South Korea Launches AI-Centric Universities and AX Graduate Schools With AI Required for All Majors

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT held a joint launch ceremony for AI-centric universities and AX graduate schools on Sept. 29 at Yonsei University in Seoul. Three new AI-centric universities were selected this year, along with 15 universities converted from existing software-focused universities; 15 universities are participating in AX graduate schools. AI-centric universities require all students, regardless of major, to receive basic AI education, with 3 billion won per university per year for up to eight years.

This marks South Korea turning AI ability from a specialized skill for a few majors and graduate students into a universal undergraduate competency, while embedding industry demand into curricula and thesis supervision through joint university-company training. For AI education product providers, mandatory AI education and interdisciplinary courses across universities will expand demand for teaching tools, practice platforms and course content; for talent supply, the higher share of non-metropolitan universities may change the geographic distribution of AI talent and companies. The policy has just launched, so actual course quality, depth of corporate participation and changes in student ability remain to be observed. AI education at the undergraduate level expands from related departments to all majors, requiring non-AI students to define problems and design solutions using AI. Twenty-six companies participate in AX graduate schools as joint R&D institutions, with university-company research centers and dual-adviser systems tying graduate training more closely to semiconductors, defense, steel and robotics.