Dongmyeong University Committed to AI: "All Majors Integrate AI Convergence"

Jumping from 'IT Employment Prestige' to 'AI-Strong University'
Early Admission from September 23 to 28, Recruiting 91.4% of Total Quota
Number 1 in Employment Rate (71.8%) among Medium to Large 4-Year Universities in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam

President Jeong Hongseop of Dongmyung University and students are conducting drone education practice together.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Dongmyeong University, which promotes itself as a ‘university strong in AI,’ plans to recruit up to 91.4% of its total admission quota through early admission. The early admission period is from September 23 to 28.

Dongmyeong University has adopted the slogan ‘Beyond IT, Toward AI.’ It has upgraded from being known as a ‘university strong in IT’ to a ‘university strong in AI’ this year.

Earlier this year, the university secured first place in employment rates among medium-to-large general universities in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions (2018 data), establishing itself as a ‘prestigious university for IT employment.’

The university’s roots trace back to Dongmyeong Mokjae, a local Busan company that once ranked first in the domestic business world. Founded in 1977, Dongmyeong University recorded an employment rate of 71.8% in the 2019 university information disclosure, ranking first among medium-to-large general universities in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam with over 1,000 graduates from four-year programs.

With such achievements, the university is naturally in a celebratory mood. Dongmyeong alumni say that the entrepreneurial spirit of Dongmyeong Mokjae has been continuously inherited by the university through differentiated brand policies such as mentoring, overseas trading merchants, and living labs. This is said to be the reason why the ‘convergence’ capabilities based on challenge and creativity have been maximized on campus.

The university set its target differently from the starting line with employment in mind. A university official explained that from the moment of admission, they nurture convergent talents that society specifically demands.

Following its recent selection as an innovative leading university for the 4th Industrial Revolution, Dongmyeong University has set its specialization direction as ‘future-oriented talent cultivation and industrial innovation hub through AI-SW competency enhancement.’

Having established a broad direction, the university is now targeting AI specialization mainly in the fields of ▲AI-SW convergence ▲marine logistics ▲Well life ▲cultural contents.

As the first university in the Busan area to be ‘strong in AI,’ Dongmyeong University established the AI Convergence College, an AI bachelor’s organization, in its undergraduate program starting in 2021. From the 2022 academic year, it plans to expand AI convergence majors to all colleges.

The AI Convergence College is an expanded and reorganized college from the existing ‘SW Convergence College.’ It is being restructured into departments for DNA (Data, Network, AI) education, which is the core driving force of the AI era.

In addition to the existing Computer Engineering and Game Engineering departments, the Information and Communication Software Engineering department has been expanded into the AI Department (50 students) to establish a new major in artificial intelligence.

The Information Security department has been reorganized into the Software Convergence Security department, and the Data Science department was newly established (30 students) for the first time in Busan.

The Mechatronics Engineering department in the College of Engineering has been renamed the AI Automation Design Engineering department.

In response to the expanding aviation demand in the southeastern region and Busan’s status as an international tourism city, the Aviation Service department was newly established (30 students).

In May, the university was selected as an innovative leading university for the 4th Industrial Revolution due to its AI specialization and expansion strategy of AI convergence majors across all colleges. It was the only private university in the Busan area to receive this recognition.

President Jeong Hong-seop stated, “AI possesses far more knowledge than we do.” This means the era of ‘lectures’ is over, and we are moving into an era of openness, connection, and convergence.

President Jeong added, “We must nurture talents who do not take orders from AI but give orders to AI. We will ensure that every student becomes the master of AI in this AI era that has now become a reality.”

Dongmyeong University has a clear goal of nurturing talents who will occupy the new jobs created by AI, even though many jobs will disappear due to AI. Therefore, it has begun full-scale innovation in all areas, including curriculum and teaching methods.

The university’s AI convergence innovation outbound and inbound activities also attract attention. As the only institution in the Busan area selected for the nationwide public science culture activity support project, a total of 680 disadvantaged youths will be able to experience AI science fields such as ▲smart farms (urban agriculture) ▲drones ▲maker spaces ▲practical astronomy free of charge 17 times from August to December.

This is part of the ‘AI Convergence Innovation Live Field Regional Youth Invitation Exploration’ project (project leader Professor Park Soo-young, Director of the Regional Community Collaboration Center), which was selected for the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity’s science culture activity support project.

The living lab (practical laboratory) has also been ongoing for three years. This year, about 150 enrolled students in 25 living lab teams have ventured beyond campus into local realities. They aim to solve local pressing issues by the end of the year.

Examples include education on the importance of hand hygiene to prevent infectious diseases (Department of Nursing), infection prevention at indoor fitness centers (Department of Sports Rehabilitation), and safety education for shared electric kickboards (Department of Social Welfare). Given the COVID-19 situation, attention is focused on what innovative solutions these teams will devise.