Jeonbuk National University President Yang O-bong, right, poses with SK AX President Kim Wan-jong after signing a memorandum of understanding to forge a strategic partnership between the two organizations at the university’s campus in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Monday. Courtesy of Jeonbuk National UniversityJeonbuk National University has forged a strategic partnership with SK AX, an artificial intelligence (AI)-focused technology firm, to strengthen its position as a leading AI hub university and cultivate industry-ready AI professionals.The university said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the company Monday to build an AI industry ecosystem and collaborate on the AI hub university initiative.The agreement was signed by Yang O-bong, president of the university, and Kim Wan-jong, president of SK AX, an affiliate of SK Group, at the university’s campus in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.Under the MOU, the two sides will set up a cooperative framework to drive innovation in AI education and promote industry-academia collaboration.“AI capacity is a critical driver of a nation’s future competitiveness,” Yang said. “Building on this partnership, we will strengthen cooperation with SK AX to nurture industry-ready AI professionals and establish a new benchmark for innovation in education and industry-academia collaboration as a leading AI hub university.”The university noted that the MOU is designed to create an innovative education model that fosters close collaboration with industry in an era when AI is driving innovation across industries.The partnership is also aimed at nurturing AI talent equipped with practical skills needed to contribute immediately in the workplace.A university official said the agreement is meaningful in that it has laid the foundation for the successful implementation of the AI hub university project and the establishment of an AI industrial ecosystem.The two organizations have agreed to jointly develop an innovative education system that reflects the evolving needs of the AI industry and operate practice-oriented training programs.They will also co-design and deliver AI boot camps and AI literacy courses, while promoting a range of industry-academia collaboration initiatives to cultivate professionals specializing in AI and AI transformation technologies.In addition, the two sides plan to expand long-term initiatives, including recruitment-linked programs for outstanding students, internships, technology seminars and networking events.Through these efforts, they aim to provide students with industry-oriented learning opportunities while establishing a sustainable collaboration framework that connects companies with highly qualified AI specialists.The partnership is expected to serve as a model for universities and industry to co-develop future-ready education programs in line with the government’s AI talent development initiatives and digital transformation strategy.Building on its strengths in AI education and research, the university plans to expand ties with industry to reinforce its role as a regional hub for AI innovation and contribute to enhancing AI competitiveness both regionally and nationally.The university plans to further strengthen its practice-oriented AI talent development system by combining its AI College’s education innovation initiatives and physical AI research capabilities with SK AX’s industry expertise.