Japan's NSG Group, Operating 4 Universities and 34 Vocational Schools, Partners with Yeungnam University

Full-Scale Global Educational Cooperation Begins

Yeungnam University (President Choi Oechul) announced on July 25 that its Humanities and Social Sciences Digital Convergence Talent Development Project Group has signed an MOU with Japan's NSG Group, further strengthening the foundation for international educational cooperation in the field of humanities and social sciences.

The MOU signing ceremony took place on July 19 in the banquet hall on the 5th floor of Hotel Italiaken in Niigata, Japan. Through this agreement, the Yeungnam University Humanities and Social Sciences Digital Convergence Talent Development Project Group (headed by Noh Sangrae) and the NSG Group International Promotion Office plan to expand the scope of their cooperation by engaging in regular exchanges and jointly operating programs for regional revitalization.

Representatives from Yeungnam University and Japan's NSG Group gathered together for a commemorative photo after signing an MOU for global educational cooperation.

NSG Group, which focuses on educational projects, is a leading company headquartered in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, and owns 101 corporations. With the corporate policy of "regional revitalization through business creation," the group is pursuing regional revitalization projects by establishing vocational schools utilizing buildings and land left vacant by closed commercial facilities. It currently operates a total of four universities and 34 vocational schools in Niigata and Fukushima Prefectures.

The Humanities and Social Sciences Digital Convergence Talent Development Project Group annually selects exemplary cases of regional revitalization and local cultural content, and conducts a "Global Camp for Regional Revitalization" in cooperation with local institutions and companies.

In 2023, the group visited Sabae City in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, and the Sabae SDGs Promotion Center to discuss regional revitalization. In the second year, 2024, it carried out a global exchange program with Shaanxi Normal University in Xi'an, China.

This year, not only faculty and students from Yeungnam University but also students from four universities (Korea University, National Suncheon University, Sookmyung Women's University, and Chungnam National University) that are part of the "Humanities and Social Sciences Convergence Talent Development Project" digital consortium participated in the program. They had the opportunity to directly experience various educational projects promoted by NSG Group and observe on-site models of regional revitalization.

Sato Yukihiro, Deputy Director of the NSG Group International Promotion Office, stated, "It is significant that Japan and Korea, both facing the common issue of regional extinction, have created an opportunity for cooperation," and added, "We look forward to continued exchanges and collaboration with Yeungnam University in the future."

Noh Sangrae, head of the Humanities and Social Sciences Digital Convergence Talent Development Project Group and professor in the Department of Korean Language and Literature, said, "Thanks to the active cooperation of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Niigata and NSG Group, we were able to successfully operate the program. We have discovered many cases that can be applied to Korea's regional revitalization policies, and we will continue to strengthen our cooperative system to further enhance our students' capabilities."

Meanwhile, the Yeungnam University Humanities and Social Sciences Digital Convergence Talent Development Project Group was selected for the Ministry of Education's "Humanities and Social Sciences Convergence Talent Development Project" in 2023. Until February 2026, it will receive approximately 1.5 billion KRW in government funding to operate a variety of extracurricular programs, domestic and overseas field trips, and symposiums, striving to foster convergence talents based on digital competencies.