Honam University Wins National Service Award for 'AI Specialization' Five Consecutive Years

Honam University, an 'AI Specialized University,' has been honored with the 'Grand Prize in the University-AI (Artificial Intelligence) Specialization Category' for five consecutive years at the prestigious '2024 National Service Awards' hosted by the Industrial Policy Studies (IPS).

At the awards ceremony held on the 27th at 11 a.m. in the Grace Hall on the 6th floor of EL Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Honam University was recognized for its outstanding achievements in restructuring its AI convergence innovative curriculum, fostering AI convergence talents among all students through the establishment of an AI campus, and leading 'AI popularization education' to establish itself as a 'National AI Convergence Education Institution.' The university received the 'Grand Prize' in the University-AI (Artificial Intelligence) Specialization Category. Honam University had also won this award in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The National Service Awards select excellent services that represent South Korea and are widely loved by the public through a rigorous evaluation process including ▲service competitiveness and vision ▲industrial and social contribution ▲operational performance ▲sustainable management plans.

Recognized for five consecutive years as the nation's top AI specialized university leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, Honam University is creating future growth engines aligned with the government's 'AI National Strategy' and Gwangju Metropolitan City's 'AI-Centered City' strategy through AI talent development, infrastructure establishment, and industry-academia cooperation.

In 2019, Honam University launched the 'AI-Centered University Promotion Committee' directly under the president and developed an innovative curriculum requiring all students to complete more than 15 credits of AI courses. Additionally, from 2018, the university invested a concentrated budget over three years to build the nation's first AI campus for AI convergence education. In 2023, it established the Department of Robotics and Drone Engineering, further strengthening its efforts to cultivate AI experts.

Alongside this, the AI Education Center and AI Big Data Research Institute are leading innovative education that activates AI convergence education across all academic fields and AI new technology education for the entire population. Since 2020, the university has been dedicated to AI popularization by holding year-round AI competency enhancement lectures and workshops, faithfully fulfilling its role as a regional hub university. For local residents, it offers a special lecture series titled 'Curious Wednesday - Time for IT Novices,' and in 2022, it was selected for the 'Digital New Software·AI Camp Project' hosted by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity, operating the 'AI Cube Camp' which significantly contributed to bridging the digital education gap among elementary, middle, and high school students in the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions. Furthermore, in April last year, it provided 13 'AI Cube Academy Lecture' contents free of charge through the YouTube channel 'Honam University TV,' promoting the popularization of digital capabilities.

Honam University, the only university in the Gwangju region selected by the Ministry of Education as a 'Fourth Industrial Revolution Innovation Leading University,' has successfully carried out major national projects such as CK-1 (University Specialization), PRIME, LINC+, PILOT (University Innovation Support Pilot), AI Convergence University Support Project, and LINC 3.0. It was also selected as an autonomous improvement university in the third cycle of the university basic competency diagnosis evaluation, establishing itself as a prestigious private university representing Honam.

This year, more than 300 professors from 43 departments are actively building cooperative systems with companies to enhance corporate competitiveness through product development and advanced technology support. At the same time, through customized talent development linked with companies, the university is realizing joint development of the region and university as a virtuous cycle model of 'industry-academia-research cooperation' aimed at creating jobs and improving employment rates for students.

Park Sang-chul, President of Honam University, said, "With the five consecutive years of winning the National Service Award, our status as an 'AI Specialized University' has been recognized both domestically and internationally. We will strive to become a national educational institution for AI convergence talent development and AI popularization that will lead the digital transformation era." He added, "We will devote all our capabilities to fulfilling the university's historic mission of leading innovation and change in the rapidly evolving Fourth Industrial Revolution era."