Naver Connect Foundation Chairman Gong Gi-jung, left, poses with Seoul National University President Ryu Hong-lim during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony at the university's campus, Tuesday. Courtesy of Naver
Naver Connect Foundation and Seoul National University (SNU) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding to expand artificial intelligence (AI) education and talent development in Korea.
Under the agreement, the two institutions will jointly develop and operate AI education programs and support university students across the country in accessing quality training.
They also plan to pursue joint research and explore new education models on an ongoing basis.
The partnership will launch with the AI Agent Challenge, a hands-on program for 200 students from 10 regional national universities conducted in cooperation with SNU's University Alliance Regional Talent Development Center.
Participants will design and build AI agents to address problems encountered in daily life. Developers and planners from the Naver group of companies will serve as mentors, providing group feedback and lectures to help students build practical skills.
Naver Connect Foundation said it has worked to bring practical AI education to university settings. A course on AI-assisted frontend development, co-developed with SNU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been in operation since 2025. The foundation has also run an AI application and local problem solving course with Pusan National University.
"To develop the talent needed in the AI era, academia and industry must collaborate actively," SNU President Ryu Hong-lim said.
"Contributing to balanced regional development is one of Seoul National University's important responsibilities, and we will work with Naver Connect Foundation to develop more regional talent."
"We are expanding educational opportunities nationwide so anyone can build AI capabilities," Naver Connect Foundation Chairman Gong Gi-jung said.
Source: Korea Times News
