LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo emphasized that "technology should not be an end in itself but a warm tool for designing 'people's smiles,' and must ultimately be directed toward 'people.'"
On the 4th, Chairman Koo sent a congratulatory letter along with the latest high-spec LG Gram laptop equipped with LG's hyperscale AI model "EXAONE" to first-cohort students attending the inauguration ceremony of "LG AI Graduate School" — the nation's first in-house graduate school accredited by the Ministry of Education.
"You may face grueling times, spending countless nights navigating global technologies, academic papers, and unsolved algorithms," he wrote, adding encouragement: "Every drop of sweat you shed day and night will solve difficult problems and bring hope and comfort to someone."
He continued, "This is evidence that you are finding answers and the most honest path toward innovation. I will be a steadfast supporter to help technology meet the world."
LG AI Graduate School selected 11 master's and 6 doctoral students from among company employees through a rigorous process including coding tests, AI modeling assessments, and in-depth interviews. The students come from LG Electronics (8), LG Energy Solution (3), LG Innotek (2), LG Display (2), and LG Chem (2). The master's program runs for one year and the doctoral program for at least three years, with full tuition support. Doctoral candidates must publish papers in SCI(E)-level journals as a graduation requirement and will receive degrees in artificial intelligence studies.
The faculty comprises 24 adjunct professors who have conducted industry-specialized research at LG AI Research Institute laboratories, plus one full-time professor. The curriculum covers the entire cycle from hyperscale AI foundation model development to industrial applications, with hands-on research across domains including language, vision, data intelligence, materials, and bio-intelligence.
The campus on the 8th floor of Magok K Square was designed as a practice-oriented convergence learning space where lectures, research, and seminars can be conducted in one location. LG plans to support the graduate school in establishing itself as a practical education model that creates "tangible change" based on industrial field data and research infrastructure. The company will collaborate with Seoul National University, KAIST, DGIST, UNIST, and other science and technology institutes to conduct special lectures and seminars, breaking down barriers between industry and academia while nurturing talent to lead substantive technological innovation.
The inauguration ceremony held at Magok K Square was attended by Lee Hong-rak, the inaugural dean of LG AI Graduate School (co-director of LG AI Research Institute), Lee Hae-sook, Director General of Higher and Lifelong Education Policy at the Ministry of Education, and Park Dong-il, Director General of Industrial Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Dean Lee stated, "The launch of LG AI Graduate School, where a corporation directly operates degree programs, is a meaningful first step opening a new paradigm for AI talent development in Korea. We will do our utmost to provide the highest level of education so that students can become AI leaders who drive future innovation by directly solving real challenges in industrial settings, beyond contributing through academic research."
Director General Lee Hae-sook said, "LG AI Graduate School is a new challenge demonstrating that industrial field problem-solving capabilities and systematic graduate-level education and research functions can be organically combined. It will become an important milestone for future higher education models and grow into a core hub leading qualitative advancement across the national artificial intelligence ecosystem."
Director General Park Dong-il of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy added, "LG AI Graduate School will grow into a core hub that accelerates the AI transformation of key industries and produces advanced AI talent who solve industrial challenges. I hope the talent nurtured here will grow into leaders driving the future of Korean industry."
Meanwhile, LG has established a customized AI education system through the LG AI Research Institute founded in 2020, followed by "LG Discovery Lab," "LG Aimers," "LG AI Academy," and now this graduate school. Through these initiatives, the company plans to nurture talent to contribute to domestic AI competitiveness and the expansion of the innovation ecosystem.