Postech charges ahead with battery studies graduate school

Pohang University of Science and Technology plans to establish a graduate school specializing in battery studies.

Representatives from the Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech), Pohang City Government, the North Gyeongsang provincial government, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology and secondary battery companies in North Gyeongsang pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding to help create a battery graduate school at Postech. [POHANG CITY GOVERNMENT]

Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech) plans to establish a graduate school specializing in battery studies.

The university signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Pohang City Government, the North Gyeongsang provincial government, the Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology and a committee of battery companies in the regions on Thursday to work together to create a graduate school that will offer battery education.

Those who signed the MOU will codevelop the graduate school curriculum, which will be tailored for industrial demand.

"Companies and talented individuals are the future of Korea's battery industry," said Lee Kang-duk, mayor of Pohang. "We plan to foster students through the partnership between businesses, research institutes, universities and government organizations so that Pohang can enhance its competitiveness in the secondary battery industry."

The university will also be working with affiliated companies to develop new battery technologies.

Postech currently has a research center focusing on battery research — the Center for Advanced Battery Technologies. Its Graduate Institute of Ferrous & Eco Materials Technology offers majors in secondary batteries and ferrous metals, but not one that exclusively focuses on batteries.

The university will also work with the partners so that the new graduate school can be chosen for the government's funding project.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to offer funding to universities that have a graduate school that offers battery, display, semiconductor and bio-related education, or will create one that does so.

Eight universities will be selected this year, each annually receiving up to 3 billion won ($2.26 million) for five years.

Universities will be able to use the funding to buy new research equipment, enhance its curriculum and arrange industry-academia partnerships.

KAIST, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology and Sungkyunkwan University's semiconductor graduate schools were selected for the project last year.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]