Jeong Su-yeon, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Spatial and Cultural Design at the Graduate School of Techno-Design, Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul; advisor: Professor Kim Ji Eun), has been selected for the 2026 Research Incentive Grant Program for Ph.D. Students in the Humanities and Social Sciences, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea. The selection results were announced on June 24.

The research project is titled “Development of a Spatial AI Analysis Model for Public Elementary School Classrooms Based on Biophilic Experience Factors: Focusing on the Use of Digital Twin Technology” and will be conducted over a two-year period from September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2028.

The Doctoral Student Research Incentive Grant Program is a flagship research support initiative organized by the Ministry of Education and operated by the National Research Foundation of Korea. It is designed to help doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences (including arts and physical education) deepen their research capabilities and grow into key researchers who will lead the nation’s future research efforts.

Jeong Su-yeon’s research aims to quantitatively analyze the impact of biophilic (natural) elements—such as natural lighting, views, and plants—on children’s spatial experiences in public elementary school classrooms, and to derive classroom design conditions that enhance these natural experiences based on these findings. To achieve this, she will apply a three-year research methodology involving the phased execution of spatial data collection, digital twin-based quantitative analysis, and the development of AI-based predictive models.

The research will proceed in four main phases. First, spatial datasets will be constructed by collecting floor plans and interior images of public elementary school classrooms in Korea, and spatial structural variables—such as window area, furniture layout, and indoor plants—will be extracted through AI-based image analysis. Next, the classrooms will be modeled as digital twins to perform field-of-view analysis reflecting children’s eye level, thereby quantifying the extent to which natural elements are actually perceived. Next, a machine learning-based predictive model will be used to analyze how spatial structures—such as window locations and furniture arrangements—influence the level of nature experience. Finally, based on these results, the study will derive classroom design guidelines to enhance nature experiences. The research will be conducted in approximately 15 classrooms across five public elementary schools in Seoul.

This study holds significant academic importance as it proposes a new research method capable of quantitatively analyzing biophilic experiences in classrooms and expands upon existing, qualitative-focused research on educational spaces by utilizing spatial AI and digital twin technologies. Furthermore, the research results are expected to serve as foundational and applied data for future classroom design and remodeling in public elementary schools, as well as for the formulation of policies to improve educational facility environments.

During her master’s and doctoral studies, student Jung Su-yeon participated as a research assistant in eight government-funded research projects—including those sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT—and was involved in the entire process, from research planning to data analysis and deriving results. Furthermore, she was selected for this project in recognition of her data-driven spatial analysis capabilities, having accumulated a track record of research achievements that includes three SCIE papers, ten KCI papers, five academic presentations at domestic and international conferences, nine competition awards, and one patent application.

Professor Kim Ji Eun of the Department of Spatial Design, Jung Soo-yeon’s advisor, stated, “This research holds great academic significance as it quantitatively analyzes nature experiences in educational spaces by converging spatial design with AI and digital twin technologies.” She added, “Jung Soo-yeon is a researcher who has steadily built her data-driven spatial analysis capabilities through participation in government research projects and outstanding research achievements, and we expect this study to present a new direction for the design of educational spaces and policy formulation.”

Student Jeong Su-yeon shared her thoughts, saying, “Through this research, I aim to objectively analyze the natural environments that children actually experience using data-driven methods and propose a classroom space design model that supports healthy growth and learning.” She added, “I will continue to conduct interdisciplinary research combining spatial AI and digital twin technologies to contribute to the improvement of educational environments.”