SNU College of Engineering is the First in Korea to Open an IoT·AI·Big Data Course that Breaks the Walls Between Undergraduate Faculties

​- Conducted by 8 Professors Each Specialized in Different Fields

With aims to cultivate talent and develop leaders that can lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Korea, SNU College of Engineering opens up a special course on Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) for students of variety of majors.
 
In order to rear individuals of interdisciplinary abilities, SNU College of Engineering plans to launch the “Introduction to IoT, AI, and Big Data and Practice (IAB)” course that targets non-major students starting from this year’s second semester. This attempt of the SNU College of Engineering to bring down the barriers between different majors is the first in Korea.
 
The main purpose behind this launch of new course is based on SNU College of Engineering’s vision that the success of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is dependent on cross-disciplinary collaboration. College of Engineering Dean Cha Kook-Heon who has taken lead in the development of the course explains, “The core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution lies in the convergence of technologies. Universities that stand on the front line of the Fourth Industrial Revolution need to take the lead in delivering interdisciplinary skills to students pertaining to different majors. The IAB is a chance to implement Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to all fields in Korea.” Cha adds, “The understanding of high technology is of paramount importance in this era regardless of students’ field of major. Thus, this course is also opened to students from College of Humanities, Social Sciences, etc.”
 
The IAB mainly targets junior students that are not from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Department of Computer Science and Engineering, but is still opened to the rest of the school including College of Humanities and Social Sciences. It is worth 3 credits and is planned to be taught by 8 professors who are leading authorities in IoT, AI, and Big Data through the co-teaching method.
 
Professor Yoon Sungroh from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who is one of Korea’s top authority in AI will be in charge of Machine Learning and Deep Learning while Professor Chun Byung-Gon from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering who is the first Korean to receive the Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship will be covering Big Data. The course, unlike usual courses, will introduce Flipped Learning, which involves students watching a lecture video prior to class to conduct discussion and complete assignments in class. Director Kang Hyun-koo of the Center for Innovation in Engineering Education states, “The value that students in US, a leader of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, put in their computer is equivalent to stature of English to Korean students. We plan to open up courses on block chain and cybersecurity as follow-ups to IAB.”