Sogang Signs a Business Agreement with Smilegate to Foster AI/SW Talents

- Smilegate Digital Human & Entertainment major has opened in the AI Graduate School Artificial Intelligence Department with full scholarship support -

- Joint establishment and operation of 'Smilegate Digital Human Research Center' to promote university-industry collaboration on AI -

▲ (From left) President Sim Jong-hyeok and Smilegate Hope Studio Chairman Kwon Hyuk-bin

On September 16 (Thursday), a business agreement ceremony for nurturing AI/SW talents and university-industry collaboration was held in the conference room on the fourth floor of the main building. During the signing ceremony, Smilegate announced that it would establish a partnership with Sogang to nurture leading AI talents and joint research in cutting-edge industries through annual support of around KRW 1 billion.

The event was attended by major officials from both institutions, including President Sim Jong-hyeok, Executive Vice President Song Tai-kyong of Academic Affairs, Executive Vice President Kim Soon-kee of Research & External Affairs, Dean Jeon Seong-hoon of the Graduate School, Chairman Kwon Hyuk-bin of Smilegate Hope Studio Foundation, Head of Smilegate Entertainment AI Center Han Woo-jin, Director Yeo Seung-hwan of Smilegate Holdings, and Head of Smilegate's Management Support Department Kim Young-ki.

Through this agreement, the two institutions plan to cooperate with each other on ▲ fostering AI talent ▲ joint design of AI high-tech department curriculum and support for SW university-industry collaboration ▲ research to strengthen mid- to long-term AI research capabilities and secure core technologies ▲ joint establishment of the Smilegate Research Center.

To this end, beginning in March 2022, the 'Smilegate Digital Human & Entertainment' track in the Department of Artificial Intelligence at Sogang University's AI Graduate School will be newly established, and the first entrants will be selected in October. Through a joint interview between the university and Smilegate, 20 students for master's programs are selected every year, and a scholarship of KRW 18 million per person is provided to successful students. Furthermore, Smilegate plans to jointly participate in the curriculum design of major subjects, such as basic subjects related to AI, and to support a cloud computing environment for AI/SW practices.

In addition, the 'Smilegate Digital Human Research Center' will be jointly established to strengthen mid- to long-term AI research capabilities and secure core technologies. The center will be composed of Smilegate researchers, faculty, and graduate students at the university and will perform AI-related university-industry collaboration projects. To this end, Smilegate supports project research and center operation expenses according to the new discovery of university-industry collaboration research projects, and the university supports a dedicated research center space for graduate students.

President Sim Jong-hyeok said, "Sogang University is undergoing various changes to realize AI-based convergence and complex education in humanities and science, establishment of a Metaverse system, and support for startups. We express our deep gratitude to Smilegate for further empowering these efforts, and we will continue to do our best to nurture talents to lead the AI era."

To this, Chairman Kwon Hyuk-bin (Electronic Engineering '92) replied, "I am really happy to be engaged in AI research with Sogang University." He continued, "Since utilization of AI is more important than the technology itself, we will operate a special AI graduate program with a curriculum based on AI project topics centered on experience and problem solving rather than teaching." And he added, "We hope that this will become an opportunity to create value and surpass the future."

Meanwhile, Smilegate has always paid attention to the importance of supporting creative talent development and young entrepreneurs. In 2013, it co-founded the Art & Technology Center with Sogang University to support students and unleash a variety of creative ideas, actively boosting youth startups through the establishment of a startup support system called 'Orange Planet.' Smilegate is a global gaming company that draws the attention of the world and has achieved more than KRW 1 trillion in annual sales (as of 2020) through its representative works like 'Crossfire' and 'Lost Ark.' The company is being reborn as an entertainment company equipped with various forms of cultural content to prop it up well above the domestic top-5 gaming companies.