The Joint Cooperation Projects support education and research units (teams) by promoting performance sharing, capacity building, international research collaboration, and the recruitment of outstanding graduate students.

Lab-to-Life Research Festival

• Eligibility
  (The Lab-to-Life Research Festival is operated with two categories: Session Participants [e.g., presenters, booth operators] and General Participants [e.g., on-site visitors and prize event participants])
  • Session Participants : Graduate students, early-career researchers, and faculty members affiliated with BK21 Education and Research Units
  • General Participants : Graduate students, early-career researchers, undergraduate students, etc.
• Overview
  A large-scale research festival in which graduate students from BK21 research units introduce their research to the public (Into the Lab), engage in dialogue through their research topics (Cross the Lab), and apply their findings to solve local community issues (TO the Life).
  • Into the Lab : Sharing innovative research from university labs with the public
  • Cross the Lab : Fostering interdisciplinary exchange and convergence across diverse fields
  • To the life : Sharing the social value of research outcomes as they connect to everyday life
• Period : Held annually between October and November
• Venue : SK Future Hall (Choi Jong-hyun Hall, Injaerim)
• Key Sessions

  Key Sessions

  Sessions	Contents
  Graduate Student Poster Presentation	Participants prepare research posters and deliver individual presentations, receiving feedback through public evaluation and expert review. Presenters introduce their research to students from other departments, share opinions, and build research communities. Eligibility : Graduate students affiliated with BK21 Education and Research Units, participants of the Science Shop program, and graduate students in Mentor-Mentee Tracks 2 and 3 Program Registration : Held annually in the second half of the year (September–October) Benefits : Research funding of up to 1 million KRW provided
  BK21 Education & Research Lab Showcase Booth Career & Startup Counseling Booth International Graduate Student Support Programs Booth	Booth Zone Introducing a BK21 Education&Research Lab Showcase Booth, Career&Startup Counseling Booth, International Graduate Student Support Programs Booth
  Research Presentations by Early Career Researchers	Early career researchers—including postdoctoral fellows and research professors—present the results of research projects they have independently planned and conducted Eligibility : Early Career Researchers and graduate students affiliated with BK21 Education & Research Units Program Registration : Recruitment held annually in the second half of the year (August–October) Benefits : Research funding of up to 3 million KRW provided, with additional support for presentation and publication fees
  K-3MT (Korea University 3 Minute Thesis) Competition	K-3MT is a research communication competition in which graduate students and early-career researchers present their research in just three minutes, using only one slide, in a clear and engaging way that is accessible to non-specialists Eligibility : Graduate students and early-career researchers affiliated with Korea University (Seoul Campus) Timeline : Orientation during the academic break → Approximately 3 months of basic and advanced training programs → K-3MT Final Competition → Presentation at the KU Research Achievement Forum Benefits Top 3 finalists: Prize money ranging from KRW 500,000 to 2,000,000 Top 1 finalist: Conference participation support (up to KRW 3,000,000)
  Keynote Lecture	A keynote lecture designed to actively reflect the needs of future research talent, based on a demand survey of (prospective) graduate students affiliated with BK21 Education and Research Units
  KU Global Grad Talks ─ Talk Concert for International Graduate Students	A talk concert where international graduate students can hear firsthand from alumni who have successfully entered the job market and newly appointed international faculty members who share their experiences of adapting to the Korean research environment. Through interactive Q&A sessions, participants will engage with early-career researchers who are forging their own paths, gaining insights and opportunities for career consultation and networking.
  Prize Draw Event	A prize draw for participants who collect stamps by attending multiple sessions throughout the Lab-to-Life Research Festival.

• Previous Lab-to-Life Research Festival (Click the link to be redirected to the site.)
  YOUTUBE (https://youtu.be/r9NPBdhcUks)

• Inquiries : Innovation Team, Graduate School (Tel) 02-3290-5260 (E-mail) graduate_BK21@korea.ac.kr

International Academic Support Program

• Eligibility : 4th-Phase BK21 Education & Research Teams
• Overview : Administrative support for programs that promote graduate-school internationalization—joint domestic/overseas conferences, exchange events, invited lectures by distinguished foreign scholars, and collaborative research.
• Period : Annually, June – January of the following year
• 2025 Support Items (Schedules and details may change according to operating conditions.)

