JBNU expanded the foundations for Collaborative Research, international education, and talent development through international cooperation linking Xi'an and Chengdu, China, and presented JBNU's case as a future university advancing in the era of digital transformation on the world stage.

President Yang Oh-bong and a JBNU delegation visited Xi'an and Chengdu from September 20 to 24 to discuss educational and research cooperation with local universities and institutions, and attended 'THE Digital Universities Asia 2026' at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in Chengdu.

The core of the visit was to share JBNU's AI-based educational innovation and regional innovation model with the international community and to establish a cooperative foundation to connect these efforts to Collaborative Research and global talent development.

On September 24, President Yang participated as a panelist in the leadership roundtable of 'THE Digital Universities Asia 2026' and presented JBNU's innovation strategy under the theme "From Declining Student Populations to University Innovation: The Strategic Role of Digital Transformation."

President Yang said, "Digital transformation is an opportunity to turn regional strengths into global competitiveness," and introduced a national Physical AI research project in which JBNU participates as a core institution, along with examples of AI-based educational innovation.

He explained that JBNU is building an ecosystem that links AI technologies to real industrial fields such as robotics, manufacturing, and mobility, leading to research, validation, talent development, and industrialization. He also shared AI innovation models being implemented across education, research, and administration, including AI Tutor, AIX-PBL, JUMP, JUIC, and AI Job.

President Yang stated, "The university of the future must transform from an institution that merely transmits knowledge into a Problem-Solving platform that addresses social issues," and added, "We will develop JBNU into a university that solves regional problems at a global level and shares those solutions with the world."

During the event, President Yang met with President Hu Jun of UESTC to discuss ways to expand Collaborative Research, faculty and student exchanges, and the operation of educational programs, focusing on both universities' strengths in electronics, information and communications, and artificial intelligence. The two universities agreed to continuously identify practical collaborative projects going forward.

Prior to this, the delegation visited in Xi'an the Shaanxi Finance and Economics Vocational and Technical College, Northwest University, Xi'an Mingde Institute of Technology, Xi'an University of Finance and Economics Hangzhi College, and the Xi'an Municipal People's Government Foreign Affairs Office, expanding its cooperation network.

At the Shaanxi Finance and Economics Vocational and Technical College, they reviewed the operational achievements and development directions of the Sino-foreign joint organization "Jeonbuk Academy" jointly operated by the two universities. Established in 2023, Jeonbuk Academy currently enrolls approximately 490 students, and JBNU faculty conduct on-site major courses each semester.

The two universities decided to broaden cooperation beyond strengthening curricula to include faculty development and academic and research areas. President Yang said, "We will develop Jeonbuk Academy into a stable international education platform and, on that basis, generate tangible outcomes not only in education but also in scholarship and research."

With Northwest University, they signed a letter of intent to cooperate in Collaborative Research and talent development, focusing on strong areas such as chemical engineering and materials science. The two institutions will pursue faculty and researcher exchanges and the identification of joint research projects to concretize academic cooperation.

President Yang stated, "We will establish a sustainable collaboration model that links the research capacities of both universities to generate Collaborative Research outcomes and jointly nurture outstanding talent."

JBNU also discussed possibilities for international education programs and student and faculty exchanges with Xi'an Mingde Institute of Technology and Xi'an University of Finance and Economics Hangzhi College. In meeting with the Xi'an Municipal People's Government Foreign Affairs Office, they also discussed ways to expand friendly exchanges between Jeonju and Xi'an and to activate educational, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges.

They also met with Consul General Kwang-ho Lee of the Republic of Korea in Xi'an to exchange views on expanding exchanges with universities in China's central and western regions, attracting outstanding international students, and strengthening Korea–China educational and academic cooperation.

JBNU plans, based on this visit, to consolidate existing Sino-foreign joint education while expanding the scope of cooperation to Collaborative Research, global talent development, intercity exchanges, and digital innovation. The university intends to connect the network built with universities in China's central and western regions to strengthen JBNU's research competitiveness and internationalization capacity.