Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) is inviting three incumbent executives from companies that represent the domestic and international defense industry as visiting professors. This initiative will begin a full‑scale effort to develop practice‑oriented defense talent and to expand global industry–university collaboration.

JBNU announced on the 30th that it has appointed three individuals as visiting professors to the Department of Advanced Defense Industry: Kim Kyung‑il, Executive Director and Head of CR, Hanwha Aerospace; Namgung Hyuk‑jun, Senior Executive Director and Head of the Aerospace Development Center, Hyundai Rotem; and Will Schaefer, President & CEO, Boeing Korea.

Kim Kyung‑il of Hanwha Aerospace will support a range of industry–university collaborations between JBNU and Hanwha Aerospace, including education, research, talent development, and joint project discovery, drawing on his experience in external relations and business strategy at a leading domestic defense company.

Namgung Hyuk‑jun of Hyundai Rotem will serve as the person in charge of the newly established Aerospace Development Center in Muju. He will link Hyundai Rotem’s advanced defense and aerospace technologies with JBNU’s educational and research capabilities. In particular, he is expected to contribute to on‑site training, collaborative research, the cultivation of specialized personnel, and the establishment of a regional defense industry ecosystem by connecting the Muju Aerospace Development Center with the Jeonbuk Defense Innovation Cluster.

Will Schaefer of Boeing Korea is an expert with more than 20 years of accumulated experience and a global network in the defense and aerospace sectors. As a visiting professor, he will deliver practical instruction on the global defense market and the aerospace industry, international joint development, supply‑chain cooperation, and overseas expansion strategies. He will also participate in expanding global industry–university collaboration between JBNU and Boeing.

This appointment of visiting professors was promoted to translate JBNU’s memoranda of understanding with major domestic and international defense companies such as Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem, Boeing, and BAE Systems Korea into substantive education and research cooperation. Based on these memoranda, JBNU and the companies plan to implement various collaborative programs to identify and cultivate creative and innovative talent for the defense and national security sectors.

Key areas of collaboration include: strengthening field‑centered education involving current executives of global defense firms; developing customized curricula that reflect corporate needs; expanding student internships and employment linkages; promoting collaborative research and technology commercialization with domestic and international defense companies; enhancing educational capabilities in the global defense market and international cooperation; and revitalizing the regional defense ecosystem in connection with the Jeonbuk Defense Innovation Cluster.

The visiting professors will participate in educational programs such as the Department of Advanced Defense Industry, the Defense Industry Convergence Program, and the Advanced AI Defense Industry Convergence Program. They will provide practice‑oriented instruction on their companies’ core technologies and business strategies, global defense market trends, international joint development, export and supply‑chain management, and defense project management.

In particular, students will have the opportunity to learn from real business cases of global defense firms and trends in advanced technology development. Direct interaction with current corporate executives is expected to enhance students’ problem‑solving skills and global competency required in industry.

JBNU plans to gradually expand company‑linked internships, on‑site training, and career and employment mentoring programs for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. Through these efforts, students will gain experience in the business sites and technology development processes of domestic and international defense companies, creating a foundation for their future growth as professionals who will lead K‑Defense.

This appointment is also significant because JBNU simultaneously strengthened its cooperative network with global defense companies. JBNU is building cooperation systems with major domestic and international defense and aerospace firms, including Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem, Boeing, Thales, and BAE Systems, thereby raising its profile as a global platform for cultivating defense talent.

In connection with the advanced materials‑based Defense Innovation Cluster promoted by Jeonbuk Province, JBNU plans to establish a "Jeonbuk‑style defense industry–university collaboration ecosystem" that integrates education, research, corporate cooperation, on‑site training, and technology demonstration. The plan is to develop Jeonbuk as a core hub for advanced defense talent development and industry–university collaboration by linking regional industrial hubs such as Saemangeum and Muju, in‑province small and medium defense enterprises, and domestic and international system integrators.

JBNU President Yang O‑bong said, "By inviting current executives from leading domestic and international defense companies as visiting professors, the university can organically connect academic instruction with real corporate experience. We will create a sustainable model of industry–university collaboration that goes beyond one‑time expert lectures and leads to formal education, joint research, internships, career mentoring, and the building of global networks."

He added, "In connection with the Jeonbuk Defense Innovation Cluster, we will train practice‑oriented personnel required by industry and expand pathways for students to enter domestic and international defense companies. We will ensure that Jeonbuk National University becomes the central university for cultivating global professionals who will lead the future of K‑Defense."