On April 3, 2023, Korea University (KU)’s University Research Institute Industry Collaboration Center (URIC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Korea Automotive Research Institute (KATECH), aiming to promote future mobility workforce development. The signing ceremony was attended by KU’s University’s College of Engineering Dean Lee Hae-keun, as well as KATECH’s President Na Seung-sik.

The two parties agreed to cooperate in a variety of areas, such as the fostering a specialized workforce for future vehicles, development of a program for sharing and exchanging technological ideas, and other cooperative endeavors identified as mutually beneficial. The gPBL program will tackle six issues related to the future of mobility, including industrial policies, escalating social issues, and improving the safety and efficiency of autonomous and electric vehicles. The initiative will recruit teams of graduate students to participate in the gPBL program for four to five months, followed by a final result presentation.

In an official speech, Professor Lee Hae-keun (Dean of the College of Engineering) stated, "The iPBL initiative have been conducted to fit the demands of corporations, but the gPBL will allow us to broaden our scope to tackle issues faced by the public sector.” He expressed his hope that the gPBL will spark innovative ideas and allow students to grow through new research experiences.