Fostering world-class AI experts

KU holds an opening ceremony for Korea’s first AI graduate degree program

Korea University (KU) held an opening ceremony for Korea’s first AI graduate degree program at the auditorium located in the International Center for Converging Technology on Thursday, September 5.

Collaborating with more than fifty domestic and international corporations, universities, and research institutions, KU’s Department of Artificial Intelligence recruited approximately 50 students for the doctorate and integrated master-doctorate degree programs for the Fall semester of 2019, aiming to fostering world-class doctoral level AI intellectuals.

A core curriculum consisting of basic, foundation, and advanced major courses alongside courses associated with industry startups designed by 7 full-time professors in the Department of Artificial Intelligence, are offered to students. Along with its core research fields, including deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing, voice recognition, big data, and neural networks, the department is also expected to carry out specialized education and research concentrating on AI+X related fields, including healthcare, finance, AI agents, gaming, automatic driving, and national defense.

KU is aiming to cultivate academic, industrial, and tech-entrepreneurial intellectuals in developing innovative AI technologies, offering demand-based solutions, and creating new values. In order to do so, it is currently arranging collaborative research with 15 prestigious universities and institutions, including CMU, MIT, and the Max Planck Society. It is also planning to strengthen its ties with 38 domestic and global AI corporations, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Samsung Electronics, and to organize mandatory internship programs. Moreover, KU plans to actively utilize its already existing startup infrastructure to support future AI doctoral graduates engaged in the tech startup process and to create 10 or more outstanding venture firms by 2028.

In March, the Ministry of Science and ICT selected KU as one of the universities to run government-funded AI graduate degree programs due to its excellent AI education and research infrastructure and curricula, outstanding research achievements by faculty members, and strong and abundant industrial-academic global networks.

Professor Seong Whan Lee who is in charge of the Department of Artificial Intelligence, said, “We will concentrate on fostering intellectuals to allow them to acquire the skills that are required in the industry and related fields. Our ultimate aim is to successfully cultivate and produce intellectuals with doctorate degrees who can play decisive roles in leading South Korea in becoming a strong nation with powerful future AI technologies.”

In his congratulatory speech, KU President Jin Taek Chung emphasized the important roles that the AI department has to play by saying, “KU is dedicated to fostering future creative intellectuals who will hold the key in the uncertain and ever-changing era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. With our AI department, KU will lead the way. We need to realize that we are not only agents in developing and utilizing AI technologies but also beneficiaries thereof. Therefore, it is imperative that we continue to develop a human-oriented AI graduate program through human centered education and research.” He further stated that “KU plans to actively collaborate with universities, research institutes, and industrial fields that are closely related to conducting AI programs and projects. I look forward to seeing South Korea contribute to and play a pivotal role in fostering world-class AI intellectuals.”

On this day, more than 200 individuals, including Jin Taek Chung (KU President), Won Ki Min (Second Vice-Minister of Science and ICT), Tae Hee Kim (Director-General of Economy & Employment Planning Bureau of Seoul City), Seung Hee You (Democratic Party Lawmaker), and Jae Bum Seok (President of the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Promotion) attended the event.