Korean gov't aims to nurture 1 mn digital talents over next 5 years

[Photo by Yonhap]

South Korea will double curriculums for information and computer science at grade schools, while introducing an integrated degree course at universities to allow undergraduate school students to win a Ph.D. in digital technology in less than six years to lead the fourth industrial revolution, according to a government’s plan announced on Monday.

The plan jointly prepared by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor aims to nurture trained manpower in the field of key digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, metaverse, and Internet of Things with a goal of producing 1 million qualified personnel with skills to develop and deploy digital technologies – 160,000 at a beginner level, 710,000 at an intermediate level and 130,000 at an advanced level over the next five years.

The plan also aims to increase the number of class hours for information and computer science to 34 hours at elementary schools and to 68 hours at middle schools from the school year of 2025.

The government will allow universities to increase the number of students in high-tech field departments when they meet a condition in the number of necessary teaching staff. The number of graduate schools in the fields of AI, metaverse, and cybersecurity will also be added. About 100 universities and colleges will be designated as software-intensive institutions by 2027 to facilitate the number of high-tech field majors. The government will also push forward regulatory reform to use incumber and retired experts in the private sector as university professors.

“In order for Korea to lead the 4th industrial revolution, it needs talented people with the ability to develop and utilize new digital technologies. The education system must also be innovated to enable creative, problem-solving education,” President Yoon Suk-yeol was quoted as saying during a cabinet meeting on Monday. “All generations should be provided with a systematic education program that can enhance their digital literacy, and related ministries should cooperate for this,” Yoon said.

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