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Advent of u-World As for the UIT industry's development trends at home and abroad, its ripple effect can reach to all spheres of human behavior because u-World means the world of IT everywhere, which can gain access to information anytime and anywhere and communicate without being aware of the existence of IT technology. The UIT market all over the world also is being predicted to grow rapidly from 302 trillion won in 2005 to 842 trillion won in 2010, with UIT growing rapidly as a cardinal industry. The u-World paradigm means a substantial relational change between a human being and computer. Namely, now that computers and chips can recognize an intention of a human being and to carry out its function autonomously in a u-World, the u-World paradigm has to fuse all things in a human-centered perspective. In that respect, the necessity of UIT design, as well as the role of UIT designer is critical. In terms of supply, u-World will be led by companies evenly equipped with three kinds capacity such as 'Information Technology for the Ubiquitous embodiment', 'Design that applies technology to things with a humanistic angle', and 'Management that grafts technology and design effectively. On the academic front as well, research about UIT design has to advance toward the direction in which technology, design and management are fused in a interdisciplinary fashion. On the necessity of establishing an UIT design college, an official involved in the project at Kookmin University says: "It is judged to be the request of the times to produce for a top level college to nurture human resource design capability by establishing a UIT design college fusion-model based on this industry's manpower demand in preparation for a time when the era of the u-World will be upon us." To nurture the 21st century fusion-model designer, Kookmin University will establish its UIT design college within a business period and plans to make progress as follows along this direction, according to the official. In the first year (2005) of the differentiation program project, the Coalition stage of the UIT design education program is going to construct a UIT design college with world-class infrastructure and operating system. Moreover, this Coalition stage supports incubation support as well as education on the basis of an educational-industrial cooperation. In the second project year (2006), there will be a national publicity drive on UIT design-associated international exchange as well as on the UIT design industry. In the third year of the project (2007) the new UIT design college itself will be established to nurture talent to further the emerging u-World. The Achievement stage in the fourth project year (2008) will spearhead u-Korea's design field by consolidating UIT design education by making maximizing educational infrastructure and operational know-how assembled over the last 3 years. Educational infrastructure What is worth noticing is that the vision of the UIT design education system, its goal and strategy under Kookmin University's specialization project, is geared closely with its long-term development plan, 'Leap 2010'. As part of its vision, Kookmin University has selected UIT design specialization project to nurture a fusion-model UIT designer education for the 21st century. Through this, Kookmin University aims to become an international Mecca of UIT design. As to Kookmin University's design infrastructure as well as competitiveness in UIT design education, the College of Design has constructed UIT design education development institute and UIT design solution center under its specialization project in 2004. Particularly, the College of Design has met all preconditions for the sake of UIT designer education by successfully constructing a foundation for UIT design education including a drastic reform of its entrance examinations and educational program. The College of Design, Kookmin University, held the first rank in two fields and the second rank in three fields among a total of 5 fields as a result of a nationwide assessment in 1997. Kookmin University's Graduate School of Techno Design, which was established with the view of nurturing design human capability of world level, has been selected for BK (Brain Korea) 21 project. The Techno Design School's interdisciplinary connection and expertise in educational-industrial cooperation are expected to create synergy with the UIT design project. The University's Special Graduate Schools also have been accumulating a variety of education content and know-how for the University's project. They include the Design Graduate School, whose 15 majors are being established with a view nurturing specialty designers and the Education Graduate School. The 01 Design Center, meanwhile, is activating design lifelong education and social design education through facilities such as its design gallery, design theater and design magazine library and programs such as a preliminary design course, special design course, design workshop, design business school, design culture academy, and free design lectures. In terms of educational program infrastructure, Kookmin University has secured workstations, and CNC DMU 60T product processing equipment, which is necessary for the UIT design curriculum. In addition, the University has been nurturing appropriate designers for the future IT industry, operating a total of 10 IT courses of study such as Studio Tools NC, VRML, and an Authoring Program. In particular, Kookmin University has introduced the 1+4 system to select and to educate appropriate students for the UIT design program in 2004. Besides, the University is operating 2 UIT-associated design courses of study per department, not to mention general UIT courses of study such as 'Digital Drawing' and 'Digital Modeling'.
