Gyeongsang National University (GNU) is one of South Korea’s flagship universities, known for its innovative research. The university is comprised of 12 colleges, has several satellite campuses and has a strong partnership with the Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA). Sound familiar?
Administrators from both GNU and UCF noticed the similarities between the two universities and established a global partnership in 2024. The UCF Short-Term Educational Program of Florida Space Coast officially launched in summer 2025 and offered GNU undergraduate students the opportunity to travel to UCF for one week and participate in academic lectures, hands-on workshops, and field visits to leading aerospace and engineering organizations.
That partnership has now expanded and will allow GNU graduate students to complete some of their coursework at UCF, resulting in a master’s degree or doctoral degree awarded from GNU and UCF. The UCF professors leading this partnership are Professor Hae-Bum Yun of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering and Associate Professor Tarek Elgohary of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Yun says the expansion benefits both institutions.
“When they send graduate students to us, it will bring research dollars to UCF,” Yun says. “In turn, their students will be able to complete one year of coursework at GNU and one year of coursework at UCF and earn a joint degree.”
Elgohary says this partnership also opens the door for future research collaborations among faculty, and it opens the eyes of engineering students to global engineering perspectives.
“As part of this collaboration, our students can also travel to their sister institution,” Elgohary says. “They’ll benefit from seeing the different styles, approaches and perspectives used to address various problems.”
Earlier this month, a group of GNU undergraduate students traveled to UCF for the wintertime week-long immersive experience. Soon, students from Seoul Hanyang University will join them as UCF establishes a partnership with that institution.
South Korea’s interest in these partnerships stems from the increased focus on space. In 2024, the country established KASA to centralize its space policy, research and development efforts. Major companies like Hanwha Aerospace are hiring hundreds of workers within the next few years, making training at Florida’s Technological University appealing to students and faculty alike.
“Not many Korean universities knew about us,” Yun says. “But now that UCF has established a reputation for engineering, they know us and what we’re doing.”
- Written by Marisa Ramiccio