Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) has been selected as a Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) Graduate School Research and Development (R&D) Specialized Track for the 2026-2028 academic year, administered by the National Institute for International Education under the Ministry of Education. It secured the largest allocation of 40 scholarship recipients among all universities nationwide. This achievement reaffirms Kookmin University's status as a core hub for cultivating global talent in cutting-edge research fields.

The GKS (Global Korea Scholarship) R&D Specialized Track is a government-sponsored scholarship program fully funded by the Ministry of Education, aimed at cultivating foreign master's and doctoral-level research talent in cutting-edge fields. Twenty-five universities nationwide were selected for this initiative, planning to attract a total of 403 scholarship recipients.

Kookmin University currently manages 144 government-sponsored GKS scholars, including 36 in language training, 38 at the undergraduate level, and 70 at the graduate level. Its systematic and professional student management capabilities, built through this experience, earned high praise in this selection.

Three core departments are participating in this specialized track: Mechanical Engineering (15 students), Electrical Engineering (15 students), and Civil and Environmental Engineering (10 students). The scholars will complete a one-year intensive Korean language program at Kookmin University's Korean Language Education Center before advancing to graduate programs in their respective departments to pursue master's and doctoral degrees.

Kookmin University plans to expand customized educational programs for international students centered on the selected departments and provide comprehensive support, leveraging domestic and international industry-academia networks, to help scholarship recipients grow into experts with global research capabilities.

President Jeong Seung Ryul stated, “This selection recognizes Kookmin University's research competitiveness and internationalization capabilities, including attracting international students and supporting their employment and settlement,” adding, “We will spare no effort in cultivating outstanding research talent to lead Korea and the world in cutting-edge industrial fields.”