Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)

Founded in 1993, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) is a private university in South Korea’s sixth-largest city Gwangju.

The GIST acronym, while also standing for the full name of the university, also represents the values of the institution - namely Global Standard, Innovative thinking, Scientific research and Technological advancement.

Initially intended to be a research-driven university for graduates, in 2010 GIST accepted undergraduates for the first time and the first bachelor’s degrees were conferred in 2014. The university is divided between the GIST College for undergraduates and the Graduate School.

Within the Graduate School there are six schools and two separate departments: the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the School of Materials Science and Engineering, the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, the School of Mechanical Engineering, the School of Life Sciences, and the School of Physics and Chemistry. The two departments are the Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, and the Department of Nanobio Materials and Electronics.

In its short history, GIST has become a well known university among South Korea’s smaller institutions, providing a broad liberal arts education as well as leading faculties within the fields of science and engineering. The university has a relatively small number of students, meaning that GIST students are able to learn in the personal company of experts in their respective fields.

Aside from a small number of humanities courses, all lectures at the GIST College are delivered in English and the university offers exchange programs for all students.