Inha University-Samsung Biologics Collaborate to Nurture Talent in the Bio Industry

Installation of Employee Training Programs and Agreements Expected to Enhance Education and Industry-Academia Cooperation

President Jo Myung-woo of Inha University (right) and Kim Yong-shin, Head of Samsung Biologics Global Support Center, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing the 'Industry-Academia Agreement for Fostering Talent in the Bio Industry' on the 17th.
[Photo by Inha University]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Inha University is partnering with Samsung Biologics to cultivate experts in the bio field.

On the 17th, Inha University signed an 'Industry-Academia Agreement for Fostering Talent in the Bio Industry' with Samsung Biologics at the university's main building.

The signing ceremony was attended by university officials including President Jo Myung-woo, Dean of the College of Engineering Kwon Yong-gu, Head of the Department of Bio-Systems Convergence Kwon Soon-jo, Admissions Office Director Professor Jeon Tae-jun of the Department of Biotechnology, Head of the Department of Biotechnology Heo Yoon-seok, and Samsung Biologics Global Support Center Executive Director Kim Yong-shin.

The agreement includes establishing new undergraduate programs for re-education and skill enhancement of current employees, and plans to strengthen mutual cooperation in education and research through joint research and personnel exchange, including future master's and doctoral linked programs and graduate courses.

Inha University plans to establish and operate educational programs for Samsung Biologics employees centered on the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Bio-Systems Convergence by 2026. Through this, it aims to produce bio-process experts with global competitiveness annually.

Additionally, through the graduate program in Bio-Systems Convergence and the 'Industry-Academia Convergence Interactive Bio-Process Innovation Education and Research Group,' selected for the new industry sector of the BK21 Innovative Talent Nurturing Project led by the Ministry of Education, the university expects to jointly build an industry-academia cooperation model for research and development of new bio-process technologies.

Samsung Biologics anticipates that its employees will have opportunities to earn degrees through specialized bio courses while simultaneously developing their job competencies.

Earlier, in January this year, Inha University signed a business agreement with the global bio company Cytiva to nurture specialized personnel in the bio industry and provide bio-process education programs, and in May, it signed an agreement with Incheon National University and Gachon University to establish a digital biomedical business complex within the Cheongna Medical Complex Town.

The graduate program 'Department of Bio-Systems Convergence' at Inha University is a fusion graduate course combining the Department of Biotechnology in the College of Engineering and the Department of Life Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences, established last year to nurture talent in bio-processes, bio-health, and innovative new drugs.

The Department of Biotechnology, the core of this program, has produced over 1,000 master's and doctoral level talents and bio-industry specialists since its establishment in 1986, and currently serves as a major hub for the development of the domestic bio industry.

Moreover, the Department of Biotechnology has been recognized as the 'Best University in the Bio-Pharmaceutical Field' by the Ministry of Education in 2014 and 2019, establishing itself as the top specialized program in this field.

Kim Yong-shin, Executive Director of Samsung Biologics Global Support Center, said, "Based on Inha University's high-quality curriculum, we will provide employees with opportunities for self-development and significantly contribute to nurturing bio-specialized personnel regionally."

President Jo Myung-woo of Inha University stated, "This agreement is meaningful as it represents an industry-academia cooperation that benefits not only Inha University and Samsung Biologics but also the nation and local community," adding, "Inha University will fully leverage its capabilities to establish the world's best industry-academia-research medical bio cluster in Incheon."