POSCO Future M and Sungkyunkwan University to foster battery material skills in Korea

South Korea-based energy material manufacturer and distributor, POSCO Future M announced a masters and doctoral course dubbed ‘e-Battery Track’ for battery material learners at Sungkyunkwan University, a private research institute in Seoul on Monday.

POSCO Future M marked its deal with Sungkyunkwan University in the presence of top leaders from both parties at the research institute’s premises. The students will be offered a customizable degree course under the newly established agreement.

From the second half of 2023, POSCO Future M will launch the course e-Battery Track for masters and doctoral tier pupils. In the new POSCO course, students will frequently get opportunities to examine industry-related sites and also take part in group research assignments. A scholarship will be handed over to meriting candidates. By the end of the course, graduates are going to be provided with a hiring option at the POSCO Future M Energy Material Research Institute. 

In the past decade, there has been exponential growth in South Korea’s battery sector. The battery sector is one of the highest contributors to the Korean economy. Although the country’s market share has plunged in the last two years because of the global slowdown. Regardless, a growth trajectory is being counted on by industry experts. 

It’s plausible for Korea to secure fully operational battery manufacturing plants in the US in the next three years. Not just the battery industry but the subsidiary battery recycling industry is also forecasted to see growth in coming years.

POSCO Future M seeks encouragement of battery material talent in Korea. The e-Battery Track by the company will promote the development and growth of the future professional workforce in the sector. There’s a high demand for skilled battery material experts in Korea’s domestic battery market and also other markets around the world. The new course is going to cater to the same demand with knowledgeable graduates. 

The e-Battery Track’s launch at Sungkyunkwan University is the latest addition to POSCO Future M’s talent nurturing program which was started in 2022. So far, the POSCO group has joined hands with multiple educational institutes in Korea. This includes Yonsei University, a leading medicine and engineering university based in the heart of Seoul. Yonsei formed an agreement with POSCO Future M in March. 

Before that, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Hanyang University from Seongdong Gu partnered with POSCO.

Apart from the introduction of courses and classes, POSCO Future M is also promoting industry-specific subjects along with internship programs, especially for fourth-year students who have just entered the year. The company is actively opening on-site recruitment drives and holding recruitment consultations for fresh graduates. 

To fill the current void in the battery market, it’s critical to have a battery industry and academia alliance. Enclosing skilled and qualified professionals is going to be one of the main focuses of POSCO Future M and Sungkyunkwan and other university partnerships. 

According to Joonhyung Kim who’s the current CEO of POSCO Future M, going forward talent will ensure the fortune of the companies. Business growth is dependent on skilled employees, their research capacity, as well as the competitiveness. 

Due to the recent endeavours from POSCO Future M, quality of education markers are likely to become additionally practical. It is also expected that South Korea will observe more job creation and openings in the battery industry.