LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo emphasized "human-centered innovation" as the vision to lead global artificial intelligence technology competition at the opening of LG AI Graduate School, the nation's first government-accredited in-house graduate school.
Chairman Koo attended the opening ceremony held at K Square in Magok, Gangseo-gu, Seoul on the 4th, where he presented the first cohort of students with top-specification new LG Gram laptops equipped with LG's hyperscale AI model "EXAONE."
"Technology should not be an end in itself but a warm tool that designs 'people's smiles,' and ultimately it must be directed toward 'people,'" he said.
"You may face intense times staying up countless nights navigating the world's technologies, papers, and unsolvable algorithms," Chairman Koo continued, "but every drop of sweat you shed day and night will solve difficult problems and bring hope and comfort to someone."
He added, "This is evidence that you are finding answers and the most honest process toward innovation. I will be a reliable supporter so that technology can meet the world."
Chairman Koo has consistently articulated his "human-centered" management philosophy, stating that "the foundation of LG's differentiated customer value lies in talent." An LG official explained, "Chairman Koo is convinced that the group's DNA, which has grown based on talent, will serve as the foundation for winning the global AI hegemony competition."
LG AI Graduate School was established in 2022 as part of LG's group-wide "digital transformation strategy for better customer value creation" launched in 2020. Following the implementation of the "Special Act on Advanced Industry Talent Innovation" in January last year, the school received the nation's first official accreditation from the Ministry of Education, elevating it to a graduate school authorized to confer master's and doctoral degrees.
The first cohort comprises 11 master's students and 6 doctoral students selected from employees through coding tests, AI modeling evaluations, and in-depth interviews. The master's program is one year while the doctoral program is three years or more, with full tuition support. Doctoral candidates must publish papers in SCI(E)-indexed journals as a graduation requirement and will receive degrees in Artificial Intelligence.
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. LG AI Graduate School plans to conduct special lectures and seminars with Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) to nurture talent that transcends academic and industrial boundaries.
With the graduate school's opening, LG has established a customized AI education system linking LG Discovery Lab, LG Aimers, and LG AI Academy to cultivate talent contributing to domestic AI competitiveness and innovation ecosystem expansion.
The ceremony was also attended by Hong-rak Lee, the inaugural dean of LG AI Graduate School, Hae-sook Lee, Director General for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning Policy at the Ministry of Education, and Dong-il Park, Director General for Industrial Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Dean Lee pledged, "We will do our best to provide top-level education so students can become AI leaders who drive future innovation by directly solving real challenges in industrial fields, beyond contributing through academic research."
Director General Park expressed expectations that the school "will grow into a key hub producing advanced AI talent who accelerate AI transformation of key industries and solve challenges in industrial fields."