Yonsei, chosen over SNU and KAIST to train future IT brain power The Ministry of Knowledge and Economy chose Yonsei University as its finalist for cooperating in the government’s IT Power Brain Training program. This program is part of building a Korean equivalent of the ‘MIT Media Lab’. Yonsei University’s “Future Fusion Technology Research Institute”, which is headed by the former Samsung Electronics vice Chairman Lee Ki-Tae, was chosen over fierce competition from other universities. Other competing institutes for the selection were the Human IT Research Center at Seoul National University, the Imagination Institute at KAIST, the KU Media Lab at Korea University, and Pohang University of Science and Technology. The Ministry of Knowledge and Economy noted that hiring Professor Lee, who established the “Anycall” legend in Korea, shows Yonsei’s ardent aspiration for independent and liberal education and research. Yonsei University will not only establish the “Future Fusion Technology Research Institute”, but will also establish a globally combined engineering undergraduate college program in 2011 in order to educate and train “Da Vinci” style future innovative thinkers and brain powers. With mission statement of TIF (Technology+Imagination+Future), the curriculum will aim to fully incorporate all areas of technology, humanities and arts education. There will be three undergraduate years to complete and four years of combined Master’s/Doctorate degree. The program aims to accept 30 students per year. Yonsei will receive investment of 16,550 million won over the course of ten years, including corporation investment (9,240 million won), government investment (476 million won), and the school’s investment (255 million won). Furthermore, the school will aggressively pursue and employ stellar faculty and search out brilliant student candidates. The school will hire 9 full time professors and add 12 more full time faculties,providing for the students the full scholarship, living expenses, 1:1 individual education and research curriculum, and the various international exchange programs.