Establishing a Research Hub at the Yangsan Campus
Full-Scale Safety Verification of Natural Products and Industry-Academia-Research Collaboration Begins
Pusan National University and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety have formalized a cooperative framework with the goal of establishing a safety management hub for natural products in the southeastern region, launching the "Natural Product Safety Management Research Institute" at Pusan National University's Yangsan Campus.
Pusan National University (President Choi Jaewon) and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Commissioner Oh Yoo Kyung) signed a memorandum of understanding on December 17 at the Yangsan Campus to strengthen joint research and exchanges of personnel and academic resources in the field of natural products among government, industry, academia, research institutes, and hospitals. The opening ceremony for the Natural Product Safety Management Research Institute was also held at the advanced industry-academia complex on campus.
Pusan National University is signing a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to strengthen joint research and manpower and academic exchanges in the field of natural products involving government, industry, academia, research institutes, and hospitals. Provided by Pusan National University
With the rapid growth of the domestic and international natural product market, there has been a continuous demand for scientific verification of the safety and efficacy of natural products, such as herbal medicines. In response, Pusan National University plans to support the establishment of a safety evaluation system covering the entire process from raw materials to product development through the launch of this research institute, while also serving as an effective bridge between research, industry, and policy implementation.
The Natural Product Safety Management Research Institute is a special corporation under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, established in accordance with the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Act passed by the National Assembly in October 2025. The institute will be built on a 3,125-square-meter site, with one basement floor and three above-ground floors, totaling 5,315 square meters of floor space. It will operate as an integrated research platform equipped with laboratories, research rooms, and education and support spaces.
The institute will support national responsibilities of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety by verifying, analyzing, and evaluating the safety of natural product pharmaceuticals. It will also conduct joint research and support the growth of local companies in collaboration with related research organizations at Pusan National University, external research bodies, and industry partners. Pusan National University and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety will jointly utilize laboratory and research facilities, promote industry-academia collaborative research, facilitate technology exchanges, and link research projects.
Choi Junyong, a professor at the School of Korean Medicine at Pusan National University, who oversaw the construction of the institute, stated, "With the establishment of this research institute, we expect to see even stronger collaboration among government, industry, academia, research institutes, and hospitals in the field of natural product safety management. As a national hub university, we will further enhance our public research capabilities and actively respond to the research and industrial needs for natural products at both the regional and national levels."
Pusan National University holds the opening ceremony of the Natural Product Safety Management Research Institute. Photo by Pusan National University
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