UST to expand graduate intake, launch AI Mobility program with full scholarships

The University of Science and Technology (UST), South Korea's national research university, is significantly expanding its graduate program. The school will increase its enrollment capacity from 390 to 430 students and, for the first time, accept applicants to its newly established AI Mobility program, jointly run by five government-funded research institutes in Gwangju.

UST announced Friday that it has posted the admissions guidelines for the first round of its 2027 academic year master's and doctoral programs on its website, with applications open from Sept. 16 to Oct. 6.

The recruitment covers 48 majors across 29 national laboratory schools, including those affiliated with the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) and the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT).

Starting with the 2027 first-semester intake, the enrollment cap rises by 40 to 430. UST said the expansion reflects a sustained increase in applicants, a 100 percent fill rate and growing demand from national laboratories to recruit more students.

The newly created AI Mobility flagship program will accept its first students in this round.

The program is jointly operated by five Gwangju-based government research institute schools — the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), ETRI, the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) and the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI). It is designed as a regionally specialized program integrating mobility-related technologies across AI, semiconductors, energy and materials.

All incoming AI Mobility students will receive an additional flagship program scholarship of 2.5 million won ($1,810) for their first semester.

UST's defining feature is its direct link between graduate education and active national research and development. From the moment they enroll, students join state-funded projects in cutting-edge fields such as AI and quantum information as student researchers.

Every student receives full tuition coverage of 2.5 million won per semester. Under a work contract, doctoral students receive a monthly training stipend of at least 1.9 million won, while master's students receive at least 1.43 million won. About one-third of enrolled students also receive additional benefits, including separate scholarships and support for overseas training and international academic conferences.

UST also runs a "Young Scientist Development Program" through which students serve as principal investigators and receive direct research funding.

To coincide with the admissions period, UST will hold five information sessions — in Seoul, Daejeon and Gwangju, as well as online. Students are selected through a document review and an in-depth major interview, with final results to be announced by 5 p.m. on Dec. 2.

UST is an educational institution under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and ICT, combining graduate-level education with government-funded research institutes. About 1,700 doctoral-level researchers affiliated with national laboratories currently serve as UST professors.