20 Busan Universities Unite: Local Talent Development Program Earns Ministry of Education's Highest Rating

Talent Development Without Barriers Earns 'S' Grade from Ministry of Education

Additional Incentives Secured, Providing Momentum for Second Year

Busan's local talent development program received the highest rating in an evaluation by the Ministry of Education. The achievement was recognized as 20 universities in the Busan region shared curricula and infrastructure, and collaborated on talent development programs linked to local industries.

On September 8, Busan City announced that it had achieved the highest rating of 'S' in the '2026 Regional Growth Talent Development System (ANCHOR) Annual Review' conducted by the Ministry of Education. This evaluation comprehensively assessed the 2025 first-year project results, including implementation system and governance, unit project performance, and project management.

Busan City received high marks for establishing a collaborative system involving universities and local innovation institutions, and for implementing talent development initiatives tailored to the characteristics and industrial needs of the region.

Busan City, along with the dedicated Busan Anchor Center, built a collaborative structure among the universities and local innovation agencies. The project was flexibly promoted to fit each university’s circumstances, and the sharing of joint programs and curricula between universities was expanded. The evaluation also took into account the identification and dissemination of best practices at individual universities to others in the region.

This program currently involves 20 universities in Busan. According to Busan City, while each university pursued projects leveraging their own strengths, they also shared curricula and infrastructure and forged ties with local industries, shifting the focus from individual universities to a region-wide cooperative foundation for fostering talent.

With the S rating incentive secured, Busan City plans to increase investment in the second year in tasks that have shown significant results, such as educational programs linked to local industries, joint education, and university-to-university sharing and collaboration projects.

Through these efforts, the city aims to nurture talent locally for future growth industries and establish a talent development system that leads to employment and retention at local companies.

Busan Mayor Jeon Jaesu stated, "This is a valuable result achieved by the 20 universities in Busan coming together to contemplate the region’s future and generate collective strength."

Mayor Jeon also emphasized, "We will further strengthen our talent development system by breaking down barriers between universities and linking with local industries, creating a foundation where students can learn, work, and settle in Busan."

Busan City Hall.

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