Pukyong National University

Pukyong National University Joins Six National Universities to Launch the Fisheries and Marine U-Belt Council, a Nationwide Supra-Regional Alliance

― Pukyong National University, Kangwon National University (Gangneung), Kunsan National University, Mokpo National University, Chonnam National University (Yeosu), and Jeju National University Join the Initiative

― Council Launched in Busan to Identify Shared Agendas Connecting Korea’s Seas and Collaborate on Government-Funded Projects

Pukyong National University, led by President Sang-Hoon Bae, held the Launch Ceremony and First Working-Level Meeting of the Fisheries and Marine U-Belt Council at Homers Hotel in Busan over two days, July 23 and 24.

Around 40 officials involved in the Regional Growth Talent Development System (Anchor) Project attended the event. They represented six national universities specializing in fisheries and marine sciences across Korea: Pukyong National University, Kangwon National University (Gangneung), Kunsan National University, Mokpo National University, Chonnam National University (Yeosu), and Jeju National University. Participants held working-level discussions to identify shared agendas and establish a framework for cooperation.

The six universities formed the council following the Mutual Cooperation Agreement for Establishing a Supra-Regional Governance Framework Specialized in Fisheries and Marine Affairs, signed on May 13. The participating universities agreed to jointly address fisheries and marine issues that are difficult for any single university or individual sea area to tackle alone, including rising sea temperatures and subtropicalization, the decline of fishing communities, and the expansion of offshore wind power. They also discussed six proposed collaborative projects submitted by the respective universities.

Among them, the proposal to establish a coastal marine environment observation belt and digital twin for the Korean Peninsula aims to connect the six universities’ research vessels and observation infrastructure to create Korea’s first longitudinal coastal dataset. The network would span the East Sea off Gangwon, the West Sea off Gunsan, the archipelagic waters of the southwest coast near Mokpo, the South Sea off Busan and Yeosu, and the subtropical waters around Jeju. Other proposals discussed included cultivating talent through joint capstone design programs in offshore wind power and developing a blue food value chain relay covering seeds, aquaculture, materials, processing, and commercialization.

Following the identification of joint agendas at this meeting, the council plans to gather feedback from each university and convene a second working-level meeting to finalize the scope of the projects, designate lead universities, and establish implementation schedules. Pukyong National University’s Anchor Project Office has been appointed as the council’s inaugural chair institution, while the second working-level meeting is scheduled to take place at Chonnam National University’s Yeosu Campus in November.

Once the joint agendas are finalized, the council plans to launch small-scale pilot projects at each university. Based on the results, the participating institutions will jointly pursue multi-ministerial funding opportunities offered by agencies including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Education, as well as matching support from the five participating metropolitan and provincial governments.

As the council’s inaugural chair institution, Pukyong National University plans to expand its role in operating key observation sites in the South Sea region and supporting the commercialization and export of research outcomes. These efforts will draw on the university’s industry？academia cooperation assets, including its approximately 330,000-square-meter Open-UIC Field Campus, 151 tenant companies, the Blue Food contract-based department, the Smart Aquaculture Big Data Center, and the marine finance cluster.

An official from Pukyong National University’s Anchor Project, formerly the RISE Project, said, “By connecting the strengths of the six universities into a single belt, we can jointly secure educational and research resources that would be difficult for individual universities to obtain on their own.“ The official added, “Through this council, we will continue to develop concrete forms of cooperation so that students can gain field-based learning opportunities spanning Korea’s coastal waters, while regional companies can access a full-cycle industry？academia cooperation network.” <Pukyong Today>