Chonnam National University (CNU) has been officially selected for the Ministry of Education’s “Glocal Lab” project. With this selection, the university will receive 1.5 billion won in state funding annually over the next nine years. This support will drive the university’s development into a principal research hub in the fields of defense and AI convergence, centered around the Intelligent Defense Unmanned System Research Institute (IDUSRI). The Glocal Lab is a large-scale national initiative designed to help regional universities enhance their global competitiveness by integrating their research capabilities into both regional and national strategic industries. This project also aims to develop research ecosystems rooted in fundamental studies that serve regional and national priorities. The university has received high praise for its research strategy that addresses key needs at both the regional and national levels. Its focus areas include unmanned defense systems, AI semiconductors, and next-generation intelligent systems. “Our selection for the Glocal Lab project is a stepping stone for CNU to grow into a global research hub,” said IDUSRI’s Director Lee Myoung-jin (Professor, School of Electronics and Computer Engineering). “Over the next 10 years, we aim to become a leading national research institute, in line with the ‘Making 10 Seoul National Universities’ policy.” With this achievement, CNU has solidified its position as a research-focused institution, and it is expected to accelerate industry-academia collaboration both domestically and internationally.

By Kim Jong-hyo, Editor