Hadong County, Korea Southern Power, Changwon National University Join Hands to Develop Local Talent

Cooperation to Lay Groundwork for Changwon National University's Hadong Campus and Train Energy Specialists
Support for Field Training, Internships, and Contract-Based Departments; Working-Level Agreement Planned for November

Hadong County in South Gyeongsang Province has begun establishing a cooperation framework with Korea Southern Power and Changwon National University to develop local talent and support youth employment.

The county announced on October 30 that it had signed an agreement with Korea Southern Power and Changwon National University at the county office to develop local talent and support employment in Hadong.

About 20 officials from the three institutions attended the signing ceremony, including Hadong County Governor Kim Hyunsoo, Korea Southern Power President Kim Jundong, and Kim Jaegu, head of the task force for establishing Changwon National University’s Hadong Campus.

[Photo provided by Hadong County] Hadong County Governor Kim Hyunsoo poses for a commemorative photo after signing an MOU at the county office's small conference room with Korea Southern Power CEO Kim Jundong, National Changwon University Hadong Campus Establishment Promotion Team Leader Kim Jaegu, and other officials to foster local talent and support youth employment.

The agreement aims to establish a system for training specialized personnel and supporting employment in connection with local industries, and to build an educational and research foundation for attracting a Hadong campus of Changwon National University.

Under the agreement, the three institutions plan to develop educational programs to train specialists in energy and artificial intelligence (AI), and pursue industry-academia cooperation projects linked to worksites.

Key areas of cooperation include ▲creating conditions to attract a Hadong campus of Changwon National University ▲developing local talent and building educational and research infrastructure ▲educational programs and industry-academia cooperation in energy and AI ▲operating field training and internships ▲supporting the acquisition of professional certifications and career and employment opportunities ▲supporting the operation of contract-based departments ▲and fostering entrepreneurship and startups.

In particular, the institutions will consider ways to expand students’ practical experience by using Korea Southern Power’s power generation facilities and industrial infrastructure, and to train specialists suited to the needs of local industries.

Following this agreement, Hadong County plans to sign a separate working-level agreement with Korea Southern Power in November and begin preparing specific implementation plans.

The working-level agreement is expected to cover arrangements for power plant field training and internships, support for contract-based departments to train personnel with tailored skills, and the roles of each institution and the scope of their cooperation.

However, the Hadong campus of Changwon National University is currently at the stage of creating conditions for its possible establishment. Whether a campus will actually be established, its operating scale, and the departments it will offer are expected to be determined through consultations among relevant institutions and related procedures.

At the signing ceremony, Korea Southern Power President Kim Jundong said the company would cooperate in developing local talent and supporting employment.

Hadong County Governor Kim Hyunsoo said, "This agreement is intended to address the outflow of young people caused by the lack of higher education opportunities in the region and to develop specialists connected to local industries. By attracting a Hadong campus and training talent with a focus on practical experience, we will build a foundation that can lead from education to employment and, ultimately, to settling in the region."

Hadong County plans to consult with the institutions on specific projects and gradually pursue follow-up initiatives to develop local talent and support employment.

The agreement’s tangible results will depend on whether a Hadong campus of Changwon National University can be established and whether local young people can be connected with employment opportunities.

Key challenges include specifying the funding and administrative procedures required to establish the campus, the scale of field training and internship programs, and concrete plans for linking participants with jobs.

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