What is the RISE project in South Korea?

RISE (Regional Innovation System & Education) is a higher education policy framework that transfers university support authority from the central government to regional governments. This allows local authorities to design talent development strategies aligned with their specific industry needs, rather than following a centrally planned model.

Which universities were selected for Seoul's RISE project?

Seoul selected 35 universities: 26 four-year institutions including Seoul National University, Yonsei, Korea University, and Hanyang University, plus all 9 vocational colleges in the city such as Dongyang Mirae University and Seoil University. Selection was based on each institution's unique character and regional contribution, not size or ranking.

How much funding does Seoul's RISE project provide?

Seoul invested a total of 76.5 billion KRW in 2024 — 56.5 billion in national funding plus 20 billion in Seoul city funding — with steady expansion expected over the following five years as the RISE project scales across participating universities.

How do digital badges connect to the RISE project's goals?

RISE emphasizes making learning outcomes measurable as data. Digital badges built on the Open Badges standard structure learner competencies — course completion, project deliverables, practical skills — into verifiable credentials that regional industry can use as trustworthy practical competency data.

What Is the RISE Project? Seoul's Selected Universities and Key Strategic Directions

The paradigm for higher education policy is shifting fast. University funding is moving away from being driven by the central government to a structure where regions design their own university innovation strategies tailored to industry demand. At the center of this shift sits the RISE (Regional Innovation System & Education) project.

This is more than a procedural overhaul. It’s drawing attention across academia and local governments because it represents structural innovation in which universities, industry, and regions grow as a single ecosystem.

Seoul is already leading the transition. At the 2nd Seoul Innovative University Support Committee meeting in 2024, the city selected a total of 35 universities (26 four-year and 9 vocational colleges) to implement Seoul’s RISE project. Today, we’ll use that as a starting point to take a closer look at the concept and strategic direction of the RISE project.

🌱 What Is the RISE Project?

RISE project framework transferring university support authority from central government to regions

RISE is a new university innovation framework that transfers authority over university support from the central government to the regions.

Previously, the Ministry of Education centrally planned and executed university funding programs, which meant regional industrial structures and talent demand weren’t always reflected.

With RISE, local governments can now design university development strategies in the following ways.

Adjust educational programs to focus on the talent regional industries need
Develop innovation models based on each university’s autonomy and unique character
Drive region-tailored projects with local government, university, and industry all participating

Seoul's RISE project built on autonomy, connectivity, and regionality

Seoul’s RISE project specifically emphasizes “autonomy, connectivity, and regionality.” That’s more than just distributing budget — it means designing the region’s future growth engines together with its universities.

🔍 Seoul’s RISE Strategy: 5 Core Projects and 12 Initiatives

Seoul is driving innovation around the following five strategic priorities.

1) Strengthening Global University Competitiveness

Strengthening specialized education and research in strategic areas like AI, biotech, and engineering to compete with universities worldwide.

2) Strengthening Seoul’s Strategic Industry Base

Directly connecting universities to industries where Seoul has strengths — digital, content, semiconductors — to simultaneously strengthen industry ecosystems and talent development.

3) Co-growth with Local Communities

Building win-win structures by developing collaboration models with regional universities and industries, and strengthening community services.

4) Advancing Lifelong and Vocational Education

Building a broad learning ecosystem that includes current employees, career switchers, and middle-aged learners so everyone can develop future-ready competencies.

5) Fostering University Startups

Actively supporting student- and researcher-led startups to help new technologies and businesses grow within the region.

A total of 76.5 billion KRW (56.5 billion in national funding plus 20 billion in city funding) is being invested in 2024, with steady expansion expected over the next five years.

🎓 The 35 Universities Selected for Seoul’s RISE Project: Significance and Characteristics

The 35 universities selected for Seoul's RISE project based on character and regional contribution

Out of 54 applicants, Seoul selected 35 universities (26 four-year and 9 vocational colleges) as final participants in the Seoul RISE project. What makes this selection significant is that it wasn’t based on size or institutional ranking, but on each university’s unique character, contribution to the local community, feasibility, and connection to strategic industries.

In particular, all 9 of Seoul’s vocational colleges were selected, with the policy community recognizing once again the practical, field-driven educational strength of vocational colleges.

Below is the full list of all 35 universities selected nationwide.

🎓 Four-Year Universities (26)

University Name	University Name	University Name
Konkuk University	Kyung Hee University	Korea University
Kwangwoon University	Kookmin University	Duksung Women's University
Dongguk University	Dongduk Women's University	Myongji University
Sahmyook University	Sogang University	Seoul National University of Science and Technology
Seoul National University of Education	Seoul National University	University of Seoul
Sungkyunkwan University	Sejong University	Sookmyung Women's University
Soongsil University	Yonsei University	Ewha Womans University
Chung-Ang University	Hankuk University of Foreign Studies	Hansung University
Hanyang University	Hongik University

🏫 Vocational Colleges (9)

University Name	University Name	University Name
Dongyang Mirae University	Myongji College	Baewha Women's University
Sahmyook Health University	Seoul Women's College of Nursing	Seoil University
Soongeui Women's College	Induk University	Hanyang Women's University

💡 How RISE Is Reshaping Universities and the Future of Their Regions

Region-based educational innovation aligning university curricula with regional strategic industries

① Strengthening Region-Based Educational Innovation

Universities are no longer just “educational institutions” — they now play a functional role in driving regional strategic industries.

University curricula are being concretely adjusted to fit regional characteristics across AI, semiconductors, biohealth, cultural content, and more.

Developing industry-tailored practical talent through curricula co-developed with industry partners

② Developing Industry-Tailored Practical Talent

Through curricula co-developed with industry partners, students gain the competencies to be immediately deployable on projects and tasks right after graduation.

Developing practical talent directly addresses hiring mismatches at regional companies.

③ Building Regional Win-Win Models

Through “Seoul-Regional Collaboration” initiatives, new models are emerging where Seoul universities partner with regional universities and institutions.

The 6.7:1 selection ratio reflects strong interest across the higher education sector.

🏫 An AI-Centered Strategy: Why Seoul Is Becoming an AI Talent City

Seoul's AI-centered RISE strategy positioning the city as a global AI talent hub

Seoul emphasizes AI industry talent development as a core pillar of its RISE policy.

AI is now the foundational technology driving productivity across every industry, which means a university’s AI capabilities translate directly into regional competitiveness.

The selected universities will contribute to making Seoul a global AI hub through

AI-integrated curricula
AI-based startup projects
Industry-linked AI research, and more.

🚀 RISE and Digital Education Innovation: Where Kolleges Fits In

One of the core values the RISE project emphasizes is “making learning outcomes measurable and visible as data.”

To raise the quality of education, you need precise records of what competencies a student has built, what projects they’ve completed, and how their actual skills can be verified.

Kolleges plays the following roles in this space.

✔ Providing a professional website and learning platform builder that supports universities in building their own educational platforms

✔ Providing a Digital Badge system that structures learner competencies as data

Digital badges go beyond simple completion certificates. They are tools that can certify

Course completion
Project deliverables
Practical skills
Acquired qualifications

using international standard (Open Badges) based technology.

Industry can use these as trustworthy “practical competency data,” which aligns perfectly with the goals of the RISE project.

✨ Closing Thoughts

Seoul’s RISE project is redefining the role of universities.

Universities are becoming the core hubs where regional talent, industry, and technology connect, and through this, a sustainable innovation structure where regions and universities grow together is taking shape.

Within this shift, Kolleges will continue to support university innovation and regional education ecosystem development, anchored by its digital badge-based educational certification platform.

Frequently asked questions