South Korea Funds Six Universities for AI in Healthcare Education
South Korea is preparing to boost its medical AI workforce by training over 1,000 professionals in the next five years. The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has partnered with six leading universities to offer specialised courses focused on AI applications in healthcare.
The universities selected for this initiative are:
- Kyung Hee University
- Seoul National University
- Sungkyunkwan University
- Ajou University
- Chung-Ang University
- Hallym University
These institutions will provide courses covering AI diagnosis and prediction, novel drug and treatment development, and AI medical device creation. The programs will be delivered through their departments of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and engineering.
Each university will receive state funding of 1 billion won (over $700,000) spread over five years, with an initial budget of 750 million won (around $540,000) allocated this year.
Collaboration with Industry and Data Access
The MOHW is establishing a collaboration framework between universities, health tech companies, and hospitals. This system aims to support student projects and offer internships by providing access to medical data essential for AI development.
Further cooperation involves multiple government bodies, including the Ministries of Trade, Industry and Energy, Food and Drug Safety, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. They will help provide datasets for lectures and research training.
Why This Matters for Healthcare Professionals
The MOHW emphasizes the importance of integrating AI expertise into healthcare education to produce skilled professionals capable of transforming the sector. According to Baek Young-ha, director of the Healthcare Data Promotion Division at MOHW, medical AI will fundamentally shift healthcare delivery.
This initiative will equip students with practical skills in medical AI, preparing them for roles that require combining healthcare knowledge with AI technology.
Broader Efforts Supporting Medical AI Innovation
Alongside education, the MOHW recently launched a funding program offering up to 400 million won (over $280,000) per project to startups developing AI-driven medical solutions. These projects will utilize hospital data made available through partner hospitals.
This follows Seoul’s earlier move to support startups accessing hospital data for medical AI development. Since 2020, MOHW has promoted the use of medical data to advance digital health research. The 2023 Medical Data Utilisation Project connects researchers with hospitals to safely access deidentified medical data for AI research.
For healthcare professionals interested in expanding their AI skills, exploring specialised AI courses can be valuable. Resources like Complete AI Training's courses by job role offer tailored options for healthcare workers aiming to bridge the gap between clinical practice and AI technology.
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