'Jeonju Gijeon University' to be Established in Jeonbuk Innovation City Cluster

Second University Facility in Innovation City Following Korea National College of Agriculture and Fisheries

Department Relocation and Campus Opening in Innovation City Scheduled for Second Half of Next Year

Jeonju Kijeon University Innovation Convergence Campus will open in the second half of next year in the Jeonbuk Innovation City cluster located in Iseo-myeon, Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk.

According to Jeonbuk Province on the 14th, Jeonju Kijeon University was finally selected for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's '2023 Second Half Innovation Convergence Campus Construction Project' through a competitive bid.

Since last year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has selected Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Dongshin University, and Daegu Haany University as innovation convergence campuses, and this year expanded the application target from general universities to include junior colleges.

Location map of Jeonju Kijeon University Innovation Convergence Campus, scheduled to open in 2024 within the Jeonbuk Innovation City cluster.
[Photo provided by Jeonbuk Province]

The Innovation Convergence Campus project involves relocating some departments of local universities to innovation cities to strengthen industry-academia-research cooperation in innovation cities by establishing campuses.

Its goal is to nurture and supply the necessary talent through mutual cooperation with companies and research institutes linked to public institutions, fostering regional industry development and job creation.

Accordingly, Kijeon University plans to operate various programs involving local companies in promising new industries and start-up fields in the region, leading industry-academia cooperation for innovative growth of regional industries through the establishment of the Innovation Convergence Campus.

The university will operate four departments at the Innovation Convergence Campus: Healing Agriculture, Equine Industry Sports Rehabilitation, Companion Animals, and Secondary Battery Materials and Components. It will cultivate specialized personnel through mutual cooperation with the Rural Development Administration, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, National Institute of Animal Science, and Korea Electrical Safety Corporation.

This project will receive 3.2 billion KRW in campus construction and operation costs by 2026 (1.6 billion KRW from the national government, 800 million KRW from the provincial government, and 800 million KRW from the county government). The university aims to complete construction on a 5,692㎡ site and relocate departments and open the campus by the second half of the following year.

Kim Woon-gi, Director of the Construction and Transportation Bureau, said, "The Innovation Convergence Campus is the second university facility in the innovation city following Korea National College of Agriculture and Fisheries. It is expected to greatly contribute to revitalizing the innovation city and improving residential conditions through talent development, job creation, lifelong education programs for relocated institution workers and local residents."