[Herald Economy=Koo Bonhyeok] The University of Science and Technology (UST), a national research institute university, is planning to implement the ‘AI Education Completion Certification System’ for new students starting in 2027.
The UST’s ‘AI Education Completion Certification System’ is a program designed to enhance the research capacity of students in non-AI majors by having them complete AI-related courses.
UST President Kang Dae-im aims to cultivate all students into convergence research talents with AI capabilities and value-creation potential. Accordingly, in July, the AI Education Completion Certification System was revamped to introduce a new dual certification structure of excellent certification and general certification, allowing students who achieve excellent certification to be selected as national strategic field scholarship recipients.
In the AI education completion certification review for the first semester of 2025, eight students received the certification, the highest number for a single semester. This marks a significant increase compared to 12 certifications granted over five semesters since the system’s introduction in 2022. Among the certified students, five received the excellent certification for producing outstanding research results where AI technology was integrally applied.
Doctoral student Mansurbek Urululi Abdullayev from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology School, specializing in chemical materials and processes, developed a model that predicts reaction conditions for converting syngas into olefins using AI. He published a related paper as the first author in the international journal Chinese Journal of Catalysis. This research is a pioneering example of incorporating AI design in the chemistry field, demonstrating the potential for intelligent material design.
Seonhoon Kim, a combined master’s and doctoral student in aerospace systems engineering at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute School, utilized AI deep learning for image generation to transform radar technology (SAR) images that capture the earth’s surface into ultra-high-resolution optical images. This achievement was published as a first author in IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters and presented at the 2024 International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2024). He also demonstrated the potential use of AI in various space fields, such as satellite cluster mission planning and satellite image analysis.
Additionally, other students who published high-level AI utilization research in international journals, including smart factory applications, enhanced railroad fire detection performance, and satellite image detection capability improvements, obtained the excellent certification.
The AI education completion certification assessment is carried out by the AI Education Completion Certification Review Committee, led by the AI major’s lead faculty at UST, evaluating achievements like published papers in academic journals and conference presentations.
UST plans to mandate the AI education completion certification system for all students starting in 2027. The goal is to nurture 50 ‘sovereign AI experts’ annually, who will secure AI sovereignty and lead South Korea into becoming one of the top three AI countries globally (AI G3), and 50 ‘AI convergence experts’ who strategically utilize AI in individual research fields, with all other students trained as ‘AI-utilizing researchers’ to enhance research effectiveness and efficiency.
UST is establishing a systematic educational foundation to foster AI talent by revamping orientation for new students (STAR-TREK+), introducing AI convergence courses within majors, developing mandatory common AI courses, and establishing a new UST AI-MOOC.
President Kang Dae-im stated, “AI is a foundational and core convergent technology for all disciplines, research, and industries,” and emphasized, “We will continue to produce top-tier AI R&D talent by improving academic systems and fostering an organic connection with research and education, allowing all students nurtured at the national research institute university to fully utilize AI in their respective research fields.”