A ‘society-customized major’ is a program where a student enters a university with the certainty that he or she will get a job through a connection between a business and a curriculum.  To raise smart professionals that meet social needs, a business and a university work together to develop the curriculum.

[Yunnyeong Lee’s report]

A student named Byeonguk Kim whose major is Semiconductor Systems Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SSKU) takes classes from professors that used to work for semiconductor companies during the semester and works for a large company partnered with SKKU during vacations.

Interviewee: Byeonguk Kim
“When I see students whose majors are different from mine, they look very tired.  However, I don’t have to worry about finding a job, so I can experience various things as well as focus on my studies.”

This kind of major is a so-called ‘hiring qualification’ contract major whereby a business provides students with money for tuition and manages a curriculum with a university.  To meet industrial demands the university can raise professional students in the semiconductor field.  Also, students can be guaranteed jobs after graduating and newly admitted students’ skill levels are of the highest caliber.

Interviewee: Giwon Kwon, Dean of Semiconductor Systems Engineering at SKKU
“Since semiconductors use almost all physics theories, there is a high demand for knowledgeable students who can work in international markets.”

To lower unemployment of young people the government decided to promote society-customized majors with curricula connected with businesses to increase the availability of jobs. 
Since the curriculum managed by a university cannot always accurately meet the demands of businesses, representatives from the companies can join student interviews and take part in choosing who gets to participate in the programs.

The business and the university develop the curriculum as well as the textbook with the condition that graduates receive employment.  Also, the university can take a professional working for a company to be a lecturer.  The government will give local universities situated in poor environments money to manage society-customized majors and participating companies will receive tax exemption benefits.

Interviewee: Seungbok Choi, Section Chief of Youth Employment & Entrepreneurship Education Support Division of the Ministry of Education
“Individual companies and regions educate students in accordance with industrial and regional demands which enables them to avoid worrying about their futures and jobs.”

The Ministry of Education will increase the number of students who are in society-customized majors to 25,000 by 2020 and it will also raise the employment rate of the graduates from these majors to 70%.