UNIST and Gyeongsang National University (GNU) have entered into a strategic partnership to strengthen research collaboration and talent development in Southeast Korea’s key future industries, including aerospace, defense, and artificial intelligence (AI).
The two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on February 19 at the Gajwa Campus of GNU, with UNIST President Chong Rae Park and GNU President Jin-Hwe Kweon joined by key officials from both institutions.
The partnership aims to support balanced national development while accelerating innovation in the Southeast region by combining UNIST’s strengths in AI-driven advanced research with GNU’s established aerospace infrastructure.
Under the agreement, the universities will collaborate in several key areas, including the △ Establishment of the Aerospace and Defense Convergence Research Institute (name tentative), △ Development of AI and AI Transformation (AX) talents to support regional industries, △ Operation of joint educational programs for specialized workforce training, △ Joint planning and pursuing of national and international research projects, and △ Promotion of researcher exchanges and shared use of research infrastructure.
Both institutions plan to launch the Aerospace and Defense Convergence Research Institute within the year, with the goal of accelerating collaborative research and delivering tangible outcomes.
Following the signing ceremony, representatives from both universities visited laboratories at GNU’s College of Aerospace Engineering, including the Distributed Aerospace Systems and Control Lab, Composite Structures Lab, and Aerospace Computational Modeling Lab, where they discussed potential joint research initiatives and opportunities for deeper collaboration.
“By combining the advanced science and technology capabilities of our two universities, we expect to generate strong synergies that will help drive innovation in Southeast Korea’s strategic industries,” said UNIST President Chong Rae Park.
GNU President Jin-Hwe Kweon added, “This partnership will serve as an important step toward positioning the Southeast region—including Gyeongnam and Ulsan—as a global hub for aerospace and defense innovation.”
