Yeungnam University of Science and Technology has become the first two-year college in the country to top the National Customer Satisfaction Index for 14 consecutive years in the junior college category.
The Daegu-based school received the top ranking in the junior college category at the 2026 National Customer Satisfaction Index awards ceremony held Wednesday at the Grand Lotte Hotel in Seoul.
The achievement marks an unbroken run at the top since the school first claimed the No. 1 spot in 2013, cementing its reputation for student-centered education services.
The school attributed the streak to active communication with students and the operation of participatory campus life programs. Through events such as a freshman welcome talk concert, Campus Connect Day and a president's talk concert, student feedback has been incorporated into university management alongside efforts to improve the learning environment.
The school is also pushing to strengthen its future competitiveness through AI and digital education innovation and industry-tailored curricula. It was selected for the Ministry of Education and National Research Foundation of Korea's 2026 AID (AI+Digital) Transformation Focus Junior College Support Project, integrating AI application skills across all departmental programs.
The school plans to reinforce its educational framework so students can develop both specialized expertise and practical AI skills, growing into field-ready professionals.
Under its selection for the 2026 Junior College Specialization Leading University Development Project, the school will receive about 15 billion won ($11.2 million) in government funding over five years through 2030 to advance specialized education in the semiconductor and physical AI fields.
The school also plans to build an employment-linked education system co-designed with companies around four tracks — semiconductors, future mobility, AI manufacturing robots, and industrial AI and AX — targeting a 100 percent employment rate for graduates in its specialized fields.
"Fourteen consecutive years at the top is the result of listening to our students and the collective effort of every member of our community to improve campus life," President Lee Jae-yong said. "We will continue to build on that communication with students, strengthening AI and digital education innovation and industry-tailored programs so that students can confidently prepare for their futures."
kbj7653@heraldcorp.com
