Former BISTEP head Kim Byung-jin named director of Busan Anchor Center

The Busan city government announced Tuesday that it has appointed Kim Byung-jin, former head of the Busan Institute of Science and Technology Promotion (BISTEP), as the next director of the Busan Anchor Center. His two-year term runs from Tuesday through Aug. 10, 2028.

The Busan Anchor Center is a specialized higher education policy institution dedicated to implementing the ANCHOR (Area-based Nurturing of Competent Human resources for Outstanding Regional development) initiative. It operates as an independent affiliate of BISTEP.

The center plans, evaluates and manages outcomes of the ANCHOR project, supports regional university innovation policy, and builds cooperation frameworks among universities, local communities and industry to promote their shared growth.

The city conducted an open recruitment process to select the new director, aiming to strengthen the center's expertise and independence while ensuring continuity in regional higher education policy.

BISTEP formed a separate affiliate director recommendation committee and opened public applications on July 13. After reviewing documents and conducting interviews, the committee put forward two final candidates, from whom Mayor Jeon Jae-soo made the final selection.

Kim holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from Pukyong National University and brings extensive experience in regional innovation policy and research and development, having served as a Busan city administrative officer, BISTEP president, Busan branch head of Roun Insight Co. and policy research director at Connected Wisdom Co.

The city plans to develop the Busan Anchor Center into a more practice-oriented professional institution under Kim's leadership and to respond proactively to evolving national higher education policies. The center is expected to restructure university-level anchor unit projects around industry demand and student support, and to take a leading role in planning and identifying cross-regional cooperation projects in line with the national balanced development strategy for spatial transformation.

Mayor Jeon said he hopes the Busan Anchor Center will "play a central role in driving regional industrial innovation and encouraging young people to put down roots in the region through talent development and university innovation, creating a virtuous cycle in which the region and its universities grow together."