Pusan National University (PNU) will begin to consolidate connections in the IT sector by starting construction of the IT Building. After the reconstruction of the IT Building and the renovation of the 6th Engineering Building in the future, all IT-related departments will gather in one place to connect between departments.

On November 15th, the 1st Machine Shop, located near the Rainbow Gate (former main gate), began to be demolished to reconstruct the IT Building. According to the Division of Facilities Management, the IT Building will be constructed from January 1st, 2024, to August 2025 after demolition. It will be used from the second semester of 2025. The size of the IT Building, which is built through a public-private partnership, is 10 floors above the ground and one basement floor, with a total project cost of 26.73 billion won. In April, PNU selected “Busan Sarang Corporation” as a private enterprise, a consortium centered on Kolon Global through BTL (Build-Transfer-Lease).

The IT Building reconstruction project began with the purpose of accumulating research and educational facilities in the IT field. The Department of Electrical Engineering and the School of Computer Science and Engineering will use the new IT Building. Currently, these two departments are scattered throughout the campus, including in the 6th Engineering Building, the 8th Engineering Building, and the 10th Engineering Building, which is disadvantageous for connections. In particular, the School of Computer Science and Engineering was divided into two buildings: the 6th Engineering Building and the Research and Laboratory Building. According to the Division of Campus Planning, it plans to relocate all lecture rooms, practice rooms, and laboratories from the engineering buildings used by the two departments to the IT Building to concentrate research and education facilities.

In the future, IT buildings are also planning to connect with other close departments. Through this project, the Department of Electrical Engineering and the School of Computer Science and Engineering will be connected first. If the Department of Electronics Engineering is relocated to the vicinity of the IT Building through the upcoming 6th engineering building renovation project, it will be possible to link up the related departments. After the 6th Engineering Building renovation project, which is currently in the design stage, is in progress, IT-related sectors such as the Department of Electronics Engineering facilities, Smart Factory, and the Inter-University Semiconductor Research Center can all gather near the Rainbow Gate.

Once the IT Building construction is completed, IT-related researchers will be able to cooperate more closely. Kim Jong-Deok, the chair of the School of Computer Science and Engineering, said, “It is difficult to find a situation in which IT-related departments are unable to cooperate due to the scattered distribution of IT-related departments in other universities. Representative IT departments need to cooperate closely. Therefore, when the IT Building is established, it will be the first step for PNU to become a prestigious university in the IT field.”

However, there is a risk of damage to nearby buildings due to construction noise and vibration during construction. The Division of Facilities Management said that from January to April 2024, geothermal and pile construction will cause large vibrations and noise. Kim Jae-Wook (Manager, Facilities Planning Team of the Division of Facilities Management) said, “Although inconvenience is expected due to noise and vibration, it is inevitable to ask for the understanding of PNU members to improve the facility. We will plan and proceed with the noise reduction activities of the construction itself.”

Reporter Jeong Da-Min

Translated by Kim Tae-Yi