Hanyang University ERICA's Industry-Academic Cooperation Group, in collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), has established a hub for advanced technology education in El Salvador.
According to Hanyang University ERICA, the 'Innovation Technology Education Center (IITC)' at the El Salvadoran technical institution ITCA-FEPADE officially opened on October 22.
This center is a key achievement of the 'El Salvador ITCA Engineering Education Capacity Enhancement Project,' which KOICA is funding with a total of $5.8 million from 2021 to 2028.
The ERICA Industry-Academic Cooperation Group is responsible for project management consulting (PMC), which includes curriculum development, faculty training, support for practical equipment, and facility construction.
The two-story center, covering an area of 788.12 square meters, features manufacturing technology labs utilizing smart factories, industrial robots, PLCs, and 3D printers, as well as educational facilities for cybersecurity, networking, IoT, drones, and AR&VR.
A total of 111 types of practical equipment, amounting to 1,240 items, have been provided through the project.
The project has also achieved success in curriculum development.
Two degree programs in manufacturing technology and information technology, along with 60 educational modules and four short courses, have been developed, with 221 ITCA faculty members participating in local training.
Currently, 80 students are enrolled in the newly established degree programs, which began in 2024, and the first 18 graduates are expected this year.
In the short courses offered this year, 33 participants completed the programs, achieving an average satisfaction rating of 4.74 out of 5.
To ensure international educational quality, the center is also pursuing certification as a FACT training center from the German industrial automation company FESTO.
To celebrate the center's opening, the 'KOICA-ITCA Week' was held from October 20 to 22, attracting over 1,350 participants, including local industry representatives, students, and residents.
An employment and entrepreneurship fair featured 80 companies, providing job counseling opportunities for more than 610 individuals.
During an industry forum, Park Tae-jun, a professor in the Department of Robotics at Hanyang University ERICA and project leader, shared ERICA's industry-academic cooperation experiences and proposed applying the industry-linked problem-based learning (IC-PBL) model to address real business challenges in El Salvador.
Over the past decade, more than 1,000 companies have participated in ERICA's IC-PBL.
Park emphasized, "By linking ITCA's dual education with the newly established center, we can expand the local industry-academic cooperation ecosystem through membership programs for companies, shared use of practical facilities, and joint student projects."
The ERICA Industry-Academic Cooperation Group plans to continue supporting ITCA faculty in enhancing their educational capabilities and developing industry-linked programs.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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