  2025 Support Items

  Organizing Education & Research Unit	Participating Departments	Event Title	Overview	Period
  BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Learning Health System	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering	Global Forum on Environmental Health Networking	Lecture and mentoring by Prof. Jae-Hong Kim (Yale University), a world-renowned expert in environmental engineering and environmental health	Jul 2 (Wed) – Jul 3 (Thu)
  BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Chemisty	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for KU-KIST Converging Science and Technology	14th Jilin-Korea-Waseda Alliance Annual Symposium	Latest research on advanced materials; oral presentations by KU, Jilin Univ., and Waseda Univ. researchers; poster sessions for domestic and overseas students; networking among the three universities.	Aug 21 (Thu) – Aug 23 (Sat)
  BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Education	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Psychology	2025 bMRI Symposium on Motivation	International symposium featuring three distinguished foreign scholars, graduate-student mentoring seminars, and manuscript-consulting sessions.	Nov 4 (Tue) – Nov 7 (Fri)
  BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Materials Science and Engineering	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Psychology BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Chemical & Biological Engineering Mechanical Engineering Education and Research Unit for Fostering Consilience Talent and Creating Sustainable Future Value BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Electrical Engineering	6th KU MSE-KKS-CBE-ME-EE Joint Symposium on Advanced Materials & Systems	Ten tutorial seminars delivered by internationally recognized scholars aligned with each host team’s theme.	Jun – Dec (series of sessions)

• Inquiries : Innovation Team, Graduate School (Tel) 02-3290-5236 (E-mail) graduate_BK21@korea.ac.kr

Tailored PDP (Professional Development Program) by BK21 FOUR Education and Research Unit

• Eligibility : BK21 FOUR Education and Research Unit
• Overview : Administrative support for team-specific employment and career-focused programs that nurture the specialized talent envisioned by each team.
• Period : Annually, June – January of the following year
• 2025 Support Items (Schedules and details may change according to operating conditions.)

  2025 Support Items

  division	BK21 FOUR Education and Research Unit	Program	Program Content	Period
  Independent Model	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering	Future-Shaping Global Career Seminar: Career Strategies After Graduation — From Research to Practice	Experts from academia, research institutes, and industry will share post-degree career paths across key construction disciplines, including structure, geotech, water resources, transport, and architecture.	Sep 12 (Fri) – Nov 28 (Fri), 6 sessions total
  Independent Model	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Business Administration	Young Scholars’ Conference	Mini Conference Session Research presentations simulating international conferences, with opportunities for submission and networking. Round Table Session Open discussion on conferences, academic careers, collaboration, and grad school experiences.	Scheduled for late November
  Scalable Model	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Media and Communication + Korean Language Education	Research on Korean Language Education Using Media	Special lectures by field experts and 10 internal seminars for research members Publication of a research volume on Korean language education utilizing media Interim presentation in October / Final presentation in January	Jul 15 (Tue) – Jan 9 (Fri) of the following year
  Independent Model	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Energy & Environment	Data & Methodology Clinic for Sustainable Policy	A series of research methodology lectures featuring hands-on workshops on topics such as topic modeling, econometric techniques, and Delphi survey design.	3 sessions held from August to December
  Collaborative Model	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Materials Science and Engineering + BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Chemical & Biological Engineering	Rhino 3D + Grasshopper for Academic Writing a paper	A practical workshop on the basics and applications of Rhino and Grasshopper, useful for modeling molecular structures and diagrams commonly used in Materials Science and Chemical & Biological Engineering.	Jan 2 (Fri) – Jan 9 (Fri)
  Independent Model	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Education	Emerging Education Scientist Research Fair	Poster Session by Graduate Students in Education + Undergraduate Career Exploration Opportunity	Sep 4 (Thu)
  Independent Model	BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering	2025 Eco-Leader Keystone Symposium with the Eco-Leader Training Committee	Includes a seminar featuring Eco-Leader Training Committee members, research presentations by graduate students, and evaluations. The event provides a platform for exchange on research outcomes and future directions between graduate researchers and committee members.	Dec 17 (Wed)
  Independent Model	BK21 FOUR Education and Research Group for Global Korean Studies in the Post-Development Era	Gentle Words : Special Lecture on Literary Therapy & Program Development Research Presentation	This event features a guest lecture by a literary therapy expert, introducing real-world cases to strengthen the audience's theoretical understanding. It is followed by a research presentation and discussion, where graduate students in Korean Language & Literature share the theoretical framework of literary therapy programs they have designed and will implement.	Special Lecture : Nov 11 (Tue) – 18 (Tue) Research Presentation Session : Jan 7 (Wed) - 8 (Thu)

• Inquiries : Innovation Team, Graduate School (Tel) 02-3290-5238 (E-mail) graduate_BK21@korea.ac.kr

Lab Mentor–Mentee Program

Pairs graduate student mentors with undergraduate mentees. Graduate students share expertise from ongoing laboratory research, while undergraduates gain hands-on research experience.

• Eligibility : Graduate students in BK21 FOUR Education and Research Unit that operate laboratories
• Overview : Guide undergraduate adaptation to the lab and supervise detailed internship tasks. Submit a final report and attend the closing presentation session.
• Program Registration : Recruitment held semiannually (May–June, November–December)
• Period : Conducted during the summer and winter breaks for 2–4 months
• Benefits
  • Graduate students : KRW 300,000 – 400,000 per month (varies by track) + publication incentives.
  • Undergraduates : Certificate of completion + extra points when applying for BK21 scholarships upon graduate-school admission.
• Inquiries : Innovation Team, Graduate School (Tel) 02-3290-5260 (E-mail) graduate_BK21@korea.ac.kr
  (※ Program details may vary depending on operational conditions.)