Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) recently earned the highest grade, S, for the second consecutive year in the educational innovation performance category of the '2nd Cycle University Innovation Support Project' performance evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Research Foundation.

The University Innovation Support Project is a representative university financial support project of the Ministry of Education that aims to foster quality university education and future human resources through autonomous innovation by universities, and 117 universities nationwide, including 51 in the Seoul metropolitan area, are participating. Kookmin University received a project cost of about 11 billion won, including incentives, after receiving good evaluations in terms of educational innovation performance in terms of establishing a solid operation plan for the self-selection system for majors, introducing the Omega education system, upgrading the TEAM education certification system, and establishing an efficient operation system for basic knowledge education and major competency-based practical education.

Kookmin University will introduce a self-selection system for majors from the recruitment of freshmen in the 2025 academic year and establish a future convergence university (free major, future convergence major) to recruit the largest number of students among major universities in the metropolitan area. The new program reflects the intention to innovate the education system to overcome the boundaries and divides that exist between various areas, such as between academic areas, between curricula, between subjects and non-subjects, between grades, and between educational entities, which have been pointed out as problems in the existing education system, and to ensure students' maximum choice of majors. The strength of Kookmin University's free major selection system, which is differentiated from other universities, is that students can freely choose most majors (59 majors), including humanities, nature, and performing arts. The reason for expanding the choice of majors to the performing arts is that there are colleges that specialize in the performing arts, such as the College of Fine Arts, College of Physical Education, and College of Arts, to provide students with more choices.

In addition, the Omega Education System, which reflects the entrepreneurship education philosophy of fostering talented people who can contribute to society, will be newly operated. The Omega Education System is Kookmin University's unique system that allows students to choose new majors based on their experiences through participation in entrepreneurship programs, internships, and experiential programs, and is considered to be a policy that can support all students in exploring majors and choosing careers.

"The 'S' grade for educational innovation performance is the result of programs and educational systems that reflect our educational philosophy of breaking down the boundaries between disciplines and fostering human resources with practical skills that are actually needed in society," said KU President Jeong Seung ryul. "We will continue to strive to be at the forefront of innovation in higher education."