Korea Aerospace University (KAU) has achieved the highest ratings in both evaluation categories of the 2025 University Innovation Support Project Performance Evaluation, organized by the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea. The university received an S grade in the Education Innovation Performance category and an A grade in the Internal Performance Management category. Notably, KAU maintained the top S grade for Education Innovation Performance for the second consecutive year, following 2024, highlighting its sustained commitment to educational innovation. As a result, the university will receive approximately 2.4 billion KRW in additional incentives.

This success was driven by a wide range of innovation initiatives, including:

Full implementation of the Flexible Major Selection System

Expansion of students’ choice of majors in line with demand

Reduced credit burden through academic system reforms

Establishment of customized career and academic support systems

Restructuring of liberal arts and general education programs

Enhanced communication with university members

In particular, the full adoption of the Flexible Major Selection System has been recognized as an excellent case of providing students with broader career opportunities and greater curricular flexibility.

The University Innovation Support Project is a government funding initiative designed to support universities’ autonomous innovation and structural reforms. It aims to nurture convergent talents for future society and respond to demographic changes by supporting curriculum reforms, structural adjustments, and improvements in educational environments. Each university carries out projects based on self-designed development plans, and the performance evaluation comprehensively reviews whether these plans have effectively enhanced educational quality and student competencies.

In addition to this achievement, KAU has also been selected for several other major national initiatives in 2024, including the Regional Innovation-led University Support System (RISE), the BK21 Four Program for fostering innovative talent, and the Aviation and Drone Innovation Convergence University Project. Through these accomplishments, KAU continues to strengthen its position as a future-oriented innovative university with balanced excellence in both education and research.