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Three universities in Korea — Kyung Hee University, Chung-Ang University, and Soongsil University — are set to open graduate schools focused on metaverse-related subjects.
A local newspaper reported that these universities have been chosen by the Ministry of Science and ICT’s government program to foster metaverse education in the region.
Through the program, the universities will receive a total of 5.5 billion won (approximately $4 million) over the next six years, with the funding distributed annually.
The new metaverse-focused graduate schools will begin offering courses this fall semester. These courses will cover metaverse applications across various industries, including sports, art, and health, and will also emphasize emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
This initiative is part of a broader trend in higher education’s embrace of the metaverse. Last week, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology introduced AI-generated teachers — including a virtual Albert Einstein — to enhance student engagement in academic courses.
In 2022, Nanjing University renamed its Department of Information Engineering to the Department of Metaverse Engineering, while Tokyo’s Todai University announced metaverse courses to prepare students in areas such as artificial intelligence and next-generation communication technologies.
Meta also announced plans last month to expand into the education sector with new VR products for classrooms. These products will provide teachers with access to educational apps and features designed to make learning more interactive.
Education has been one of the industries to benefit significantly from the metaverse. Beyond making classrooms more engaging, the metaverse addresses major challenges such as distance and physical constraints.
According to Precedence Research, the global metaverse in the education market was valued at $5.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach around $143.87 billion by 2033.
