Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) was selected on April 8 (Monday) as a target university for the Korea Forest Service's 'Forest Industry Field Customized Talent Training Project'. 

The project aims to foster master's and doctoral-level professionals with practical skills to enhance competitiveness in the forest science field and lead future R&D technological innovation.

Kookmin University, along with the Korea Dental Technology Association (Chairman Choi Byung Am) and KBioLab (CEO Kim Tae Jong), was selected through a proposal and presentation review on the theme of fostering field-oriented professionals related to landslide prevention, management, and recovery and restoration. Faculty members from the Department of Forest and Environmental Systems, Department of Forestry and Biotechnology, and Department of Climate Technology Convergence will collaborate on curriculum and research and development.

Kookmin University, together with the Korea Dental Technology Association and KBioLab, plans to operate the center with the final goal of developing curricula to foster field-tailored professionals in the field of landslides, establishing an industry-academia-government cooperation system for employment, and joint research on integrated management of landslides using convergence technology. To realize this, the center will play a leading role in solving the problem of landslides, a forest disaster, by developing specialized curricula and training programs to cultivate field capabilities, operating internship programs to foster field-tailored experts, supporting career and employment of landslide experts, and researching issues related to landslide prediction and integrated management.

"To achieve systematic human resource development and research goals, we will hold regular industry-academia seminars and information exchanges with the Korea Dental Technology Association and KBioLab, and establish continuous partnerships with related industries to strengthen our students' career and employment competitiveness," said Professor Lee Chang Bae, head of the center's Department of Forest and Environmental Systems. 

The project period is four years and nine months until December 2028, and 3.667 billion won in support will be provided.