The entrance ceremony for the “Samsung Financial Group AI Digital Strategy Course 2025,” which aims to train top-level internal experts with comprehensive AI digital capabilities through industry-academia cooperation between Kookmin University (President Jung Seung-ryul) Graduate School of Business (Dean Kim Do-hyeon) and Samsung Financial Network (Samsung Life Insurance/Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance/Samsung Card/Samsung Securities), was held on the 17th at the Leaders Hall of the Samsung Financial Campus.

The ceremony was attended by Kookmin University faculty members including Lee Eun-hyung, head of the Office of External Cooperation, and Cho Yoon-ho, professor in charge of the department, as well as Samsung Financial Network employees including Oh Sung-yong, executive director of the Samsung Financial Institute.

By April 25, a total of 24 trainees (6 from Samsung Life Insurance, 5 from Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, 6 from Samsung Card, and 7 from Samsung Securities) selected as the next generation of digital talent by Samsung Financial Training Institute and Kookmin University Business School will be taught by a 12-member faculty of professors and industry experts for a total of 224 hours of training and projects. Following last year, this year, too, we will conduct a seven-day Silicon Valley benchmarking to analyze the cases of global digital/AI leaders such as Google, NVIDIA, and Amazon and reflect them in our current projects.

The “Samsung Finance Company AI Digital Strategy Course” is a master's-level course jointly developed and operated by the Samsung Finance Training Institute and the Kookmin University Business School in an industry-academia partnership from 2022. It consists of project-oriented practical training that teaches students the overall digital business process using AI, from digital planning to digital development and digital marketing, and applies it directly to the field. Until last year, the program was focused on strengthening digital capabilities, but this year, the name was changed to the “AI Digital Strategy Course” and the curriculum was significantly revised to further strengthen AI utilization capabilities.

In the oral presentation, Oh Sung-yong, Executive Director of the Samsung Financial Institute, said, “As the innovation of the financial industry, led by AI and digital, is accelerating, the role of internal experts with AI and digital capabilities is becoming more important for companies to secure continuous competitiveness. In response to this, this course is designed to train digital experts who have a deep understanding of the characteristics of the financial industry and create new synergies through collaboration between financial companies.” He said, “This is a gathering of key talents who will lead the future of Samsung Finance, so I hope this will be an opportunity for them to grow into experts who will lead the new paradigm of the times. I hope they will become the leaders who will pioneer the future of finance based on innovative thinking, bold challenges, and strategic execution using AI.”

“The development of AI and digital technology is accelerating the transformation of the financial industry and innovating work methods, and systematic learning and practical experience are essential to adapt to and proactively respond to these changes,” said Eun-hyung Lee, head of the Office of External Cooperation at Kookmin University. The AI Digital Strategy Course, jointly developed by the Kookmin University Graduate School of Business and the Samsung Financial Training Institute, is a practical, hands-on curriculum that reflects the latest technologies and trends in the financial industry. It is a top-notch training program designed to help participants effectively utilize AI in the financial industry. We hope that the 32-day course, global benchmarking, and projects will help participants develop practical AI digital capabilities and the ability to apply them in their current jobs. In particular, the projects in this course go beyond simple theoretical learning and focus on applying AI to financial business to solve practical problems. Through this, you will experience thinking about AI utilization strategies, exploring practical application plans, and collaborating with colleagues to come up with innovative ideas. We hope this training will serve as an important foundation for you to grow into an AI business expert who will lead the digital transformation of the financial industry.