Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) held the graduation ceremony for the 5th cohort of the “Future Automotive Expert Training Program,” jointly operated with GM Technical Center Korea (hereinafter GMTCK), on Tuesday, September 15, at the Main Administration Building.
 
Aimed at strengthening the core competencies of GMTCK employees in future mobility, this program has been jointly conducted since June 2024 by Kookmin University’s College of Automotive Mobility and the Future Mobility Task Force under the Center for Innovation and Convergence (COSS). The program ran for nine weeks from June 22 to August 28, 2026, and was attended by 20 GMTCK employees who had undergone preliminary training and a selection process at GMTCK.
 
The graduation ceremony was attended by Kookmin University President Jeong Seung Ryul, GMTCK President Brian McMurray, Dean Shin SungHwan of the College of Automotive Mobility, faculty and staff, graduate student teaching assistants, and GMTCK executives and employees. The event proceeded with a congratulatory address by the university president, a congratulatory address by the GMTCK president, remarks by a graduate representative, the presentation of certificates of completion and excellence awards, and a commemorative photo session. At the event, certificates of completion were awarded to all 20 graduates, and five outstanding graduates received Excellence Awards and plaques.
 
In his congratulatory address, President Jeong Seung Ryul stated, “Stepping away from your familiar work environments to relearn new academic concepts and technologies over the course of nine weeks was by no means an easy challenge. I hope that your future competitiveness will be determined by how creatively you apply AI and mobility to generate new ideas and innovations in your respective workplaces.” He also expressed his deep gratitude to GMTCK President Brian McMurray and the company’s employees for their active support of this program, which is designed to foster the continuous growth and capacity building of working professionals. He went on to note that, including the 20 graduates of this fifth cohort, a total of 105 graduates have been produced to date, and expressed his hope that the ongoing close collaboration between Kookmin University and GMTCK will serve as a strong foundation for leading the future of the mobility sector.
 
Brian McMurray, President of GMTCK, said in his congratulatory remarks “Recently, global automakers have been actively adopting AI not only for vehicle development but also for innovating overall business processes—including design, analysis, and validation—as they seek ways to enhance corporate competitiveness,” he said. “To effectively respond to the shift toward software-defined vehicles and the rapid proliferation of electrification and autonomous driving technologies, it is essential to establish vehicle development processes based on AI and software, and to continuously strengthen the capabilities of our employees so they can apply these processes to their actual work,” he emphasized. He continued, “In this regard, the Future Automotive Expert Training Program, which is being successfully operated, clearly presents to employees the direction of technology and innovation that the company is pursuing. At the same time, by continuously cultivating outstanding talent capable of responding to changes in the future automotive industry, it has established itself as a practical talent development program that contributes to strengthening the company’s competitiveness,” and expressed his gratitude to officials from Kookmin University.
 
Additionally, during the event, a presentation ceremony was held in which GMTCK presented a set of tools worth 1 million won to Kookmin University’s student-built car club, KOOKMIN RACING (KORA), to celebrate its achievement of winning the Formula category of the “2026 College Student Self-Built Car Competition”—co-hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers of Korea and the Korea Automotive Research Institute—for the 10th consecutive year.
 
Celebrating its 80th anniversary, Kookmin University—home to Korea’s only dedicated College of Automotive Engineering—is leading the way in cultivating talent for the future of automotive mobility. As the lead institution of the Future Automotive Consortium under the Innovation Convergence University for Advanced Fields, the university is focused on setting new standards for future automotive education and sharing and disseminating its achievements.