Dong-Eui Institute of Technology Department of Electric Vehicles Selected as 'Excellent Project Group' in BB21plus Stage 7

Recognized for Nurturing Talent in Eco-Friendly and Hybrid Vehicles
Outstanding Employment Rate and Research Capabilities

The Department of Electric Vehicles at Dong-Eui Institute of Technology (President Kim Youngdo) was recently selected as an 'Excellent Project Group' in the second-year evaluation of the BB21plus (Brain Busan 21+) Stage 7 project at the '2025 BB21plus Performance Report and Academic Conference,' hosted by Busan Technopark and supported by Busan Metropolitan City.

The Department of Electric Vehicles at Dong-Eui Institute of Technology has been selected as an 'Excellent Project Group' at the BB21plus Stage 7 and is taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Dong-Eui Institute of Technology

The BB21 project is a representative local talent development initiative promoted by Busan Metropolitan City since 2002, aiming to enhance regional competitiveness by strengthening the research capabilities and educational competitiveness of local universities.

Since 2024, the project has been reorganized as the 'BB21plus Stage 7 Project,' supporting university development based on collaboration with local companies, organizations, and institutions in the Busan area. As of the second year, 10 innovation talent-type and 2 convergence talent-type project groups are participating.

Dong-Eui Institute of Technology was newly selected for the convergence talent-type field of the BB21plus Stage 7 Project in 2024 and is operating the 'Hybrid Vehicle Design, Production, and Maintenance Talent Development Project Group for Expanding Eco-Friendly Vehicle Competitiveness,' led by Professor Kim Manho of the Department of Electric Vehicles. This project group aims to nurture specialized talent in eco-friendly vehicles, focusing on hybrid vehicles, in response to the rapidly changing paradigm of the automotive industry.

In the second-year evaluation, the project group received high marks in all indicators, including talent development, employment rate, research capabilities, community engagement, and project group management, achieving the best performance among participating groups and being selected as an 'Excellent Project Group.'

The students' achievements in employment related to their major stood out. Of the 16 scholarship recipients selected in the second year, 14, excluding two who transferred to four-year universities, succeeded in finding employment or starting a business, with 13 securing jobs. Among them, five found employment at companies in the Busan area, demonstrating success in nurturing local talent, while four scholarship recipients were hired for production positions at Kia Motors, proving the highest level of employment competitiveness among related departments in the southeastern region.

At the academic conference held alongside the BB21plus performance report, Park Seongrok, a student from the Department of Electric Vehicles at Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, received the Outstanding Paper Presentation Award for his work on the 'Anti-Freezing Door System.' The paper presented a solution using a PTC heater to address the issue of flash-type vehicle doors failing to operate due to freezing in winter, and the performance was verified at the laboratory level, earning high praise.

Park Seongrok said, "Through the capstone design class, I was able to learn the importance of the problem-solving process and teamwork, and I am grateful to have received such a meaningful award."

Project group leader Kim Manho said, "I would like to thank Busan Metropolitan City and Busan Technopark officials for their continuous support from Stage 6 to Stage 7 of the project," adding, "We will do our best through the fifth year of Stage 7 so that more students can receive scholarships and obtain the jobs they desire."