Yeungjin College Smart Department Selected as Daegu’s Only “Nurturing-Type Specialized Technology Department” by the Ministry of Justice

Yeungjin College in Daegu (President Choi Jaeyoung) announced on the 19th that it has been selected as the only college in the Daegu region for the Ministry of Justice’s pilot project for “Nurturing-Type Specialized Technology Departments.”

This pilot project was launched to systematically train international students who possess both professional skills and Korean language proficiency, thereby helping to resolve manpower shortages at local small and medium-sized enterprises. Among 22 colleges nationwide that have been certified for “Education Internationalization Competency” by the Ministry of Justice, 16 colleges were finally selected through an open call, with one department designated as a pilot department at each institution.

International students at Yeongjin College are shouting "Fighting!" during the college's Global Day event.

At Yeungjin College, the AI Convergence Mechanical Engineering Division’s Smart CAD/CAM Department was selected as the project department. Accordingly, the college plans to focus on nurturing international students who are equipped with smart manufacturing technologies that meet the needs of local industries as well as Korean language skills, and to support them so that they can find stable employment and settle in local companies after graduation, thereby enhancing regional industrial competitiveness.

International students admitted to the “Nurturing-Type Specialized Technology Department” will receive various institutional benefits. If they obtain Level 3 or higher on the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), the financial capability requirement normally demanded for the issuance of a student visa (D-2) will be waived. In addition, the maximum number of hours allowed for part-time employment that can be undertaken alongside their studies will be increased from 30 hours per week to 35 hours per week.

Support for employment and residency after graduation will also be further strengthened. If graduates of the designated department complete Level 4 of the Social Integration Program or obtain Level 5 or higher on TOPIK, and sign an employment contract with a company related to their major with a starting annual salary of at least 26 million won, they are expected to be able to stay in Korea through the newly established “K-CORE (E-7-M)” visa. This system is expected to provide an institutional foundation that will enable outstanding foreign technical personnel to settle stably in regional industrial sites.

The AI Convergence Mechanical Engineering Division’s Smart CAD/CAM Department at the college has been operating practice-oriented education that integrates computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), focusing on smart manufacturing technology, a core field in the era of AI-driven transformation. It has steadily been recognized for its educational competitiveness through project-based classes linked to industrial sites and hands-on training using advanced equipment.

Meanwhile, Yeungjin College was selected as a “2025 Certified University for Education Internationalization Competency” in a recent announcement, marking its ninth consecutive year of certification. Through this, its capabilities in managing international students have once again been recognized externally, and it has demonstrated stable internationalization performance by maintaining the illegal stay rate of international students at around 0% based on a systematic academic and residency management system.

In addition, in the Ministry of Education’s “Employment Statistics Survey of Higher Education Graduates (based on 2024 graduates)” released last month, the college ranked first among colleges nationwide in terms of overseas employment performance. This has solidified its status as a leading global vocational education institution that encompasses both the recruitment and management of international students and strong outcomes in overseas employment.

Ahn Sangwook, Head of the AI Convergence Mechanical Engineering Division (Professor), said, “Our selection for the Ministry of Justice’s Nurturing-Type Specialized Technology Department is an achievement that officially recognizes our university’s and our division’s capabilities in educating international students,” adding, “We will continue to provide systematic education and support so that students from Korea and abroad can acquire world-class smart manufacturing technologies and find employment at leading domestic companies.”

Yeungjin College plans to use this selection as an opportunity to further strengthen its linkages with local industrial complexes and partner companies. By establishing a virtuous cycle in which international students with excellent technical skills settle in local companies, the college aims to alleviate industrial manpower shortages caused by the declining school-age population and to make a tangible contribution to revitalizing the regional economy and enhancing industrial competitiveness.