■ Kookmin University’s 80th Anniversary
Establishment of a Quantum Commercialization Platform Campus
International Exchange in the Field of Design, Including Design Competitions

△ 80th Anniversary Concert
At the “80th Anniversary Open Concert” held last month at Kookmin University’s main stadium in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, an audience of approximately 5,500 people—including students and faculty—enjoyed the performance. Photo courtesy of Kookmin University

To mark its 80th anniversary, Kookmin University is embarking on educational and research innovations centered on cutting-edge industries such as quantum technology and artificial intelligence (AI). The university’s vision is to prepare for the next 100 years by building an educational system that responds to future industries while preserving its history and identity.
 
According to Kookmin University on the 26th, the university is carrying out 10 major commemorative projects this year to mark its 80th anniversary, including the declaration of a “Quantum Campus,” the formulation of a mid- to long-term development plan, the hosting of an international design award, and the expansion of educational infrastructure. The focus is on strengthening the university’s future competitiveness, going beyond mere commemorative events.
 
The core initiative is the “Quantum Campus,” which the university announced last July—the first of its kind among Korean universities. Quantum technology is a next-generation technology that utilizes the physical properties of the microscopic world, such as atoms and electrons, and can be applied to various fields including computing, communications, and security. Kookmin University plans to build a “platform campus” where education, research, and commercialization are integrated by applying quantum technology to its existing areas of strength: information security, AI, next-generation communications, and future automobiles. To this end, the university will establish the College of Quantum Convergence in March 2027 and develop the necessary educational infrastructure and a convergent education system. Last year’s launch ceremony was attended by domestic and international companies in the quantum field, including IBM and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
 
The university has also formulated a mid- to long-term development plan. In October of last year, Kookmin University announced “KMU VISION 2035: EDGE” and identified entrepreneurship, digital transformation, global competence, and sustainable management as its four core values. The university plans to focus on fostering eight key fields: design and content, mobility, quantum technology, AI convergence (AI+X), robotics, advanced materials and semiconductors, water, energy, and the environment, and biotechnology.
 
In the field of design, where the university has traditionally shown strength, it is expanding international exchanges. In April of this year, Kookmin University, in collaboration with the world-renowned industrial design association ADI, hosted the inaugural awards ceremony for the “DBEW Awards,” an international design competition, in Milan, Italy. Approximately 800 entries were submitted from 44 countries worldwide. A distinctive feature of the competition is its joint award system, which evaluates not only the students’ work but also the role of their educators. 

△ New Academic Gowns for the 80th Anniversary
Current students modeling the new academic gowns produced by Kookmin University to commemorate its 80th anniversary. Courtesy of Kookmin University

To commemorate the university’s 80th anniversary, the university also launched a project to document its history and identity. It created official academic regalia inspired by traditional Joseon-era attire. The university is also working on the “Online Compilation of Kookmin University’s 80-Year History,” which aims to preserve the university’s history in digital format.
 
Efforts to expand campus facilities and foster engagement with the local community are also continuing. The university has established “Heo Yong-su Hall” for use in international conferences and academic events, and is moving forward with the construction of a new building in the courtyard in front of Bukak Hall and another in front of the main gate. Approximately 5,500 people—including current students, faculty and staff, alumni, and local residents—attended the “80th Anniversary Open Concert” held last September. The university is also pursuing a project to build and launch a secondary payload satellite aimed at developing AI-based satellites.
 
Kookmin University President Jeong Seung Ryul stated, “We will not stop at preserving the past 80 years; rather, we will identify Kookmin University’s unique competitive advantages within that history and carry them forward into the next 100 years of education, research, culture, and campus development.”