BUSAN — Busan received the highest grade in the Education Ministry's annual review of its regional growth talent development system, known as ANCHOR, the city said. The city also secured additional performance incentives, winning recognition for a joint talent development framework involving 20 universities in the region and for cooperation among those schools.
The city said on the 8th that it earned an S grade, the top rating, in the ministry's 2026 annual review of the ANCHOR program. The review covered results from 2025 and examined the project's implementation structure and governance, the performance of individual tasks and the appropriateness of project management.
Busan drew high marks for building a cooperative structure centered on the Busan Anchor Center that brings together universities and regional innovation institutions, and for strengthening the independence and expertise of the dedicated implementing body. Reviewers also credited the city with systematically running talent development projects that reflect local characteristics and industry demand.
The city won praise for operating tasks flexibly according to each university's circumstances and strengths while sharing curricula and infrastructure across schools and expanding joint programs. Reviewers said Busan had laid the foundation for a locally tailored system in which the entire region develops talent together and shares the results, moving away from projects run by individual universities.
In the second year of the program, the city plans to expand curricula linked to local industries, joint education and sharing and cooperation projects among universities. It aims to spread successful cases across the region so that the program's results extend beyond universities to businesses and local communities.
"This S grade is not an achievement of the city alone but the fruit of 20 local universities thinking together about Busan's future," Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said. "We will further solidify the foundation that allows people to study, work and settle down in Busan."
