Secures KRW 3 billion in government funding

Leads medical talent development for regional healthcare and bio-health industries through educational innovation

Also selected for the “Undergraduate Convergence Physician-Scientist Program,” establishing a full-cycle training system

[October 17, 2025]

Yeungnam University (YU, President CHOI Oe-chool) announced on the 16th that its College of Medicine has been awarded the highest S Grade in the Ministry of Education’s Medical School Education Innovation Support Project, securing KRW 3 billion in funding. The evaluation covered 39 medical schools and one graduate school of medicine nationwide, with only about six institutions earning the S Grade, highlighting YU’s national excellence in medical education innovation.

 The Medical School Education Innovation Support Project evaluates universities that collaborate with local governments to develop and submit innovation plans tailored to regional conditions and educational needs. The Ministry of Education and the RISE Committee comprehensively assess universities based on criteria such as medical education innovation, regional governance establishment, normalization of medical education, and performance management systems, and assign grades accordingly.

 YU’s College of Medicine (Dean: WON Kyu-jang) presented key strategies in this project, including: ▶AI-based digital medical education innovation, ▶Enhanced personalized career and learning support for students, ▶Establishment of regionally connected governance, ▶Creation of a talent development system that extends from admission to graduation, and ▶Formation of a global-local (glocal) learning ecosystem for cultivating global medical talent. Through these initiatives, YU aims to build a future-oriented model of medical education innovation and create a sustainable, regionally grounded medical education environment.

 In particular, YU’s College of Medicine has extensive experience in national research initiatives such as the Convergence Physician-Scientist Training Project, Regional Hub Innovative Physician-Scientist Joint Research Program, the Medical Research Center (MRC) Project supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, and the Regional Leading Research Center (RLRC) initiative. Leveraging this experience, the college was recently selected for the 2025 Undergraduate Convergence Physician-Scientist Program, making it the only institution in Korea with a comprehensive, full-cycle training system that spans undergraduate, graduate, and clinical education.With these achievements, YU’s College of Medicine now concurrently operates both the Medical School Education Innovation Support Project and the Undergraduate Convergence Physician-Scientist Program, reaffirming the excellence of YU’s medical education and its affiliated hospital. YU is expected to become a central institution for fostering physician-scientists and key convergent professionals in the national bio-health industry.

President CHOI Oe-chool stated, “This selection represents a meaningful recognition of our university’s strong commitment to educational innovation and marks a pivotal moment for the future of medical education. The evaluation results will serve as a foundation for a higher leap forward for YU’s College of Medicine and Medical Center. I extend my sincere gratitude to all faculty members and staff for their dedication. In the future, YU’s RISE Business Group and the Medical Education Innovation Project Team will work closely with the Ministry of Education, the Korean Association of Medical Colleges, local governments, and regional healthcare institutions to strengthen cooperation and contribute to regional healthcare advancement and the cultivation of outstanding medical professionals.”