반도체 계약학과 추진…인재 선순환 기대 / KBS 2026.07.08.

[Anchor] Along with the establishment of semiconductor industrial complexes, interest is also growing in measures to foster talent. Plans are being pursued to establish semiconductor contract departments at regional hub universities. Attention is focused on whether this can serve as a turning point to attract top talent through high-quality jobs, going beyond simply resolving the outflow of youth. Reporter Baek Mi-seon reports. [Report] The Department of Semiconductor Engineering at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) guarantees employment in Samsung Electronics' semiconductor process field upon graduation in a five-year integrated bachelor's and master's program. As the region's only semiconductor employment contract department, set to produce its first graduates in January 2029, the majority of the current students are from other regions. [Maeng Seong-hyeon / 2nd Year, Department of Semiconductor Engineering, GIST: "Since it is a contract department, the department provides a lot of support, so I think it allows me to focus on my studies with more ease compared to other departments."] [Lee Sang-jun / 2nd Year, Department of Semiconductor Engineering, GIST: "I applied because I thought I could gain a lot of knowledge and create many opportunities, as many next-generation semiconductors are created through convergence with AI."] There are a total of 15 universities nationwide that have attracted semiconductor contract departments. Excluding science and technology institutes in Daejeon, Gwangju, and Ulsan, only POSTECH and five universities in Seoul offer contract departments that guarantee employment at major corporations. The Ministry of Education is pushing forward with a plan to establish semiconductor contract departments centered around regional flagship national universities. The core of the plan involves investment from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and Seoul National University transferring its curriculum to regional flagship national universities. It is expected that Chonnam National University, a regional flagship national university, and the existing Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology will be the main targets, but the specific timing, scale, and target universities have not yet been determined. [Gong Deuk-jo / Professor, Department of Semiconductor Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology: "If excellent talents nurtured in the Honam region used to go to universities or companies in the Seoul metropolitan area, I think we can now create an ecosystem where talents raised in the Honam region settle within the region and help grow the area together."] Expectations are rising that the expansion of contract departments at local universities, coupled with the attraction of semiconductor industrial complexes, will lead to a virtuous cycle of talent cultivation and settlement. This is Baek Mi-seon for KBS News. Cameraman: Ahn Jae-hoon Copyright ⓒ KBS. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use (including AI learning) are prohibited.