Pukyong National University

PKNU and Pusan National University Launch Joint Graduate Program in Advanced Bio-Healthcare Engineering

- New ‘Bio-Healthcare Mechatronics Engineering’ Interdisciplinary Degree Program Begins This Fall

Pukyong National University (President Bae Sang-Hoon) and Pusan National University (President Choi Jae-Won) will launch a new interdisciplinary graduate program in Bio-Healthcare Mechatronics Engineering starting from the second semester of the 2025 academic year, aiming to train highly skilled professionals at the master’s and doctoral levels in this emerging field.

An orientation session for newly admitted students of this program was held on August 29 at Room 102 of Induk Hall, Pusan National University.

‘Bio-Healthcare Mechatronics Engineering’ is an advanced future technology that integrates various engineering disciplines with AI-based analytical techniques to precisely diagnose and analyze an individual’s physical condition, predict early signs of disease, and enable personalized health management.

To cultivate experts in the healthcare field, education based on interdisciplinary knowledge is essential. A representative example of this approach is the joint graduate program in health science and technology operated by Harvard Medical School and MIT. In particular, Busan, in response to aging demographics and low birth rates, has identified the healthcare industry as a regional specialization strategy, presenting new potential for value creation and global competitiveness as an advanced medical tourism city.

In this context, Pukyong National University and Pusan National University have collaborated over several years to design a joint degree graduate program that systematically nurtures master’s and doctoral-level professionals in the field of Bio-Healthcare Mechatronics Engineering and have successfully selected the first cohort of students. The program is jointly operated by the Department of Convergence Bionics Engineering for the Fourth Industrial Revolution at Pukyong National University and the Graduate School of Cognitive Mechatronics Engineering and the Graduate Program in Biomedical Convergence at Pusan National University.

On the research side, students will conduct substantial joint research projects under the guidance of two advisors―one from each university―while working across two laboratories, thereby maximizing academic synergy. Compared to conventional graduate programs, administrative support per student will be two to three times greater, which is expected to enhance the quality of both education and research. The final diploma, jointly conferred by the presidents of both universities, will include both the student’s original major and the name of the interdisciplinary program.

Professors Lee Byung-Il (Department of Bionics Engineering for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Pukyong National University), Kim Kwang-Seok (Department of Cognitive Mechatronics Engineering, Pusan National University), and Chung Sang-Hwa (Department of Information Convergence Engineering, PNU), who participated in the program’s design, stated, “We hope this joint degree program will grow into a flagship educational model for cultivating next-generation talent in Busan’s future strategic industries, and we will also strive to attract top-tier international students.” <Pukyong Today>