LG Establishes Korea’s First Government-Accredited In-House Graduate School Focused on AI

In a groundbreaking move, LG has established Korea’s first company-run graduate school officially accredited by the Ministry of Education. The LG AI Graduate School is now legally recognized as a formal institution of lifelong education, authorized to award both master’s and doctoral degrees. This is a first for a corporate entity anywhere in the world.

On August 25, LG announced that the school was accredited under Article 4 of the Special Act on Advanced Industry Talent Innovation, enacted in January 2025. Originally launched in 2022, the LG AI Graduate School now holds legal status equivalent to traditional higher education institutions. This development allows its graduates to receive degrees officially recognized on par with those from conventional graduate programs.

Previously, Korean corporations were only permitted to operate in-house colleges, which are vocational training facilities that offer an education equivalent to a two-year college or university diploma. LG’s achievement marks a significant evolution in corporate education, transitioning from internal training to fully accredited academic degree programs.

The Ministry of Education has already approved the school’s master’s program, while the doctoral program is currently undergoing the accreditation process, expected to conclude within the year. The school is slated to open on September 30, with Honglak Lee, co-head of LG AI Research, appointed as its inaugural dean. Admissions will begin in September, with the first cohort of students set to matriculate in March 2026.

The LG AI Graduate School aims to develop practical, industry-ready artificial intelligence experts, positioning South Korea among the top three AI powerhouses globally. The institution boasts a faculty of 25 AI professionals with extensive academic and industrial experience across diverse AI fields. The curriculum merges cutting-edge AI theory with real-world industrial applications, leveraging proprietary LG data and national AI initiatives for hands-on learning.

To accelerate workforce readiness, the school will offer a highly concentrated program—three semesters for the master’s track and approximately two years for the doctoral track—focusing on immersive, real-world problem-solving.

Beyond the graduate school, LG is expanding its AI talent development efforts through several initiatives. These include an open-call AI internship program for domestic graduate students, the LG AI Academy for employees, and outreach programs such as LG Discovery Lab for youth, the LG AI Youth Camp in partnership with Seoul National University, and the LG Aimers program aimed at nurturing young AI professionals.

The original Korean-language article is available on the LG Newsroom website.