Department of Defense AI and Robotics Convergence Produces Its First Ph.D. Graduate, Marking a Milestone in Cultivating Defense Specialists 

Kwangwoon University's Department of Defense AI and Robotics Convergence has produced its first Ph.D. graduate, marking a significant achievement in cultivating highly qualified professionals in the field of defense artificial intelligence.

The Department of Defense AI and Robotics Convergence offers a professional master's and doctoral degree program in unmanned robotics and artificial intelligence, supported by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT). The program is designed for employees in the defense industry and aims to develop advanced expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

The program is led by Professor Seokjae Jeong, with Professor Jeongsu Kim serving as Chief Professor and Professor Chanbong Park as Program Professor. The department currently collaborates with leading Korean defense-related companies, including Korean Air, Hanwha Systems, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), SIMNET, MOASOFT, Samyang Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd., EOST, Funzin, and NeonTech.

Inhong Jeong, a sixth-cohort doctoral candidate in the Department of Defense AI and Robotics Convergence and an employee of Samyang Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd., is scheduled to receive his Doctor of Engineering degree this August. He will become the first doctoral graduate of Kwangwoon University's Department of Defense AI and Robotics Convergence. In recognition of his outstanding research achievements, Jeong received a Commendation from the President of the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT) at the 2nd Defense Industry Day – Defense Industry Contract Department Support Program Performance Conference, held on July 8, 2026.

Under the supervision of Professor Chaebong Son of the College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Jeong conducted research in the field of defense artificial intelligence for approximately three years. His research focused on multispectral image-based camouflaged object detection, designing and evaluating lightweight AI models suitable for defense applications. His doctoral dissertation is titled, "Design and Performance Evaluation of Lightweight Models for Real-Time Camouflaged Object Detection Based on Multispectral Images: A Comparative Analysis of Efficiency."

Building on the achievement of producing its first Ph.D. graduate, the Department of Defense AI and Robotics Convergence plans to further strengthen its education and research by reflecting the evolving needs of the defense AI and unmanned robotics industries. The department will continue to cultivate highly skilled professionals who will contribute to enhancing the technological competitiveness of Korea's defense industry.