GIMHAE — Inje University has entered the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for the first time, placing in the 1,201-1,400 band in the THE World University Rankings 2027. The result makes it the top-ranked private university in Busan and South Gyeongsang Province and places it in a tie for 30th among Korean universities.
The university said on the 6th that the ranking puts it in the top 7% of about 22,000 universities worldwide. In Busan and South Gyeongsang Province, only Pusan National University and Pukyong National University ranked higher. Across the broader Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region, Inje ranked fifth, behind the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), the University of Ulsan, Pusan National University and Pukyong National University.
THE assesses universities using 17 indicators across five areas: teaching, research environment, research quality, industry engagement and international outlook. This year's assessment covered 2,297 qualifying universities in 118 countries, drawn from about 22,000 institutions in 196 countries. Forty-five Korean universities were ranked. Inje submitted assessment data for the first time late last year.
Inje scored 69.7 in industry engagement, the second-highest among the seven Korean universities in the same ranking band. The university attributes the score to its patent applications and registrations, its technology commercialization record and its workplace-based education programs run with companies.
A program called Field Campus, launched under a government initiative to support specialized regional universities, also contributed. The platform ties formal coursework to joint efforts by the university and companies to solve problems arising on industrial sites, and about 120 companies take part. Inje is pursuing medical device development by connecting the clinical expertise of Paik Hospital faculty with local companies. Technology transfers more than doubled to 51 last year from 25 in 2024.
In research quality, Inje scored 42.5, ahead of Kangwon National University at 39.3, Seoul National University of Science and Technology at 38.2 and the University of Seoul at 36.8, all in the same ranking band. The university cited expanded international joint research and rising citations of its papers.
Inje supports on-campus research through GOU FIRST, another program under the specialized regional university initiative. It is expanding research tied to local industries, including biomedical foundry work, smart logistics and future mobility, and is also working with Kimhae College and Kaya University.
Chun Min-hyun, president of Inje University, said the first-time entry reflects the work of faculty and researchers in widening international research networks and carrying research results into industry and society. "We will further strengthen our global research competitiveness and industry-academia cooperation capabilities," he said.
