[Interview] Kim Youngdo, President of Dong-Eui Institute of Technology: "Fostering Thinking Technicians to Safeguard Technological Sovereignty"

Nurturing Talent with a Balance of Technical Proficiency and Human Maturity
Evolving Beyond Employment Agencies to Become Lifelong Learning Institutions
AI Education Integrated Across All Departments to Develop Practical Talent for the AI Era
First Master's Program Among Technical Colleges... Pathway to Quality Employment

"It is not the strong who survive, but those who survive who are strong."

In the era of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, where the landscape of professions is rapidly changing, the key question today is: What are the conditions for survival? Kim Youngdo, who has been leading Dong-Eui Institute of Technology for 14 years since 2011, finds the answer in infusing technology with philosophy. The model he proposes is the "thinking technician"-not simply someone who works with their hands, but a talent who reads the field through data and applies technology with a foundation in the humanities. President Kim, who looks beyond employment rates to the sustainable growth of students, conveys a sense of urgency about the future of technical education. The following is a Q&A with President Kim.

Kim Youngdo, President of Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Dong-Eui Institute of Technology

Fostering Practice-Oriented Technical Professionals..."Safeguarding National Technological Sovereignty"

-Since taking office as president in 2011, what have been your most important goals and achievements?

▲I have sought to elevate the social status of vocational education, believing that "education is the root that sustains the future of the region, and vocational education is the stem that connects that root to reality." We have established an industry-academia integrated education system to nurture field-ready professionals, and strengthened AI·DX+convergence education to enhance students' AI utilization skills. However, I am still disappointed by the lack of sufficient national financial support and institutional recognition for vocational education. With support for higher vocational education remaining at only half the OECD average, technical colleges are left in a policy blind spot.

-How is your vision of "capable professionals with living values" specifically realized?

▲We aim to cultivate practical professionals who not only possess knowledge, but also continuously learn and grow in response to changing times. To this end, our curriculum is designed to be "practice-oriented." First, based on curricula jointly developed with industry, all students about to graduate participate in corporate projects through our "industry-academia integrated field training." In addition, through the "mentor professor system," faculty members help students manage their careers, and character is nurtured through social contribution club activities. Furthermore, the "DIT Success Support Platform" provides career counseling as well as support for entrepreneurship and overseas employment. Ultimately, the technicians we seek to foster at Dong-Eui Institute of Technology are "intellectual technicians"-professionals who infuse technology with philosophy, create value in the field, and achieve a balance between technical proficiency and human maturity.

-There are an unusually large number of engineering departments-nine in total.

▲Strengthening engineering fields is a matter of national competitiveness. In Korea, generational replacement of skilled workers is delayed, and the younger generation is increasingly reluctant to pursue technical careers. In the United States, neglecting manufacturing in the past led to a loss of technology and the disappearance of highly skilled field workers. A country that once built aircraft carriers can no longer construct new ships and must outsource maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of aging vessels to other countries. To avoid following this path, Korea urgently needs to restore technology and foster a societal shift that respects technical professionals. Technical colleges must not be seen merely as employment agencies, but as central pillars in nurturing talent that safeguards national technological sovereignty. Dong-Eui Institute of Technology is taking the lead in fulfilling this mission by strengthening its engineering programs.

Kim Youngdo, President of Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Dong-Eui Institute of Technology

How to Survive in the Age of AI

-How can one learn uniquely human skills in the age of AI?

▲In the age of AI, technical college education must shift from function-centered training tailored to industry demands, to creative, convergent vocational education that redefines industries. The answer lies in the field. While AI can analyze data and predict problems, understanding the field and reading human emotions on site remain uniquely human skills. Ultimately, future competitiveness will come not from the ability to handle technology, but from the ability to "apply technology in a human way." Dong-Eui Institute of Technology currently operates a "Human Technician" education system that teaches not only AI data analysis skills, but also human abilities such as creativity, empathy, and field adaptability for lifelong learning.

-How is AI convergence education for "Human Technicians" specifically implemented?

▲We have introduced "AI+convergence courses" across all departments to ensure that AI permeates every major. All departments are required to offer courses such as "AI Basics, Data Analysis, Digital Twin, and Smart Factory," equipping students with the ability to apply AI in the field. In addition, we operate an AI Convergence Education Center and an AI Certification System, and conduct joint research and field training with industry in areas such as smart factories and AI manufacturing. Recently, we have also launched "AI Agent Development Training," an intelligent work support system where AI autonomously responds based on industrial data.

-You established a master's program for the first time among technical colleges. What is its significance?

▲In the age of AI, it is more important to extend the "lifespan of a career" through sustainable growth than to focus on quantitative indicators like employment rates. Technical colleges must evolve from being short-term vocational training institutions to lifelong learning systems for higher vocational education. The master's program at Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, the first of its kind among technical colleges nationwide, is open to those with at least three years of work experience. It aims to advance and deepen the skills of industry professionals, focusing on applied education that combines practical experience with technological innovation rather than purely academic research. This enables graduates to pursue bachelor's and master's degrees while working, establishing a lifelong vocational education system.

Kim Youngdo, President of Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Dong-Eui Institute of Technology

"I Want to Help Build a Society Where Technicians Feel Proud"

-What do you see as the most pressing challenges facing technical colleges?

▲With the school-age population declining, the most urgent task is enacting the "Vocational Education Act." We need to integrate secondary, higher, and lifelong vocational education into a single track. It is also essential to establish governance involving local governments, regional industries, and local universities, and to introduce a "lifelong vocational account" system so that working adults and the middle-aged can combine work and learning. Since becoming president of the Korea Association of Technical Colleges in September last year, I have been working to address these issues.

-What is the social role of the university, and your ultimate goal as president?

▲It is to revitalize the region through technology and to enrich people's lives through education. A university should not simply be an institution that grants diplomas, but a public platform that solves community problems and designs the future. Dong-Eui Institute of Technology aims to create a vocational education ecosystem where the region grows together through cooperation with local industries, addressing demographic challenges through retraining of international students and the middle-aged, and strengthening social inclusiveness in the AI era. Ultimately, I want to help build a society where technicians feel pride. Our society has long been accustomed to competition based on academic credentials and specifications. Now, we must shift to an era where technology and vocation determine a nation's dignity. As president, I want to create a university that changes each student's life-where learning is not just a means of employment, but a force for designing and growing one's own life. Based on this, I hope to help technical colleges become central institutions for lifelong vocational education that supports national technological sovereignty.

About President Kim Youngdo

Kim Youngdo, President of Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, has been leading the university as president since March 2011 and is a specialist in professional vocational education. Since September last year, he has also served as president of the Korea Association of Technical Colleges, representing technical colleges nationwide. In addition, he is active in various fields spanning education, industry, local communities, and media, serving as a member of the Ministry of Education's Qualification Policy Deliberation Committee, a director of Busan Technopark, a member of the Local University and Regional Talent Development Support Committee, and chairman of the KBS Viewers Committee.

President Kim's philosophy is rooted in the conviction that "vocational education is the future competitiveness of Korea." He emphasizes the need to move away from a society focused on academic credentials and specifications, toward an era where technology and vocation determine national dignity. To this end, his educational philosophy is to nurture "intellectual technicians" who possess both character and creativity, rather than simple skilled workers. As a university president, he is dedicated to fostering "intellectual technicians," and as president of the Korea Association of Technical Colleges, he is also at the forefront of laying the policy foundations for a technology-centered society.