Pukyong National University

Grand Opening of Busan American Corner at Pukyong National University- The opening ceremony was held on Sep. 12 at the Mirae BuildingThe Busan American Corner, officially opened on September 12, 2024, at Pukyong National University (PKNU). This is the first American Corner to open within a university in the Republic of Korea.The grand opening event featured PKNU President Jang Young-Soo and U.S. Embassy Seoul Charg？ d'affaires (CDA) Joy M. Sakurai, along with notable guests such as Busan Vice Mayor Lee Joon-Seung and Coupang Vice President of Retail, Helen Yoon.The ceremony included a ribbon-cutting, a tour of the new facilities, speeches, and a special lecture for students by CDA Sakurai.President Jang Young-Soo expressed his enthusiasm for the Busan American corner's role as a dynamic platform for both students and the community to explore and learn about the United States through diverse programs. CDA Sakurai further noted that this corner symbolizes the U.S. Embassy's commitment to deepening connections between the U.S. and Korea, fostering cultural exchange and mutual understanding.Strategically located in the Mirae Building at PKNU’s Daeyeon Campus, the 137㎡ facility provides a wealth of resources and opportunities. It offers English language learning programs, access to contemporary U.S. literature, and spaces for workshops and events.The Busan American Corner is open to residents of Busan, Ulsan and Gyeongnam Province, it aims to be an important place for learning and cultural exchange, offering opportunities to connect with and learn about the U.S.  

Pukyong National University Selected for Regional Innovation System (RIS) Project in 'Quantum and Finance'- Establishing Quantum and Finance Research Infrastructure and Training High-Level ExpertsPukyong National University(President Jang Young-Soo) has been selected for the 2024 Regional Innovation System(RIS) project in the quantum and finance fields.The university's consortium, consisting of Professors Park Hee-Chul, Lee Kyu-Seop, and Lee Seung-Hoon from the Department of Physics, and Professors Kim Tae-Guk and Han Young-Seon from the Department of Computer Engineering and Artificial Intelligence was selected for the RIS project titled "Establishing a Quantum-Classical Hybrid System Research Ecosystem for Solving Financial Problems and Training High-Level Experts."The RIS project supports local universities in the fields of quantum/finance, lifelong education, and entrepreneurship, aiming to foster joint growth between local universities and industries through the establishment of a regional innovation system in Busan.With this selection, Pukyong National University will develop an advanced platform for quantum materials and device measurement technology through its Department of Physics. The Department of Computer Engineering and Artificial Intelligence will establish a quantum software development platform specialized in solving financial problems, thereby enhancing research infrastructure and training high-level professionals.Quantum science and technology, which utilizes qubits with superposition properties instead of the traditional bits used in classical computers, is expected to significantly accelerate computational processing, revolutionizing various fields such as artificial intelligence and finance.Pukyong National University consortium plans to implement several programs under this project, including △ expert seminars, △ international workshops, △ field visits to quantum research facilities, △ international personnel exchanges and dispatches, and △ the development of master's and Ph.D. training tracks.Park Hee-Chul, the head of the project, stated, "We expect this project to serve as a foundation for integrating quantum science and technology with the financial industry, a key future industry for Busan. We will do our best to build a quantum-classical hybrid research infrastructure and train high-level professionals in Busan." 

Received 'grade S' in the National University Development Project Incentive Evaluation- Secured 18.2 billion won in business expenses, including 9.5 billion won in incentivesPukyong National University (President Jang Young-Soo) has received the highest grade of ‘S’ in the 2024 National University Development Project Inncentive Evaluation.Following the ‘grade A’ in last year's evaluation, the university secured a total of 18.2 billion won in project funding this year, including 9.5 billion won in incentives.The National University Development Project, promoted by the Ministry of Education, supports national universities to strengthen their autonomous innovation, competit iveness, and accountability as bases for regional balanced development, and a total of 37 national universities are participating.In addition to basic support, the performance evaluation, which is intended to provide additional incentives, was conducted in fields such as innovation performance, core educational performance, and self-performance management.Pukyong National University was recognised for its educational innovation achievements, including the introduction of high-tech departments, multidisciplinary majors, and free electronics, as well as systematic student support at each stage of education, and the introduction of a student support system using advanced new technologies such as AI and big data.In addition, Pukyong National University was praised for presenting specific roles of educational innovation promoters, expanding communication, participation, and systematically managing educational innovation performance.Through this evaluation, Pukyong National University plans to continue its educational innovation to foster convergence professionals as a specialized national university leading regional balanced development and focus on strengthening the university's competitiveness to lead the development of the local community. 

