Dankook University has been selected as a host institution for the Ministry of Education’s ‘Innovation Sharing University for New Digital Technology Talent Training’ (hereinafter Innovation Sharing University) program. Along with Daejeon University, Dongeui University, Sangmyung University, Woosong University, Wonkwang Health Science University, and Hongik University, DKU will build a digital-based biohealth innovation sharing consortium, which will develop and deliver a converged curriculum to nurture key talent in the field of biohealth sciences - an emerging technology sector in the fourth industrial revolution era.
As part of the program, Dankook will build and host a sharing platform to foster tomorrow’s biohealth talent, receiving over KRW 10 billion in government subsidies each year until 2026. Ninety faculty members and 101 departments from the 7 universities in the consortium will participate in the program. The aim of the program is to guide innovation in curriculums, open doors to new learning environments and education opportunities, leverage industry, academic, and research cooperation and align this with the local community to nurture talent tailored to the future bio-healthcare sector. Through curriculums combining future medicine, digital engineering, Big Data, and artificial intelligence, the program will shape so-called ‘S-type talent’ who embody the traits to communicate effectively (SUPER), be digitally competent (SMART), empathize with others (SOFT), self-examine (STRATEGIC), and exercise creative problem solving (STAR).
To this end, curriculums converging the fields of engineering, healthcare, humanities, and social sciences will be developed to create three education programs: Design Healthcare, Device Healthcare, and Data Healthcare. For a flexible learning schedule, students can customize semesters and design their own academic calendars to choose when they wish to start courses. Additionally, YouTube videos, TED Talks, a youth startup academy, a teaching and learning feedback program, and refresher training will be developed and offered to students, frontline workers in the field, and the general public, regardless of their major.
Dankook strove to be selected for the Innovation Sharing University program, signing an MOU with the six participating universities last April and also conducting a demand survey. Surveys and field studies were conducted with current students and faculty members of each university as well as relevant members of the corporate world to design the curriculum. Also, a close cooperative system was formed by building an inter-university council for the program. In particular, a working-level team was set up at DKU led by Dean Jangmook Kim of the College of Health and Welfare and professor Jong-tae Park (College of Dentistry) to focus efforts in preparing the program’s overall plan and report.
“Not only will this program contribute to nurturing talent for the field of biohealth, one of the key industries of the future, but it will also serve as a catalyst in promoting the industry by addressing issues in the community and resolving healthcare disparities through cooperation between universities and local communities,” said Dankook University President Soo-bok Kim.