Co-organized with Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, UNESCO-UNEVOC

Human-AI collaboration skills emphasized; international cooperation frameworks discussed

An aerial view of Korea Polytechnics' South Incheon Campus [Korea Polytechnics]
An aerial view of Korea Polytechnics' South Incheon Campus [Korea Polytechnics]

Korea Polytechnics is gathering domestic and international vocational education experts to explore strategies for developing talent in the AI era and expanding international cooperation around Korea's model of vocational and technical education.

Korea Polytechnics said it is co-hosting the 2026 Global Vocational Education Initiative International Conference on Wednesday at its Seoul Jeongsu Campus, together with the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training and UNESCO-UNEVOC.

The event is organized around the theme "Building the Future Together with Skills and Talent Across Borders in the AI Era." Participants will discuss how to respond to shifts in industry and job roles driven by the AI transition, and examine frameworks and evaluation indicators for sustainable global vocational education cooperation.

The keynote address will be delivered by Seoul National University Professor Lee Eun-ju on the theme of human-AI collaboration. She will stress the importance of "calibrated trust" — the ability to clearly assess AI's strengths and limitations — along with the capacity to verify AI outputs. Her core message is that workers should develop the ability to collaborate with AI based on hands-on expertise, rather than blindly trusting or dismissing it.

Korea Polytechnics Planning Director Jeong Gyeong-hun will present on "Global Employment and Labor Transitions and the Evolution of Korea Polytechnics," outlining a vision for the institution to grow into an integrated platform encompassing AI convergence competencies, lifelong vocational education, and pathways spanning employment, entrepreneurship and sustained career growth — moving beyond basic skills training and job placement support. Hwang Seong-su, vice president of the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, will also present on the future the AI transition will bring.

A panel discussion moderated by Seoul National University Professor Jo Tae-jun will follow, with domestic and international experts examining global vocational education cooperation frameworks and evaluation indicators while sharing experiences from Korea's vocational and technical education model, known as K-TVET.

UNESCO-UNEVOC, one of the co-organizers, is an international center under UNESCO established in 1992. It supports vocational and technical education and training policy and innovation through a network of more than 220 centers in over 150 countries.

"Building on more than 60 years of cultivating skilled workers for industry, we will further strengthen cooperation at home and abroad," Korea Polytechnics Chairman Lee Cheol-su said. "We will proactively respond to new waves of change and play a central role in advancing vocational education globally."


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