2025 is witnessing a strong wave of innovation and change in various fields. In particular, Ajou University and Shinhan University, both educational institutions, and Lotte Department Store, a leading player in the distribution industry, are preparing for the future with their own visions. From changes in the educational environment to strategies that align with new consumer trends, we will take a deep look at how our lives and society will evolve through the key changes and specialized programs they will introduce in 2025.
Ajou University is anticipating a major innovation in its educational environment in the 2025 academic year and is accelerating the nurturing of future talent. The most noteworthy change is the expansion of the medical school enrollment. The admission quota has been significantly increased from the existing 40 to 120, and 110 students will be selected in the 2025 academic year, with 50 students recruited through the regular admissions process. This demonstrates Ajou University's commitment to actively respond to the demand for talent in the medical field. In addition, the abolition of mandatory subjects for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) in the regular and rolling admissions processes will expand the options for test takers.
The introduction of a major-free admission system is an important change that maximizes students' choice of majors. A liberal arts college (58 in humanities, 108 in natural sciences) will be newly established, and after completing their first year, students can freely choose a major from all departments within the university or take a 'student-designed major' that they design themselves. Along with this, the 'Ajou Innovation University Model (ai Lab)' will be introduced, with 100% major-free admission in departments such as the Frontier Science College and the College of Convergence of Economics, Politics, and Society, to support students in exploring a wide range of academic fields and providing flexible learning opportunities. The reorganization of colleges and departments will also take place, with the College of Information and Communication Technology being reorganized into the College of Advanced ICT Convergence, the Departments of Physics, Chemistry, and Life Sciences being integrated into the Frontier Science College, and the Departments of Economics, Sociology, and Political Science and Diplomacy being integrated into the College of Convergence of Economics, Politics, and Society.
Ajou University also operates various specialized programs for the growth of students. The 'Ajou Boost Program' for students with academic warnings provides systematic learning support with the goals of strengthening learning strategies and self-management skills, and improving academic self-esteem. The 'Job Ajou_Path' program for graduates assists in their entry into society through 1:1 customized job consulting. In addition, it provides self-directed learning experiences through the 'Blue Semester System,' where students design their own challenges and receive credits, and offers diverse opportunities such as social problem-solving programs, programs proposed by professors and companies, and global programs.
Shinhan University is strengthening its role as a university that leads regional innovation in the 2025 academic year. Announcing the 2025 academic year admission plan, it emphasizes 'a spirit of challenge that is not afraid of change' rather than major changes in the overall admission process. In particular, it is noteworthy that it has been additionally selected as a participating university in the '2025 Gyeonggi-do Regional Innovation-centered University Support System (RISE) Project' promoted by Gyeonggi-do and the Ministry of Education.
Through this project, Shinhan University plans to build a regional innovation model centered on carbon neutrality and ESG as a core university that drives the sustainable development of northern Gyeonggi-do. It plans to expand industry-university-research cooperation, focusing on regional-specific projects such as eco-friendly energy conversion, ESG management support for local small and medium-sized enterprises, and sustainable urban and industrial transition programs, to create tangible changes and results. This will serve as an important stepping stone to present solutions to major issues facing northern Gyeonggi-do, such as climate change response, industrial transition, and talent outflow, and to strengthen cooperation with local communities, industries, and local governments.
Shinhan University operates an 'Admission SW Education Program' as a specialized program for incoming students. This program is designed to enhance understanding of software before admission and to cultivate computational thinking and ICT capabilities, and provides opportunities to experience university lectures in advance and earn credits through online/offline classes. This demonstrates Shinhan University's efforts to nurture talent with essential digital capabilities in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Lotte Department Store is also seeking continuous change and challenges as a leader in the distribution industry in 2025. To overcome stagnant sales growth, it has put forward a strategy of strengthening premium products and improving store efficiency as its core strategy. It will focus on high-profit stores in core commercial areas such as Myeongdong Main Store, Jamsil Store, and Busan Main Store, and plans to invest about 7 trillion won by 2030 to expand the 'Time Villas' model and transform it into a shopping mall format to improve profitability.
Lotte Department Store is pursuing both external growth and profitability through the 'Transformation 2.0' strategy, and is prioritizing the 'reestablishment of market leadership in department store core commercial areas.' It is strengthening its premium strategy by completing the renovation of major stores such as Incheon, Jamsil, Main Store, and Busan Main Store by 2028, along with the disposal of inefficient assets. In addition, it is enhancing its competitiveness by providing customers with an 'unimaginable smart premium shopping experience' by breaking down the boundaries between online and offline through digital transformation.
It is also actively entering the global market, and in particular, sales in the Vietnamese market have increased by 180%, showing the possibility of K-retail's overseas expansion. Emphasizing business innovation that reflects the customer's perspective, it plans to provide customers with a special experience in the 2025 Christmas season by staging 30,000 LED lights and a 100-meter-long moving shop window in Myeongdong under the theme of 'Sweet Holidays.'
As for specialized programs, it operates various programs to strengthen partnerships with small and medium-sized businesses and promotes co-existence, and is practicing sustainable management through customer-participating ESG activities such as the 'RE:EARTH' campaign and 'FUN ESG.' At the Lotte Group level, it is discovering innovative ideas by providing up to 100 million won in support through the in-house venture program 'Lotte Unicorn Valley.'
In 2025, Ajou University, Shinhan University, and Lotte Department Store are attempting bold changes and innovations towards the future in their respective fields. Ajou University focuses on nurturing creative talent that society demands in the future through major revisions to the education system and student-centered specialized programs. Shinhan University leads regional innovation with practical education that strengthens ties with local communities and realizes ESG values. Lotte Department Store is leading the market by creating new customer experiences and changing the distribution environment through premium strategies, digital transformation, and global expansion. Their continuous efforts will add new value to our society and create a better future.
A1: The expansion of Ajou University's medical school enrollment will be applied from the 2025 academic year, and will be expanded from the existing 40 to 120. A total of 110 students will be selected in the 2025 academic year.
A2: Shinhan University's selection for the '2025 Gyeonggi-do Regional Innovation-centered University Support System (RISE) Project' means that it will play a key role in building a carbon-neutral and ESG-centered regional innovation model in the northern Gyeonggi-do region.
A3: 'Time Villas' is a large shopping mall model that Lotte Department Store plans to expand by investing 7 trillion won by 2030. It aims to be a complex experience space where culture, art, and entertainment are combined, going beyond a simple shopping space, and aims to improve profitability.
A4: After completing their first year, students of the liberal arts college can choose any department within the university without restrictions, excluding some limited departments such as the Department of Medicine, Department of Nursing, and Department of Pharmacy, and can also take a major designed by the students themselves.
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