KB News Desk
Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are discussing plans with Seoul National University to launch company-sponsored semiconductor programs at regional universities, as the government pushes for a semiconductor megaproject in South Korea’s southwest, local media reported Thursday.
The plan centers on SNU receiving investment from the two chipmakers and helping regional universities establish company-sponsored degree programs — known in Korea as contract departments — that will use SNU’s semiconductor curriculum and research infrastructure, according to a report by local daily Chosun Ilbo.
The investment being discussed is around 100 billion won ($65 million) from each company over five years, the report said.
Contract departments are company-sponsored degree programs designed to train students for specific industry needs, with participating firms hiring graduates after completion.
The discussions are also said to include joint research using semiconductor research centers operated by SNU and regional national universities, along with practical training at SNU’s clean room facilities.
Chonnam National University and other flagship national universities in the southwestern region, as well as the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, are considered possible participants.
The talks reportedly began after SK hynix approached SNU in the first half of this year about a potential partnership. Samsung Electronics later joined the discussions.
The companies initially proposed a broader industry-academia partnership covering both artificial intelligence and semiconductors, but SNU steered the plan toward a more focused semiconductor training model, according to the report.
The proposal reflects overlapping interests between the chipmakers and SNU. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are seeking a stable pipeline of semiconductor workers willing to build careers outside the Seoul metropolitan area, while SNU has been looking for ways to expand its role in regional development.
The government has presented GIST’s AI and semiconductor education programs as well as a southern regional engineering alliance as part of its broader megaproject plans. But questions remain over whether those measures alone can produce enough skilled workers to support a large production base.
If realized, the partnership would provide the government’s semiconductor plan for the southwestern region with a stronger talent pipeline by linking SNU’s research and training capacity to universities outside the capital region.