Pukyong National University to establish a convergence major in secondary battery with Kumyang Co.- Selected for the secondary battery specialized university support project, receiving 12 billion won to train 600 experts over 4 yearsPukyong National University (President Jang Young-Soo), in collaboration with Kumyang Co.(Chairman Liu Guang-Ji), will establish the ‘Major of Energy Convergence Technology Engineering’, the first Industry-University Convergence major in Korea to foster secondary battery experts. As Pukyong National University was recently selected for the Ministry of Education's ‘Secondary Battery Specialised University Support Project’ (Director Professor Oh Pil-Gun and Vice Director Professor Lee Song-Yi) in collaboration with Kumyang Co., it has received more than 12 billion won in government funding over four years to establish a curriculum based on industrial demand to secure competitiveness in the high-tech industry in the secondary battery field. Pukyong National University plans to establish the Major of Energy Convergence Technology Engineering from the second semester of this year to produce next-generation battery process and material experts. The convergence training course for secondary battery process and material characterisation to be operated by the department will consist of three stages: basic major, deepening major, and in-depth specialisation. It is expected to produce 600 specialists in four years through the double major and micro degree courses for students in secondary battery-related departments as well as students in other departments. The ‘Baekyongee Program’, which provides overseas training opportunities, will also cultivate 10 global talents per year for four years. To this end, the ‘Industry-University Innovation Laboratory’ built at the Yongdang Campus, the largest complex education cluster specialising in secondary batteries in Korea, provides a ‘One for All’ complex education environment where the entire process of electrode processing can be taught from laboratory units to mass production. Process Education Center (Director, Professor Oh Pil-Gun), Material Education Center (Director, Professor Noh Sang-Hoon), Education Support Center (Director, Professor Lee Sang-Gil), and Job Startup Support Center (Director, Professor Kim Jong-Oh) will also support the project. In addition, Kumyang Co.'s Joint R&D Centre for Secondary Battery supports the production of large-scale pouch cells, recycling of electrode materials linked to enterprises, lithium mineral processing, and advanced material synthesis. In particular, while Pukyong National University is carrying out autonomous tasks in the field of secondary batteries under the Busan Regional Innovation Platform Regional Innovation (RIS) project in Busan, it is expected to spread the Busan-type geoscience cooperation model nationwide through this Industry-University  Convergence and present innovative examples of cooperation between local universities and local industries. Professor Oh Pil-Gun (Department of Nanotechnology Engineering), who leads the project, said ‘The city of Busan, universities, and industrial companies will work together to foster human resources with expertise in the field of secondary batteries and practical capabilities in the industrial field to play a central role in regional innovation and talent cultivation, and contribute to Korea's global competitiveness in the field of secondary batteries.’ 

