Gyeongbuk Province Declares Vision for 'Realizing Bio-Patriotism' with Establishment of POSTECH Research-Oriented Medical School

Establishment of 'POSTECH Research-Centered Medical School' to Train Physician-Scientists Gains Momentum

Pohang, Gyeongbuk, "Let's Make It a New Growth Hub for Korea's Bio and Health Industry"

Plan to Establish a Research-Oriented Medical School at POSTECH.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwi-yeol] On the 17th, Gyeongbuk Province held a vision proclamation ceremony for the ‘POSTECH Research-Centered Medical School Establishment’ at the Pohang City Hall Grand Conference Room, together with Pohang City and POSTECH.

On this day, about 100 people attended, including Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok, POSTECH President Kim Moo-hwan, National Assembly members Kim Jung-jae and Kim Byung-wook, provincial and city council members, and the POSTECH Research-Centered Medical School Establishment Promotion Committee.

The proclamation ceremony was organized to reaffirm the will to establish a research-centered medical school, a long-cherished project of the residents, to share the progress and future plans, to raise awareness of the necessity of training physician-scientists for the advancement of the medical industry, and to actively promote the establishment.

Professor Kim Cheol-hong of POSTECH reported on ▲trends in the biohealth industry ▲efforts made so far for the establishment of the medical school ▲selection as a national agenda of the new government ▲POSTECH’s strengths and specialized fields ▲plans for establishing a research-centered medical school and a smart hospital.

Professor Kim emphasized that the biohealth industry is 3 to 4 times larger than the three major industries (shipbuilding, semiconductors, and automobiles) and is an essential field for advancing to a developed country.

POSTECH highlighted that it possesses world-class excellent personnel, research achievements, and full-cycle infrastructure in the bio and health fields.

Additionally, through unique differentiators such as the introduction of private capital for rapid hospital establishment and stable career support including employment at local research institutes, POSTECH clearly demonstrated why it is the right choice.

During the subsequent comprehensive discussion, promotion committee officials agreed that if the region secures excellent bio infrastructure such as the synchrotron accelerator and the cell membrane protein research institute, along with a research hospital capable of clinical verification of new drugs, the local biohealth industry can expect rapid growth.

They also emphasized that to elevate Pohang to a biohealth cluster comparable to the Boston model, industry-academia-research-government collaboration must pool their capabilities to solve remaining tasks such as improving residential conditions and attracting research centers.

Gyeongbuk Province, together with Pohang City and POSTECH, completed a feasibility study and a study on training physician-scientists for the establishment of the POSTECH research-centered medical school several years ago and formed a promotion committee.

Moreover, efforts to build public consensus, including submitting a proposal on the necessity of a research-centered medical school to the Presidential Transition Committee in April this year, resulted in tangible achievements such as being adopted as a ‘new government national agenda.’

Governor Lee Cheol-woo stated, “In the era of decentralization and national balanced development, local governments should be entrusted, not the central government, to nurture the necessary talent through local universities,” and emphasized, “We will focus administrative power on realizing Korea’s bio-national security through the establishment of the POSTECH research-centered medical school to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.”