. JBNU plans to center operations on an AI College and an AI Convergence Graduate School, pursue joint research and talent exchanges with overseas universities and research institutions (global cooperation), promote industrial growth and job creation through cooperation with regional companies and institutions, and pursue education and policy collaboration with local universities, education offices, and public institutions. The university outlined a plan to establish a "Jeonbuk‑region AI Talent Development Governance" that integrates education, research, industry–university collaboration, and outcomes dissemination centered on the AI College and AI Convergence Graduate School.

As the regional national university for the Honam area, JBNU has been developing sectoral response strategies since November last year to respond proactively to the government policy. Through this public hearing, the university plans to broadly collect constituent opinions to deepen understanding of the policy and increase member participation.

JBNU President Yang O‑bong stated, “Developing local talent linked to growth engines is a core task for the region and the university to grow together. By pooling the wisdom of all members, we will finalize a differentiated strategy unique to JBNU and leap forward as a hub for cultivating talent that leads national balanced development.”