16 ph.d. students from PKNU selected for research support program 2024- receiving research funding for 1-2 years to pursue creative and challenging researchPukyong National University (President Jang Young-Soo) announced that 16 of its ph.d. students have been selected for the academic research support program 2024 for the next generation of scholars, recently announced by the Ministry of education and the National research foundation of Korea. The selected ph.d. students from Pukyong National University will receive research grants ranging from KRW 25 million to 50 million each, supporting them to embark on creative and challenging research for 1-2 years starting this September. Research projects include Kim Guk-Hyeon from the department of aquatic life medicine studying 'establishment of complex vaccine formulation and vaccination strategy for effective protection against red sea bream iridovirus disease (RSIVD)' (supervised by professor Kim Kwang-Il), Baek Eun-Jin’s project on 'construction and evaluation of effectiveness of a minigenome system for screening infectious kidney and spleen necrosis virus (ISKNV) antivirals' (supervised by professor Kim Kwang-Il), Jeong Ye-Jin’s 'investigating the death and recovery mechanisms of DGF cells infected with megalocytivirus (ISKNV and RSIV)' (supervised by professor Kim Kwang-Il), and Hong Soon-Joo’s 'development of a ghost bacteria-RNA interference platform and its application for controlling complex infectious diseases in whiteleg shrimp (litopenaeus vannamei)' (advisor Kim Ki-Hong). In the department of food science and engineering, projects include Jeong Geum-Jae’s 'exploration of marine-derived biosurfactants for biofilm control and development research on anti-biofilm coating materials for application in food processing environments' (advisor Kim Young-Mok), Jo Kyung-Jin’s ‘research on the development of chlorella-derived protein materials using microbial fermentation and development of plant-based meat substitutes using the same' (advisor Kim Young-Mok), and Han Ji-Min’s 'research on nanoencapsulation of phenolic compounds derived from Sargassum thunbergii obtained by eco-friendly extraction method and development of multi-functional biopolymer' (advisor Chun Byung-Soo). The department of industry 4.0 convergence bionics engineering will undertake the research including Kim Nam-Gyun's research on 'development of eco-friendly drugs and drug delivery systems for tissue regeneration using phlorotannin derived from marine brown algae' (advisor Jung Won-Kyo), and Han Won's research on 'development of a spring-based power-free all-in-one molecular diagnostic device for on-site detection of viral pathogens' (advisor Shin Joong-Ho). Also, from the division of earth and environmental system sciences, Park Hye-Min's research on 'measurement of radionuclide flux in groundwater using a fluxmeter and analysis of its origins' (advisor Yang Min-June), and Shim Ju-Hyeon's research on 'production of real-time fog forecasts and visibility maps using CCTV images' (advisor Not Young-Min) will be carried out for the project. The following research projects have also been selected including Kim Ha-Ham from the department of marine biology for her research on 'establishment of a feed supply system for sustainable domestic Atlantic salmon farming' (advisor Lee Seung-Hyung), and Baek Se-Na from the division of marine production system management for her research on 'development of a small fish escape device for bottom trawl gear for sustainable fisheries' (advisor Kim Seong-Hun), Lee Sung-Man from the department of chemistry for his research on 'development of organic monomer-based photothermal agents with high photothermal conversion efficiency for photothermal therapy' (advisor Lee Song-Yi), Jang Jae-Hun from the department of intelligent robotics for his research on 'development of autonomous path generation and exploration technology for intelligent swarm robots based on end-to-end learning models' (advisor Lee Kyeong-Chang), and Ha Ye-Jin from the department of architecture and fire protection engineering for her research on 'the numerical model of fire spread through the analysis of pyrolysis and combustion reactions of solid combustibles' (advisor Jeon Joon-Ho). Pukyong National University continues to receive recognition for the excellent research performance of its ph.d. students, with 16 students selected for the research support program this year, up from 5 students last year.

PKNU students won Korea's first victory in 'Google solution challenge'- showcased a 'daily management app for dementia patients' winning USD 12,000 cash prize△ The winning students, Lee Ji-Eun, Park Soo-Jeong, Lee Hong-Joo, Jeon Joo-Eun from the left. A team of students from Pukyong National University has won the prestigious 'Google for developers solution challenge 2024', marking the first-ever victory for a Korean team in this global competition hosted by Google. The team, consisting of Lee Hong-Joo, Park Soo-Jeong, and Jeon Joo-Eun from the department of computer engineering, and Lee Ji-Eun from the department of industrial design, emerged as one of the top three winning teams (TOP3) along with teams from India and Nigeria in the global competition 'Google for developers solution challenge 2024', which featured students from Google developer student clubs at over 2,000 universities in more than 110 countries. The Pukyong National University team first entered the TOP100 in April, followed by the TOP10 in May, and finally secured a spot in the TOP3 in June, clinching the prestigious victory. They were awarded a USD12,000 cash prize. In this competition, where student developers use Google technology to address one of the UN 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), the Pukyong National University team developed an innovative daily management application for dementia patients called 'memory friend Atti' and their groundbreaking technology was highly acclaimed. The application offers services to assist mild dementia patients with memory recall and record-keeping. It features an interactive chatbot that helps users revisit memories and manage their daily tasks and upcoming schedules independently. Users can utilize the app to check daily tasks such as taking medication or going for a walk and manage upcoming appointments like hospital visits or family birthdays. They can also engage in conversations with the chatbot about past photos and memories to help jog their memory. Lee Hong-Joo from Pukyong National University said, "Our goal in developing this app was to enhance communication abilities and provide psychological stability for mild dementia patients. As our society rapidly ages and the risk of dementia increases, we hope this application can help improve the quality of life for mild dementia patients in some way." The winning team of this competition receives various benefits, including the prize money, technical mentoring from Google engineers, and attendance at Google demo day. △ The 'memory friend Atti' 

