University Signs MOU with LG Electronics to Operate the 'LG Track' in the Graduate Department of Artificial Intelligence

- Cultivating outstanding AI talent for future growth industries including artificial intelligence, big data, robotics and automobiles

- First-round recruitment 6–13 October this year; successful applicants receive full scholarships and guaranteed employment at LG upon graduation

▲ (From left) Jeon Seong-hoon, Dean of the Graduate School; Kim Soon-ki, Vice President for External Affairs; Song Tae-kyong, Vice President for Academic Affairs; President Shim Jong-hyuk; Noh Do-yeop, Executive Director of HR at LG Electronics; Choi Jun-hee, Head of Talent Acquisition at LG Electronics; Chung Ok-hyun, Head of External Relations; Choi Jung-woo, Dean of the School of Engineering

On Friday 24 September, the University and LG Electronics signed a mutual cooperation MOU to operate the 'LG Track' in the graduate Department of Artificial Intelligence. The ceremony was attended by senior figures from both organizations, including President Shim Jong-hyuk, Vice President for Academic Affairs Song Tae-kyong, Vice President for External Affairs Kim Soon-ki, LG Electronics Executive Director of HR Noh Do-yeop, and Head of Talent Acquisition Choi Jun-hee.

Under the agreement, the two organizations will establish an 'LG Track' in the Department of Artificial Intelligence within Sogang University's graduate school from March 2022 and cooperate in cultivating AI talent for future growth industries including ▲artificial intelligence, ▲big data, ▲robotics and ▲automobiles.

Through the 'LG Track', the University will admit 18 new master's students each year. Successful applicants receive an industry–academia scholarship of some 18 million won a year in addition to teaching assistant (TA) and research assistant (RA) stipends, and are guaranteed employment at LG Electronics upon graduation. LG Electronics will also design the AI curriculum jointly with the University and provide operating funds for the specialization along with vacation internship programmes for students. The 'LG Track' curriculum will be extended to cover autonomous driving, mobile robotics, bio/healthcare, Connected AI (communications), smart home appliances and secondary-battery BMS, and expanded into a practice-centred industry-linked programme capable of meeting the needs of LG affiliates.

President Shim Jong-hyuk expressed his gratitude for LG Electronics' cooperation, saying: "This agreement will be an important occasion for a university and a company to cooperate in cultivating the talent that will lead the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry, and we expect it to produce the finest AI specialists who will prepare and lead future technology in domains such as the smart home, automobiles and public spaces." He added: "We will spare no institutional support so that LG Electronics can secure and select the outstanding personnel it needs, and we will continue to work to develop an ever closer relationship between the two organizations."

Noh Do-yeop, Executive Director of HR, said: "Many Sogang University alumni are working together at LG Electronics for the company's growth, and as a result LG Electronics now makes world-leading products and is preparing the next stage." He added: "Taking the newly established 'LG Track' under this agreement as a starting point, we hope to continue working with Sogang University's outstanding students, and we look forward to network exchange between our two organizations making research all the more active."

In line with 'Sogang Vision 2030', the University will meanwhile establish a graduate Department of Artificial Intelligence from March 2022 and operate the 'Smilegate (Digital Human & Entertainment) Track' and the 'LG Track' in order to strengthen AI education and research capability at the heart of future industry. Both tracks will select industry–academia scholarship students from October, and detailed recruitment schedules will be posted on the Graduate School website.

Source: Sogang News http://www.sogang.ac.kr/story/p_news.html