South Korea’s First ‘Green Bio Contract Department’ to Be Established at Gyeongsang National University

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has selected Gyeongsang National University as the university that will operate the country’s first “green bio contract department,” introduced this year to train key talent for the green bio industry.

The ministry announced the selection on the 16th and said Gyeongsang National University will operate a master’s program for employees of green bio companies beginning with the fall semester in September 2026.

The newly established contract department is a two-year, four-semester retraining master’s program for employees of green bio companies. It will combine theoretical and practical education and include industry-academic projects to address technical challenges faced by participating companies in the field.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs conducted an open call from February 25 to March 31 and selected Gyeongsang National University after an expert evaluation. The university’s close cooperation with local green bio companies, participation commitments from numerous companies and presentation of a specific, practice-oriented curriculum contributed positively to the selection.

The government plans to support smooth operation of the department by covering 65% of the total department operating costs and student tuition, as well as expenses for projects addressing companies’ technical challenges. Gyeongsang National University will operate the department beginning in September after designing the curriculum and recruiting students, with details to be announced on the university’s website.

Jeong Gyeong-seok, director of the Food Industry Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, “This is a strategic project to train practical professionals who can be immediately deployed in the field,” adding, “We will spare no administrative or financial support to establish a virtuous-cycle model in which education, research and the field operate as one.”