To train professionals in the battery field, which is considered a key component in 21st-century economics and industry, Hanyang University signed an industry-university cooperation agreement with LG Energy Solution and SK On. As a background to the agreement between the two companies and Hanyang University, there is a shortage of battery professionals. According to the Korea Battery Industry Association, as of the end of 2020, 21% of the master’s degrees and 25% of the doctorate are in shortage.

In the agreement ceremony held on June 22 in the afternoon at Seoul Campus in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, major officials, including the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of LG Energy Solution Shin Young-joon, SK On’s battery research institute head Lee Jang-won, and Executive Vice President for Business and External Relations Oh Seong-geun, participated. 

Following the agreement, Hanyang University newly establishes the Department of Battery Engineering (40 students) at graduate school and selects excellent students from them for the industry-university scholarship. The selected students will take a tailored battery track degree course developed by Hanyang University and the two companies and will be trained as a professional with battery-related expertise and operational knowledge. Moreover, the students will receive tuition fees and scholarships from the university and the two companies and be employed by the company immediately after acquiring the degree.

Executive Vice President Oh Seong-geun said, “Even though the battery industry is developing at a rapid pace, there is a shortage of professionals compared to the size of the market. So, we will nurture the best talents in th battery field with the leading battery companies in the world.”

Lee Jang-won, the head of SK On’s battery research institute, said “SK ON has led the global battery market, such as high-nickel battery development, based on great human resources,” and continued, “We will keep trying our best to train excellent talents who can improve the competency of Korean battery.”

Shin Young-joon, LG Energy Solution’s CTO, said, “We are expecting to strengthen our competency as a leading company of the global battery market by training and securing the best talents in the rechargeable battery field,” and added, “We will fully support so that the Department of Battery Engineering in Hanyang University can be the best educational institution for nurturing talents in the battery field.”