In recent years, secondary batteries have emerged domestically and internationally, and Pusan National University (PNU) also joins in raising competent people by establishing a secondary battery integrated major. A secondary battery is a battery that can be reused through charging by converting external electrical energy into chemical energy, unlike a primary battery that can be used only once. It is considered an important project as the Ministry of Science and ICT selected the secondary battery as one of the top 12 national strategic technologies last year.

On September 5, PNU held the “2023 Secondary Battery Integrated Major Briefing Session For Students” at Induck Hall. This seminar, organized by the College of Secondary Battery Innovation Convergence project group, was held in the following order: academic information, benefits, questions and answers about the secondary battery integrated major, which was newly established in the second semester of this year. The seminar was crowded with students interested in the secondary battery. 

This project aims to nurture key talents of the secondary battery at the national level through convergence and open cooperation between universities. 

It will be carried out in the form of a consortium of universities, including PNU, Gachon University, Inha University, Chungbuk University, and Kyungnam College of Information & Technology. During the integrated major, students will develop competencies in the secondary battery by gaining expertise in five key characterization areas: materials/analysis, manufacturing/process, diagnostics/safety, equipment/systems, and resource cycle.

The curriculum is divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels based on the student's understanding of the secondary battery. According to the project group, it is to provide lectures tailored to their understanding, such as alleviating barriers to entry for non-major students, in order to train talents more effectively. The beginner level is 100% online theory lectures, while the intermediate and advanced levels are 50% online theory lectures and 50% hands-on labs.

Extracurricular programs related to the secondary battery integrated major will also be expanded. In addition to the current programs of lectures by domestic and foreign experts, visits to domestic and foreign secondary battery-related conferences and institutions, short-term training on secondary battery cell production, competitions and contests, and various programs will be added. The program also benefits students, including a scholarship program that pays 2 million won per person for the 1st to 10th place in cumulative mileage based on a combination of non-curricular and participation scores.

Students’ interest in the new secondary battery integrated major was high. Student A (Dept. of Industrial Engineering), who applied for an integrated major, said, “When I enrolled in the course, I was looking for a secondary battery-related class and found an integrated major class by chance. I am very attracted that the criteria for applying for a minor were generous and that it provides various theories and practices for the secondary battery.”

The secondary battery integrated major is recruiting students from September 18 to the 29, and students can apply through the application form attached to the project's website. In addition, PNU has been selected for the “Ministerial Collaborative Secondary Battery Industry Technical Workforce Training” project and is striving to foster talents in the secondary battery industry by establishing a secondary battery major track.

Reporter Cho Young-Min

Translated by Lim Chae-Kyung