Busan National University Accelerates Expansion of "Employment-Linked Contract Departments" with Hanwha Group

Business Agreement Signed with Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Ocean, and Hanwha Engine


Expanding Industry-Academic Cooperation from Admission to Education, Employment, and Settlement

Busan National University is accelerating the expansion of its undergraduate contract departments with employment conditions in collaboration with large corporations, further strengthening its role as a hub for fostering local talent in the southeastern region.

Following its partnership with LG Electronics, the university has now joined hands with major affiliates of Hanwha Group, a move expected to strengthen the virtuous cycle of industry-academic cooperation, where outstanding local talent can learn, secure employment, and settle within the region.

On August 12, Busan National University (President Choi Jae-won) signed a comprehensive work agreement with major Hanwha Group affiliates, local governments including Busan City and Gyeongsangnam-do, as well as with Gyeongsang National University and Changwon National University, to foster talent in the southeastern region.

The signing ceremony was held that afternoon at the R&D Campus Auditorium of Hanwha Aerospace’s Changwon Plant 3.

This agreement comes at a time when the government is emphasizing the role of key national universities as it pursues a balanced national development strategy, centering on plans for nurturing local talent linked to growth engines and the “Five-Region, Three-Specialization” strategy.

The event was attended by Choi Jae-won, President of Busan National University, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, Gyeongsangnam-do Governor Park Wan-su, National Assemblyman Seo Il-joon, and others.

From Hanwha Group, Hanwha Aerospace CEO Son Jae-il, Hanwha Ocean CEO Kim Hee-cheol, and Hanwha Engine CEO Kim Jong-seo attended and directly signed the agreement.

The ceremony included the signing of the agreement, an introduction of activities to foster local talent, and a tour of the K9 assembly line.

The most noteworthy aspect of this agreement is the operation of undergraduate contract departments with employment guarantees.

Busan National University plans to establish educational tracks in collaboration with major Hanwha Group affiliates to nurture talent tailored to the needs of local strategic industries. The university aims to incorporate the professional competencies required by companies into its curriculum and build an integrated industry-academic talent development model where students are provided with educational opportunities linked to employment.

This cooperation, focused on contract departments, draws attention for its potential to yield tangible benefits for both the university and the companies.

Companies can systematically nurture talent needed at the field level, starting from the university stage, while students can receive education connected directly to industrial sites and secure employment pathways after graduation.

In addition to operating contract departments, Busan National University will promote various forms of industry-academic cooperation with Hanwha Group affiliates based in the Gyeongsangnam-do region, including Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Ocean, and Hanwha Engine.

The agreement includes operating practical training programs, special lectures and seminars, joint research and technological exchanges, as well as jointly discovering and implementing government-supported projects at both the central and local levels.

Especially since companies related to the region’s core industries—such as defense, shipbuilding·marine, and engines—are participating, the scope of nurturing talent for regional strategic industries is expected to expand even further.

Earlier, in April, Busan National University created the “Smart Home Appliances Engineering Department,” an undergraduate contract department with employment guarantees, in partnership with LG Electronics.

This new agreement with Hanwha Group is expected to serve as a catalyst for expanding the large corporate-linked contract department model into future industries in the southeast region.

If contract departments with employment guarantees offered by large corporations continue to expand around leading national universities, it is also expected to help reduce the outflow of outstanding local students to the Seoul metropolitan area. This will broaden the pathways for students to receive specialized education and find employment with local companies, without having to relocate to universities in the capital region.

This goes beyond merely increasing university employment rates—it establishes a structure where the talent needed by local industries is nurtured in the region, and those individuals, in turn, contribute to regional economic growth. Busan National University’s envisioned industry-academic cooperation pipeline, which connects ‘admissions-education-employment-settlement,’ also reflects this approach.

Choi Jae-won, President of Busan National University, said, “This agreement signed today with Hanwha Group will become a milestone for local universities and companies to drive the growth of strategic industries in the southeastern region and to create a sustainable industry-academic education ecosystem.”

He added, “As Korea’s top national university, Busan National University will use this agreement as a stepping stone to build an effective industry-academic cooperation infrastructure in partnership with companies and to support local talent in becoming world-class leaders for the nation and its industries.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.