Led by President Lee Hee-hak, the institution will deploy foundational AI training for all undergraduates, establish specialized career pathways, and build advanced technical infrastructure backed by regional corporate partnerships.
The Bottom Line
Total Capital Commitment: Mokwon University is channeling 43.5 billion won over eight years, split between 21.2 billion won in state funding and 22.3 billion won from internal institutional reserves.
Curricular Mandate: Every undergraduate student must complete 3 to 6 credits of foundational AI coursework, establishing a baseline technical competency across all academic majors.
Corporate Pipeline: Fourteen local enterprises in Daejeon have issued hiring commitments for 36 graduates ahead of the 2028 launch of the tailored Artificial Intelligence Development major, exceeding initial program capacity by a 2.4x margin.
Restructuring Academic Frameworks for AI Integration
The transformation strategy moves past elective computing modules, instituting structural requirements across every faculty.
Here is the math behind the institutional shift: the university is dedicating 24.8 billion won—comprising 20.2 billion won in institutional funds and 4.6 billion won in state allocations—strictly toward physical and digital infrastructure. This capital expenditure supports the construction of the AI Future Center, which will house specialized facilities including a data safe zone, a dedicated GPU server room, and advanced AI convergence practice labs.
Tiered Talent Pipelines and Corporate Partnerships
Rather than applying a uniform curriculum, the institution is segmenting its student body into distinct competency tiers. While undergraduates complete baseline AI credits, the university aims to channel 20% of its enrollment into AI-transformed (AX) specialized tracks that integrate artificial intelligence directly into primary academic disciplines.
An additional 10% of students will target advanced technical roles, focusing on direct model and service architecture. To support these paths, the university will expand its “AX Convergence Bridge” courses to 129 subjects by 2031, allowing graduates to earn an official “AX Advanced Major” designation alongside their standard degrees. In 2028, the institution will formally establish the AX Convergence Graduate School to ensure continuity through master’s and doctoral levels.
Employment integration is built directly into the academic pipeline. Scheduled for a March 2028 launch, the employment-linked Artificial Intelligence Development contract major carries an initial intake quota of 15 students. Local economic alignment is visible in the pre-graduation hiring framework: fourteen enterprises operating in the Daejeon region have formally guaranteed priority placement for 36 candidates.
Scaling Faculty Capacity and Regional Economic Retention
Executing an institution-wide technical pivot requires structural changes to academic staffing.
By tying academic milestones directly to regional corporate recruitment channels, the initiative aims to retain skilled labor within the Daejeon industrial ecosystem.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
