Hannam University Moves to Establish an Employment-Conditional Contract Degree Program in Advanced Defense Fields

[Financial News] Hannam University and the Daejeon Defense Industry Business Cooperative have joined forces to train advanced defense specialists who will lead the defense industry in Daejeon. The two sides are pursuing the establishment of an employment-conditional undergraduate contract degree program that combines the university's advanced educational infrastructure with the practical infrastructure of local defense companies.
 Hannam University announced on the 21st that it signed a memorandum of understanding and exchanged an agreement at the university's main conference room on the 18th to promote the establishment of an undergraduate contract degree program in advanced defense fields with employment conditions. The signing was attended by Hannam University President Seung-Chul Lee and Lee Gye-gyeong, chairman of the Daejeon Defense Industry Business Cooperative.
 Under the agreement, the two sides will establish a contract degree program leading to a Bachelor of Engineering degree, using Hannam University's Department of AI Robot Convergence Engineering as the parent department. They will first pursue an employment-conditional track for 20 students, with jobs linked to students upon admission. They will also consider adding a retraining track after assessing demand, aimed at strengthening the job competencies of employees at member companies.
 The program is targeted to begin recruiting new students for the 2028 academic year. Hannam University will handle revisions to its academic regulations, administrative procedures with the Ministry of Education, curriculum design reflecting corporate demand, and the recruitment of faculty and provision of training facilities. The Daejeon Defense Industry Business Cooperative will prepare related arrangements, including securing employment commitments for at least 20 students from its member companies and establishing a system for collecting corporate contributions. The two sides also agreed to work together on field training programs and joint responses to government and local government financial support programs to develop practical talent who can be immediately deployed by small and medium-sized defense companies and startups.
 Hannam University President Seung-Chul Lee said, "The agreement with the Daejeon Defense Industry Business Cooperative will lead to the establishment of a contract degree program at the university and the full-scale recruitment of students. It will serve as an important opportunity to cultivate tailored practical talent who can lead advanced defense fields."
 Meanwhile, the planned establishment of the contract degree program is expected to create significant synergy in the local defense industry ecosystem in conjunction with Daejeon Metropolitan City's project to develop a specialized city for defense semiconductors and unmanned advanced defense industries. Although small and medium-sized defense companies and startups in Daejeon have strong technological capabilities, they have long faced chronic difficulties due to a shortage of specialists in research and development (R&D) and field operations.
[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter