The Software Specialized Universities Council is launched

2015-11-09

At noon on November 6th, the first meeting of the Software Specialized Universities Council was held at Sogang University. President Dong Yeon Kim, Professor Ki Yeol Ryu (Department of Information and Communication Engineering) in charge of the Software Specialized University Project, and relevant officials attended the meeting from Ajou.

Members of the Council are eight universities that were selected last month as Software Specialized Universities by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning, including Ajou, Gachon University, Kyungpook National University, Korea University, Sogang University, Sungkyunkwan University, Sejong University, and Chungnam National University. The Council is the first organization among Korean universities that seeks to foster talents for the development of high-tech convergence industries, and it will work to support innovation of software education in the country.

Presidents of the eight member universities, including President Kim, Minister of Science, ICT, and Future Planning Yang Hee Choi, and related officials attended the Council meeting on that day. It began with greetings from Minister Choi, followed by presentations on the operational directions by professors responsible for the project at the member universities, and discussions among the participants. Professor Ryu said, "In March 2016, Ajou plans to combine the Department of Information and Computer Engineering and the Department of Software Convergence Technology under the College of Information Technology to launch the Department of Software, for which the maximum number of students will be 106, and the University will raise the number of professors to 36 from the current 28.
 

Minister Choi said, "I ask that member universities use this project to create a model that can attract foreign students to Korean universities, and help graduates to find various career opportunities ranging from research institutions to starting their own businesses."

Ajou's President Kim said, "I consider this project a timely one and will not spare any effort to accomplish the established plan," emphasizing the three following issues during the discussions. First, the project should help to foster creative talents by executing it with a creative mindset and methods. Second, there will be synergistic effects if universities expand relevant education to those who do not major in software, and high school students, and encourage convergence with other areas, since convergence is a key to the software industry. Third, the universities taking part in the project should pursue the accomplishment of common goals by working together and competing with domestic companies and foreign universities, etc."

Ajou is set to receive an annual average of 2 billion won over up to six years, now that it has been selected by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning as a Software Specialized University in early October.