Cultivating AI-convergence talent across entire student body
Honam University, known as an "AI-specialized university," has won the grand prize in the university (AI specialization) category at the 2026 National Service Awards for the seventh consecutive year. The award is hosted by the Institute for Industrial Policy Studies (IPS), widely regarded as one of South Korea's leading private think tanks.
At the ceremony held Wednesday at Grace Hall on the sixth floor of the L Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul, the university was recognized for cultivating AI-convergence talent across its entire student body and for participating in building a public-private-academic cooperative ecosystem aligned with Gwangju's AI specialist training project. The latest honor extends a winning streak that began with the university's first award in 2020.
Honam University has played a central role in nurturing talent aligned with the government's national AI strategy and Gwangju's vision as an AI-focused city, through AI specialist training, infrastructure development and industry-academia cooperation.
Since establishing an AI-focused university promotion committee directly under the president's office in 2019, the university has concentrated on equipping students with creative problem-solving skills through AI education integrated across disciplines. Key initiatives include requiring all students to complete at least 15 credits of AI coursework, building an AI campus — the first of its kind at any university in the country through three years of concentrated investment beginning in 2018 — and developing and operating a wide range of liberal arts and major courses in AI and data science.
The university has also taken the lead in strengthening students' global entrepreneurship and employment capabilities, partnering with Plug and Play, the largest incubating platform in Silicon Valley, to run global startup and talent development programs.
"AI is no longer a technology confined to a specific field — it is becoming a new common language connecting all industries and disciplines," university President Park Sang-chul said. "Honam University will redouble its efforts to nurture creative, convergence-oriented talent that our region and industries need, through educational innovation that integrates AI with each major field of study."
sij@heraldcorp.com
