SKKU Selected for 'AI Star Fellowship Support' Program
▲Project Director: Professor Ji-Hyung Lee, Department of Artificial Intelligence
The research team led by Professor Ji-Hyung Lee from the Department of Artificial Intelligence at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) has been selected for the AI Star Fellowship Support program, jointly promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP).
This program supports creative and ambitious research based on AI-industry-academia collaboration, with the goal of nurturing global top-tier AI talent to drive innovation in the future AI market.
Following the AI Graduate School Support Program launched in 2019 to train top-tier master’s and doctoral-level AI talent, this newly established initiative focuses on fostering elite early-career AI researchers.
Professor Ji-Hyung Lee, whose department was the first in Korea to be selected for the AI Graduate School Support Program in 2019, will receive a total of 11 billion KRW (approximately USD 8 million) over a six-year period through December 2030. The funding will support both the development of advanced AI technologies and the training of outstanding young researchers.
Professor Lee’s team will carry out research and development in collaboration with industry partners such as Forty Two Maru, AITRICS, and Aidin Robotics, focusing on technologies including: ▲ Hyper-modality AI for inference, retrieval, and generation to develop ultra-personalized, knowledge-aware AI models ▲ Synergistic AI multi-agent technology for companion-style AI services ▲ Autonomous and optimized infrastructure for heterogeneous embodied multi-agent systems capable of adapting to changes in environment and resources
In parallel, the project will pursue the development of "Collaborative Intelligent Agent Technologies for Human-AI Symbiotic Cooperation," while implementing a comprehensive strategy across research, management, and talent development to maximize the program’s impact and synergy.
In addition to Professor Lee, the project will include active participation from several newly appointed SKKU professors—Professors Ho-Geon Park, Jin-Young Park, Jong-Wook Lee, Jae-Pil Heo, Hong-Wook Woo, Hanguk Lee, Sun-Jae Lee, Ha-Young Oh, Jong-Hwan Ko, Dong-Moon Min, and Hyun-Woo Yoo—further strengthening the foundation for cultivating next-generation research leaders.
Professor Ji-Hyung Lee stated, "Through this program, we aim to lead the development of core AI technologies for demand-driven, collaborative intelligent agents and to build a sustainable talent ecosystem. By establishing an efficient research management system, we will ensure a virtuous cycle of researcher growth, enabling early-career researchers to pursue innovative, long-term research."
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