Korea Energy Institute of Science and Technology (KENTECH), established as a cradle for cultivating global energy talent, has produced its first regular undergraduate graduates since its founding. With the majority of graduates choosing to pursue advanced studies at the university's graduate school based on research experience accumulated during their undergraduate years, expectations are high for continued momentum in energy technology development and research output.
KENTECH announced that it held its 2026 degree conferment ceremony at the main auditorium on the 27th, awarding degrees to 1 doctoral, 10 master's, and 30 first-class regular undergraduate graduates.
The ceremony was attended by graduates and parents, along with National Assembly Member Shin Jung-hoon, Second Vice Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Lee Ho-hyun, Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning Ha Jung-woo, South Jeolla Province Governor Kim Young-rok, Naju Mayor Yoon Byung-tae, Board Chairman Kim Dong-chul, Founding President Yoon Eui-jun, and Acting President Park Jin-ho, all offering congratulations to the graduates.
Presidential Secretary Ha Jung-woo stated, "Today is a historic day when energy leaders who will shoulder Korea's energy future are born." He added, "The first graduating class means Korea has begun securing a core talent pipeline necessary for future technology hegemony competition."
He continued, "We will expand budget support so KENTECH can leap forward as the world's best energy-specialized university, and will not spare policy support including enrollment expansion to meet demand for high-level energy talent."
Of the 30 first-class undergraduate graduates, 28 chose to pursue graduate studies. Among them, 27 will continue energy research at KENTECH's graduate school. One student enrolled at Seoul National University's graduate school, while the remaining 2 are still considering their career paths. Previously, 3 of the 5 students who graduated early last year also enrolled in KENTECH's graduate school.
KENTECH's graduate school encompasses research fields spanning Energy AI, Advanced Energy Materials, Next-Generation Grid, Hydrogen Energy, Environmental and Climate Technology, and Nuclear Energy. The choice of 90% of graduates to continue at their alma mater's graduate school aligns with KENTECH's founding purpose of cultivating global energy leaders.
While various options including other graduate schools and employment were available, students committed to energy research and entrepreneurship decided to entrust themselves further to KENTECH. A common factor cited was that students had experienced an energy-specialized research environment from their undergraduate years, allowing them to crystallize their career paths as researchers.
Students particularly cited stable research conditions including tuition support, living stipends, and research and learning equipment support as major reasons for choosing graduate school. They explained that the ability to focus on research and entrepreneurship in an environment with minimized financial burden influenced their decision.
Kim Su-hong, who finished as valedictorian of the first regular graduating class and will enter the integrated master's-doctoral program, said, "Having come to KENTECH as a first-class student, I wanted to entrust myself to the school until the end." He added, "I want to acquire research capabilities at KENTECH's graduate school and become a professor-type talent spanning academia, industry, and research."
Their choices demonstrate not merely individual career decisions, but that KENTECH's unique education and research model—designed to allow students who participated in energy-specialized research environments from the undergraduate level to naturally continue to graduate school centered on the same laboratories and research topics—is functioning in reality. Based on a structure where research experience begun at the undergraduate level connects to advanced graduate research, KENTECH plans to continuously strengthen its system for cultivating specialized research talent in the energy field.
Acting President Park Jin-ho of KENTECH stated, "Today marks a new page in KENTECH's history, as the institution born with the generational mission of solving regional, national, and global energy challenges produces its first regular graduates." He added, "I hope the graduates will grow into leading figures shaping the energy future in their respective positions, building on the research experience they accumulated during their undergraduate years."