PKNU, the only university in Korea selected for 40 billion KRW advanced industry specialization in 2 fields- specializing in secondary batteries with Kumyang co., ltd., and semiconductors with Gyeongsang national university to foster advanced talentPukyong National University (President Jang Young-Soo) has been selected for both secondary batteries and semiconductors in the 'advanced industry specialized university support project' announced by the Ministry of education and the Korea institute for advancement of technology on July 4. Pukyong National University is the only university in the nation to be selected in both fields for this project, which supports bachelor’s degree talent nurturing as a core basis for advanced industry talent development, being chosen for the 'secondary battery specialized university support project' as an independent type and the 'semiconductor specialized university support project' as a co-growth type support university. As a result of this selection, Pukyong National University will receive intensive financial support totaling 40 billion KRW for up to four years, enabling the establishment of a system for nurturing advanced talent and the expansion of educational infrastructure, including curriculum, faculty, and practice equipment, thereby enhancing its competitiveness in advanced industries.In the independently selected 'secondary battery specialized university support project', Pukyong National University will receive 12 billion KRW over four years to nurture practical, regionally connected secondary battery specialized personnel in the field of 'secondary battery process and material technology' (project leader professor Oh Pil-Gun). To achieve this, the university plans to establish the 'department of energy convergence technology engineering', the nation’s first industry-academic integrated major, in collaboration with Kumyang co., ltd., a leading company in the secondary battery field. This department will nurture industry-friendly personnel through a specialized convergence curriculum in secondary battery processes and materials, and a secondary battery specialized industry-academic innovation laboratory is also being established at the Yongdang campus. Kumyang co., ltd. has committed 800 million KRW in private matching funds as scholarships. Additionally, Pukyong National University, in partnership with Gyeongsang national university, was selected as a co-growth type in the non-metropolitan area for the 'semiconductor specialized university support project', receiving a total of 28 billion KRW in national funds over four years. Pukyong National University will specialize in the field of 'core materials and processes for high-reliability semiconductor packaging' (project leader, professor Lee Ji-Yeol), while Gyeongsang national university will focus on 'semiconductor packaging design and process, and analysis on semiconductor reliability' (project leader, professor Kang Seok-Geun), with plans to nurture specialized personnel in extreme environment semiconductor packaging and testing over the next four years. Pukyong National University had previously formed partnerships with semiconductor companies BtoZ, OXIDE from Korea and Japan last year, and signed an industry-academic cooperation MOU with semiconductor packaging material company Duksan Hi-metal co., ltd. earlier this year. Additionally, the university expanded the department of nanotechnology engineering into the division of nano semiconductor engineering, establishing majors in Nano-tech engineering and next-generation semiconductor engineering, with both majors notably being selected for this project, positioning the university to accelerate the nurturing of convergent talents in advanced fields. President Jang Young-Soo of Pukyong National University said, "We will do our best to fulfill our role as a central institution in nurturing core regional and national talents in the advanced strategic industries of semiconductors and secondary batteries."

PKNU sets sail for '68-year tradition' offshore sailing training- departure ceremony on the 28th, 127 student crew members embark on a 32-day sailing△ Participants of the offshore training posing for a commemorative photo during the departure ceremony. ⓒPhoto Lee Sung-Jae (PR team)Pukyong National University (President Jang Young-Soo) held the 'offshore sailing training departure ceremony of 2024 academic year' on June 28 at the reclaimed pier of Yongho-man bay. On this day, a total of 127 people, including 92 students from the division of marine production system management, the department of fisheries education, a major of electrical engineering, and including 35 crew members, started the 30-day training voyage. Pukyong National University's offshore sailing training began in 1957 when 48 students, including honorary chairman Kim Jae-Cheol of the Dongwon group, ventured to Ji-long port in Taiwan, marking the first voyage from Korea. Now in its 68th year, this training has laid the foundation for the country's offshore industry and economy, and today, it has become a program for cultivating talents in the future advanced marine and fisheries new industry fields. Through this program, Pukyong National University students will learn in the east sea, south sea, west sea of Korea and the Japanese sea, and learn the navigator and engineer programs on the sea in accordance with the STCW International Convention, including courses in fishing, navigation, electronic communication operation, ship engine operation, and automatic control system operation. Additionally, the students plan to visit universities and institutions at ports of call such as Hakodate Port in Japan and Keelung Port in Taiwan to engage in exchanges and build international networks. President Jang Young-Soo encouraged the trainees, saying, "Our Pukyong National University offshore training voyage has greatly contributed to the national economic development by producing numerous talents in the fisheries and marine fields. I hope all the trainees carry this pride in your hearts and do your best to acquire not only knowledge in your major fields but also the qualities of leaders in the fisheries and marine." △ The ship Baek-kyung departing from Yongho-man bay.△ A panoramic view of the departure ceremony.△ Trainees presenting bouquets to the crew.△ Trainees taking an oath.△ The ship Baek-kyung sailing in the waters off Gwangalli after departing from Yongho-man bay.△ The ship Baek-kyung docked at Yongho-man bay before departure, with the ship Nara docked nearby.

