Pukyong National University

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 years

Pukyong 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.’ <Pukyong Today>