Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung-ryul) has been striving to innovate education and promote industry-academia cooperation in order to meet the demand for talent in the rapidly growing bio industry, and these efforts are now bearing fruit. Kookmin University was selected as the final recipient of the Ministry of Education's “Financial Support Project for Universities Specializing in High-Tech Industries” in the field of bio (Project Leader: Sang-taek Oh, Department of Bio Fermentation and Convergence). As a result, Kookmin University will receive 2.9 billion won per year for four years, for a total of 11.6 billion won in government funding until February 2029.

This project aims to cultivate highly skilled personnel with a focus on practical training throughout the entire cycle of the bio industry, from the development of biopharmaceuticals to cultivation, purification, production processes, and quality control. Kookmin University plans to systematically train practical personnel who meet the needs of industry.

In particular, the Department of Biofermentation Convergence and the Department of Applied Chemistry's Bio-Pharmaceutical major will jointly design the curriculum and establish and operate a new “Bio-Pharmaceutical Industry-Linked Major.” Based on cooperation between the two departments, the university plans to strengthen interdisciplinary convergence capabilities and increase students' adaptability to the workplace through experiment-centered customized education.

Additionally, Kookmin University will establish a GMP-based practical training environment centered on the newly established “Bio-Pharmaceutical Industry Linked Major” and plans to expand an education model linked with industry. A total of 25 bio-pharmaceutical companies, including Cytiva Co., Ltd. and BC World Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., will participate in this project, aiming to establish a practical cooperation framework through on-site internships, employment linkage, and industry-academia joint projects.

Professor Sang-taek Oh of the Department of Bio-Fermentation Convergence at Kookmin University, who is leading the project, stated, “Biopharmaceutical manufacturing and quality control are core areas that require advanced expertise within the industry. Through this project, Kookmin University will produce highly skilled talent who can be immediately utilized in the industry and take the lead in strengthening the global competitiveness of the domestic bio industry.”

The bio industry is a high value-added industry that leads medical technology innovation. Despite its rapid growth and employment creation effects, a shortage of practical talent is expected to continue. With this project, Kookmin University plans to build an industry-academia-research education ecosystem, develop a practical talent training model, and take a leap forward as a bio-specialized university.

Kookmin University will continue to keep pace with the ongoing growth and changes in the bio industry, striving to strengthen its close cooperation with industry and expand its educational infrastructure to global standards. To this end, it will expand exchanges with leading overseas universities and research institutions and accelerate the development of educational programs that reflect the latest biopharmaceutical manufacturing and quality control technologies. Through this initiative, Kookmin University aims to provide students with an educational environment that equips them with both practical experience and international competitiveness, thereby taking the lead in cultivating core talent to drive the future of the bio industry.