Naver Connect Foundation and Seoul National University (SNU) are partnering to cultivate domestic artificial intelligence (AI) talent.
Naver Connect Foundation said Friday it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SNU on Tuesday at the university to nurture AI talent and expand educational opportunities. The partnership aims to expand the AI education ecosystem for future generations by combining the foundation's expertise in AI and software education with SNU's nationwide network of regional talent.
Under the agreement, the foundation and SNU will jointly develop and operate education programs suited to the AI era, supporting university students in various regions to receive quality education. The two institutions will also continue collaboration through joint research and academic activities to discover new education models.
The two organizations plan to expand cooperation starting with the "AI Agent Challenge," a program targeting 200 students from 10 flagship national universities across the country. Operated jointly with SNU's University Solidarity Regional Talent Development Project, the program offers hands-on training in which students design and build AI agents to solve real-life problems. Developers and planners from Team Naver will participate as mentors, providing group feedback and special lectures.
"To cultivate the talent needed in the AI era, academia and industry must actively cooperate," SNU President Yoo Hong-lim said. "Contributing to balanced regional development is one of SNU's important responsibilities, and we will work with Naver Connect Foundation to nurture more regional talent going forward."
"Connect Foundation is expanding educational opportunities nationwide so that anyone can develop AI capabilities, including by connecting academia and industry," said Kong Ki-joong, chairman of Naver Connect Foundation. "Through our partnership with SNU, we will support outstanding university students in each region to leap forward as talent leading the AI era."
