Changwon National University to Develop Defense AI Talent With 17.7 Billion Won Funding ... Only Southeast Region University Selected

From "Contract Quota System" with Hanwha Aerospace
to Direct Employment

Changwon National University has been officially selected for the 'AX Innovative Talent Development Project (Artificial Intelligence Transformation Innovative Talent Development Project)', organized by the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) under the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Among the 15 universities selected nationwide, Changwon National University is the only institution chosen from the southeastern region, representing Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam.

From now until 2031, Changwon National University will operate the project over six years, with a total budget of 17.7 billion won, including 15.5 billion won in government funding.

Hanwha Aerospace will participate as a joint research and development organization, and Gyeongsangnam-do along with Changwon Special City will each contribute 300 million won as collaborative partners.

Changwon National University Headquarters.
Photo by Se-ryeong Lee

The core of this project is the introduction of the 'contract quota system' with Hanwha Aerospace. This system nurtures university students into industry-ready talent, who are then hired directly by the company.

The university and Hanwha Aerospace have signed agreements for nurturing talent and connecting employment, including a job reservation agreement.

According to the agreement, ten third-year undergraduate students will be selected each year as industry-university scholarship recipients and from the fourth year, they will receive customized corporate-linked education. After completing the bachelor's and master's integrated program, five graduates will be hired by Hanwha Aerospace.

Promotional image for the National Changwon University's "AX Innovative Talent Cultivation Project" selection. [Image courtesy of National Changwon University]

To support this, four Hanwha Aerospace experts will be appointed as Joint Appointment (JA) adjunct professors, participating in joint lectures and guidance. Newly hired employees will also be able to complete the company's eight-week onboarding program as part of the university's curriculum in advance.

Students will participate in industry-university joint projects and recruitment-linked internships (D.AX Internship) based on real corporate data while still enrolled.

Major companies in the Changwon National Industrial Complex, such as Hyosung Heavy Industries and DN Solutions, will also operate a total of 90 internships and field training sessions, aiming for a 90% employment rate and a 60% regional retention rate through hands-on training and additional industry-academia joint projects.

Local governments including Gyeongnam Province and Changwon City will link regional defense industry and AX policies and projects, as well as collaborate with companies within the Changwon National Industrial Complex and demonstration infrastructure to support the creation of a Gyeongnam defense AX innovation ecosystem built by universities, companies, and local governments together. They will also back local retention-oriented talent development and employment linkage programs.

Changwon National University will establish a 'D.AX (Defense AI Transformation) Track' in its general graduate program as a conversion track for defense sector AI.

The program will be operated in a dual structure: the Department of Artificial Intelligence Convergence Engineering will be responsible for Operational Innovation AX, while the Department of Control and Instrumentation Engineering will oversee Manufacturing Innovation AX. The overall project will be managed by Professor Kim Kukhyun, head of the Department of Artificial Intelligence Defense Engineering and director of the D.AX project group.

Through this program, the university aims to select more than 50 students annually starting in 2027, with the goal of cultivating and graduating at least 250 master's and doctoral level talents by the time the project ends.

The curriculum will be structured in three stages: AI Core foundational courses, specialized courses in Operational Innovation AX and Manufacturing Innovation AX, and industry-academia joint projects (D.AX Project).

International cooperation will be pursued as well, with the focus on institutions such as the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and the Polish Military Academy, aiming for more than 25 international joint research projects.

Changwon National University considers this project selection as a 'spin up' achievement following its March 2024 designation as a 'Glocal University 30' by the Ministry of Education, and builds on its previous accomplishments as an SW-centered university, Glocal Lab, in the BK21 AI field, as a specialized university for robotics, AI Boot Camp, and the National Research Laboratory (NRL) 2.0 initiatives.

The university views this as the expansion of the national R&D project achievements it has accumulated thus far into a major talent development initiative.

Notably, the introduction of the JA faculty system through the 2025 Glocal University 30 policy improvement has become the foundation for the industry's collaborative education system in this project, and the PRU and M.AX Academy in-service training programs are explained as creating an education pipeline connecting undergraduate, graduate, and incumbent professionals.

Existing demonstration infrastructures such as the EON Center, the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, AROC, and TUG Campus will also be incorporated directly into the curriculum.

President Park Minwon stated, "The innovation capabilities accumulated through Glocal University 30 have yielded results in the form of a large-scale national project," adding, "We will establish a new model for nurturing talent that connects undergraduate, graduate, and industry employment and recruitment, through the contract quota system and industry-university scholarship programs."

He also emphasized, "We plan to expand the defense and manufacturing AX education and research model that began in Changwon to diverse industries such as robotics, energy, and mobility, thereby contributing to strengthening national AX competitiveness."

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