Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul)’s Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Business has been selected for the “2026 Youth Leap Talent Development Boot Camp” program, organized by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT). With this selection, Kookmin University will receive a total of 700 million won in project funding over approximately one year and six months, through February 2028, to intensively cultivate AX (AI Transformation) startup talent among unemployed youth.

The core focus of this boot camp, led by Kookmin University, is not merely “AI education” but “education on launching startups using AI.” The curriculum consists of a five-stage “escalator” module, progressing from a common AI course through three major career tracks—AX (AI Transformation) business automation and AI product planning, AI venture investment, startup planning, and startup acceleration—to a company-tailored AX capstone project. Through this program, participants will not only learn how to use AI tools but also gain hands-on, practical experience across the entire startup ecosystem—including identifying market problems, customer validation, creating minimum viable products (MVPs), investment attraction strategies, practical startup support, and the acceleration process.

In particular, Kookmin University stands out in this initiative by integrating its internal startup infrastructure with the external startup ecosystem. Building on on-campus startup platforms—such as the Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Business, Campus Town, Kookmin University Technology Holding, the University Startup Fund, and the Entrepreneurship and Startup Hub—the program integrates education and hands-on projects by collaborating with key organizations in the startup field, including the Korea Angel Investment Association, the Korea Startup Pivoting Association, Infobank Co., Ltd., CNT Tech Co., Ltd., and Main Content Co., Ltd.

Professor Lee Woo Jin of the Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Business will serve as the overall project leader. Professor Lee serves as the president of the Korean Venture and Entrepreneurship Society and as the director of the AER Knowledge Research Institute at the Asan Nanum Foundation; he is an expert who, as an angel investor, has long bridged the gap between the startup scene and the investment ecosystem. Additionally, Professor Chung Yeojin from the Department of AI and Big Data Convergence Management—who has researched the convergence of AI and entrepreneurship—and Lim Han-kyu, a lecturer at the Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Graduate School, will participate to enhance the curriculum’s expertise and practical relevance.

Kookmin University is also establishing a support system for graduates following completion of the boot camp. Graduates who enroll in the Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture Business will receive benefits such as bonus points in the admissions process, recognition of prior coursework, and exemption from the admission fee. Additionally, the university will offer four digital microdegrees linked to the boot camp program, creating a structure that connects short-term education to graduate degree programs. Through this, Kookmin University plans to build a “startup education growth ladder” that progresses from “Bootcamp → Microdegree → Master’s in Entrepreneurship → Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship.” This is significant because it goes beyond simply providing young people with short-term job skills; it offers a long-term educational pathway that enables them to grow into specialized professionals, researchers, and investment talent in the startup field.

Professor Lee Woo Jin stated, “AI is no longer just a supplementary tool; it is becoming a new foundation for entrepreneurship,” adding, “This boot camp aims to cultivate practical AX talent who can use AI to create prototypes, validate customers, and commercialize their ideas—even without coding knowledge.”

He continued, “We will establish a system that goes beyond simply completing a short-term program by linking students’ learning histories and startup experiences to graduate-level education,” and added, “Outstanding graduates will be offered graduate school scholarships as well as the opportunity to serve as research assistants at the AI Startup Innovation Research Center, which is currently being established.”

This initiative is regarded as a significant achievement of Kookmin University’s vision, “Kookmin University: A University of Entrepreneurship.” Since establishing the Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture in 2014, Kookmin University has built a foundation for startup support, including Kookmin University Technology Holding, the University Startup Fund, the Entrepreneurship and Startup Hub, and the Campus Town Project Team. This boot camp is particularly significant as it marks the first instance of integrating and operating this infrastructure under the single goal of cultivating AX startup talent.

Kookmin University’s Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship and Venture plans to set a new standard for AI-based entrepreneurship education through this initiative. The vision is to move beyond the traditional approach, where entrepreneurship education was limited to idea generation and business plan development, and transition to a hands-on educational system that utilizes AI to create products, validate markets, and connect startups with investment and growth opportunities. Kookmin University’s boot camp is expected to serve as an experimental yet strategic initiative to help young people utilize AI not merely as a “subject to be learned,” but as a “partner in executing their startups.”