The talent development system in Gwangju has received the highest rating in the country.
According to Gwangju City on September 9, the Ministry of Education awarded the region an S grade in its "2026 Regional Growth Talent Development System (Anchor) Year 1 Annual Review."
The Ministry evaluated the progress and outcomes of projects across 17 metropolitan and provincial governments nationwide from the previous year.
For the evaluation period of 2025, Gwangju and Jeonnam were assessed separately as they operated their respective projects during that time.
Gwangju received the S grade alongside Busan and Chungnam.
A grades were awarded to Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Daejeon, and Ulsan, while B grades went to Gyeongbuk, Daegu, Incheon, Jeonnam, and Jeju. C grades were given to Seoul, Sejong, Jeonbuk, and Chungbuk.
Considering that this is the early stage of the project, the Ministry focused on whether the regional implementation processes could lead to substantial outcomes rather than just quantitative results.
The evaluation criteria included: the establishment and operation of implementation systems, securing budgets and support strategies, project and unit task management, and the establishment and operation of performance management systems.
Gwangju scored high for establishing a collaborative system where the region and universities jointly plan and operate projects, introducing competitive selection methods among universities, and implementing systematic performance management, thereby leading the way in regionally driven university innovation.
In particular, Gwangju focused on identifying projects that leverage the unique characteristics and strengths of local universities, strengthening connections between universities and industries, and continuously monitoring and evaluating project progress to incorporate results into project improvements, thus establishing a performance-oriented project management system.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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