Received 'best' rating by MEST for 2 straight years, procuring additional national funding of 860 million won.
Supply human resources customized to the work site in the green energy leading industry of Daegu and Gyeongbuk
[May 26, 2011]
The Yeungnam University Green Energy Education & Research Center (director: Professor Lee, Tae-jin, hereinafter called 'YU GEERC') was ranked 'best' for the second year since the first evaluation in the previous year for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology's (MEST) metropolitan economic area leading industry personnel fostering project, and will thus receive an additional 860 million won in national funding.
Since September 2009, a total of 25 billion won was planned to be invested at 5 billion won per year, but with the additional incentive from this evaluation, a total of 7 billion won will be invested for third business year. The MEST's metropolitan economic region leading industry personnel fostering project annual evaluation automatically provides additional incentive budgets according to the results of written and oral presentation evaluations for 21 centers in the nation's six metropolitan economic regions for the performance of projects for the second fiscal year (June 1, 2010 - May 31, 2011).
At this evaluation the YU Green Energy Personnel Fostering Center was judged to have constructed integrated/customized green energy co-majors and linked major education systems, while establishing and operating programs per track in solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells and energy systems.
In particular, in the presentation evaluation that was subdivided into four parts, the "cooperation with businesses and corporate support activities," and "employment support activities" block were ranked first in the nation among 21 centers, and it was also certified to have the best industry-academic activities. In addition, it also received perfect scores in the satisfaction of participating students and businesses and in the independent performance index, showing that its achievements in projects were excellent.
In addition, it is operating various employment support programs to help graduating students land jobs, and also operated an internship program for 30 graduated students yet to have jobs, resulting in 23 of them getting full time jobs.
On the development performance, Lee, Hyo-soo president of YU stated, "We achieved great results in the R&D and HRD section in the green sector in just two years," adding, "Yeungnam University will be a research and personnel fostering institute in the green sector that will represent Korea in the future."
Currently, the YU Green Energy Personnel Fostering Center is being participated by 92 professors and 1,403 students from four undergraduate organizations such as the departments of chemical engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Major of Mechanical Advanced Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, and physics. Various education/research programs are being operated with the goal to foster site-customized fusion and integration personnel needed by the green energy leading industry of the Daegyeong region. In particular, it is aiming at strengthening global competitiveness of the green energy leading industry of the Daegyeong area by constructing an industry-academic-research-government cooperative system and cluster per sector, while fostering outstanding R&D personnel focusing on solar power/hydrogen fuel cell industry.
In particular, an expert research committee was launched and is operated on solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells, and energy systems in order to promote industry-academic-research-government cooperation. Also, questionnaire results collected from participating companies and curriculum improvement proposals were reflected in the green energy specialized education (green energy track, co-major, linked major) curriculum, and it is expected that it will establish itself as a hub that can foster outstanding personnel that can lead not only the green energy leading industry of the Daegyeong metropolitan economic region, but for the entire nation.
Meanwhile, YU established the GIFT (Green Innovation for Tomorrow) Plan with the goal of :becoming a university that prepares gifts for the future of mankind through green technology innovation" and is concentrating investments of 70 billion win in the green energy sector such as the 'metropolitan economic region green energy leading industry personnel fostering center', and the 'LED-IT fusion industrialization research center'.
