Kookmin University is solidifying its foundation as a “global research hub” and “entrepreneurial university” by securing a series of large-scale national projects that will lead the future of industry. Kookmin University recently secured large-scale research projects worth approximately 74 billion won in cutting-edge new industries such as biohealth, robotics, seawater desalination, and artificial intelligence, demonstrating both its practical research achievements and its ability to generate ripple effects in industry.

In the biohealth field, the university was selected for the Ministry of Education's “Financial Support Program for Specialized Universities in Advanced Industries (Biofield)” and secured 11.6 billion won in government funding through 2029. This is the result of Kookmin University's practical education philosophy, which aims to cultivate highly skilled professionals through practical education covering the entire cycle from the development to production and quality control of biopharmaceuticals. In particular, the “Bio-Pharmaceutical Industry-Linked Major,” which will be newly established through collaboration between the Department of Bio-Fermentation Convergence and the Bio-Pharmaceutical Major, reflects Kookmin University's core strategy of pursuing a boundary-less educational ecosystem.

In the robotics field, Professor Lim Si-hyung of the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT's “Global Leading Research Center (ERC)” project, which will conduct research over seven years with a budget of 140 billion won. Led by the “Robot Functional Skin and Ultrasensory Research Center (Director Lim Si-hyung),” this project aims to apply extreme environment robot technology to industrial sites and lead global technology standards. This goes beyond the accumulation of technology and is linked to Kookmin University's long-term strategy to establish an ecosystem for commercializing university technology through a paradigm shift in industry-academic cooperation.

Professor Lee Sang-ho of the Department of Construction Systems Engineering was selected as the head of the research team for the “Digital Conversion of Seawater Desalination Plants and Development of Concentrated Water Resource Technology” project by the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, and will lead a large-scale project worth 35 billion won. The digital transformation of desalination plants, the development of low-energy seawater desalination processes, and the securing of high-efficiency recovery technologies for useful resources such as bromine, calcium, and magnesium in concentrated water are concrete examples of Kookmin University's educational and research philosophy of sustainability and practicality.

President Jeong Seung-ryul of Kookmin University said, “Based on entrepreneurship, pragmatism, and community spirit, we are making a substantial contribution to the development of national strategic industries in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This large-scale research contract is more than just an achievement; it is a turning point that will enable us to leap forward as a ‘global research hub’ with boundary-free convergence education, industry-academia cooperation, and global competitiveness.” He further noted, “Such achievements align with the university's ‘quantum leap strategy’ aimed at significantly enhancing research competitiveness and entering the global top 500 rankings as it approaches its 80th anniversary.” He concluded, “We will leverage this opportunity to create a sustainable university model where education, research, and innovation are seamlessly integrated.”