Prof. Bae Sang-Hoon elected as the 1st priority candidate for the 8th president of PKNU- will serve a four-year term upon presidential appointment, prof. Wang Je-Pil is the 2nd priority candidateIn the election for the 8th president of Pukyong National University, professor Bae Sang-Hoon (major of geomatics engineering) has been selected as the priority candidate, and professor Wang Je-Pil (metallurgical engineering) as the second candidate. In the final round of the election, conducted online on June 26, professor Bae Sang-Hoon received 60.36% of the votes, securing first place. Professor Wang Je-Pil received 39.64% of the votes. The electorate for this election consisted of 1,749 eligible voters, including 620 professors, 531 staff members, 586 students, and 12 teaching assistants. Professor Bae graduated from the department of civil engineering at Pusan National University (1990) and earned his ph.d. in traffic engineering from Virginia tech (1995). He has been a professor in the major of geomatics engineering at Pukyong National University since 2002, served as dean of the college of environmental and marine sciences and technology, also served as a research fellow at the Korea transport institute and an editorial board member of the Korean society of transportation. Currently, he is the chairman of the Busan mass transit citizen's funds foundation and president of the Busan public transportation future forum. He said, "I will take the lead in consolidating internal capabilities and collaborating with the region to drive the innovation needed for Pukyong National University to advance as a sustainable future university," he added, "I am committed to realizing the vision of Pukyong National University as a competitive institution with world-class research and educational capabilities, driving educational innovation to become a global university beyond the region, fostering interdisciplinary research and industry-academia cooperation, expanding support for research and education, and leading future industries." Following this election, Pukyong National University will recommend professor Bae Sang-Hoon as the priority candidate and professor Wang Je-Pil as the second candidate for the 8th president to the Ministry of education. The final appointment will be made by the president upon the recommendation of the Minister of education. △ Ballot counting in progress on the third floor of Dongwon hall at Dongwon Jang Bogo building. ⓒPhoto Lee Sung-Jae (PR team)

PKNU selected to operate a customized program for 1st graders at Neulbom school in the second semester, 2024- in collaboration with educational enterprises, Busan national university of education, and Silla university, the consortium plans to operate the program in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions△ Operating a customized program for first graders at Neulbom school.Pukyong National University (President Jang Young-Soo) has announced that it has been selected as the operating institution for the second semester of 2024 customized program for first graders at Neulbom school. With the nationwide expansion of Neulbom school this year, the Ministry of education, 17 metropolitan and provincial education offices, the Korea foundation for the advancement of science and creativity, and the Korea arts & culture education service invited applications from institutions to support customized programs for first-grade students, including school adaptation support and play-based arts and physical education activities. Pukyong National University has been selected as the operating institution for the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions in this nationwide call, receiving 3.2 million KRW in project funding to run the program in the second semester of 2024. With its selection for this project, Pukyong National University will lead the consortium for the project through the PKNU support center for educational donation (director Lee Sang-Gil) including educational institutions such as Ted education, Eduvision, and others. Additionally, the department of education at Busan national university of education, the department of education at Silla university, Sangsangharu co., ltd., Norit co., ltd., and Doit science co., ltd. will participate as partner institutions. Building on its experience as the operating institution for the first semester customized program for first graders at Neulbom school, Pukyong National University plans to establish Neulbom education hub centers in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, targeting 30 schools with over 60 classes, implementing more than 1,800 sessions of Neulbom school educational programs. In particular, the university will support the program content through monitoring and performance analysis of various learning programs in conjunction with its on-campus teaching and learning support center, while also collaborating with the teaching and learning support centers of universities in the southeastern region to involve university students in the Neulbom school educational programs, to expand human resources. Lee Sang-Gil, director of the PKNU support center for educational donation, said, "Through this project, we aim to establish a public-private partnership support system for Neulbom school involving universities, businesses, and institutions, focusing on discovering and disseminating customized programs for first graders."