Samsung SDI

Company partners with SKKU to raise battery experts via a dedicated battery department opening in 2026

Samsung SDI CEO Yoon-ho Choi says, “Securing and nurturing top talent is Samsung SDI’s future competitiveness. … We will secure a pool of key talent that will lead the battery market, thereby bolstering our ‘super-gap’ technological competitiveness as a global top-tier company”

SEOUL, Korea – July 12, 2024 – Samsung SDI today announced that the company has entered into an agreement for establishment of an academic department dedicated to raising future experts on battery engineering with Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU).

The company said it held a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony on SKKU’s campus on July 11, attended by President of SKKU Ji-beom Yoo, Professor Won-Sub Yoon who is set to lead the Department of Battery Engineering, Professor and Dean of College of Science Ji-man Kim, Samsung SDI President and CEO Yoon-ho Choi, Executive Vice President (EVP) and Head of the company's R&D Center Yoon-chang Kim, EVP and Head of People Team Jae-woo Ahn.

Named as "Department of Battery Engineering" at SKKU, the department will be run as a four-year undergraduate program at the university’s College of Engineering from March 2026. The program is planned to accept a pool of some 30 students every year for the following 10 years. Students admitted to the Department of Battery Engineering will go through a holistic range of catered battery education from materials and cells to modules and packs. Those graduating with a bachelor’s degree from this program will be offered a job opportunity at Samsung SDI. This move by Samsung SDI is aimed at raising experts in the battery field which is rapidly growing around the global electric vehicle market, as well as bolstering the nation’s efforts to develop talent in key strategic industries of Korea.

"Securing and nurturing top talent is Samsung SDI’s future competitiveness,” remarked Samsung SDI President and CEO Yoon-ho Choi. “Through this MOU with SKKU, we will secure a pool of key talent that will lead the battery market, thereby bolstering our ‘super-gap’ technological competitiveness as a global top-tier company.”

SKKU President Ji-beom Yoo said, “Today we inked the start of our roles that will pioneer the battery engineering field,” and added, “With rising importance of battery technologies, SKKU and Samsung SDI will together strive to achieve sustainable advances based on mutual trust and collaborations.”

Since 2021, Samsung’s battery arm has been operating battery talent programs with various academic entities in Korea such as POSTECH, SNU, KAIST, Hanyang University, SKKU, and UNIST. The company plans to establish more departments specializing in battery technologies in its industry-academia partnerships. 

Samsung SDI hosts ‘Tech & Career Forum,’ which is its own career fair for PhD-level talent, to attract top talent at a global scale. First held in Korea in 2022, the job event has expanded to New York, Silicon Valley and Munich, and is scheduled to visit key countries in Europe and the United States this year.