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Catholic University of Korea Leads AI Ethics in Medicine with New Drug Discovery Program and Vatican-Approved Canon Law School
The Catholic University of Korea (CUK) announced a series of initiatives that combine artificial intelligence (AI) with a strong ethical framework rooted in its Catholic identity. In the fall semester, the university will launch an interdisciplinary graduate program in AI drug discovery and regulatory science that draws on clinical data from its eight affiliated hospitals. Earlier in May, the Catholic Medical Center adopted Korea’s first medical AI code of ethics, declaring that AI should serve humanity rather than replace human judgment.
President Choi Jun‑gui said the university’s vision, “Be Catholic, Be Excellent,” is meant to distinguish CUK by pairing cutting‑edge AI and biomedical innovation with education grounded in human dignity, ethics and respect for life. “AI is a tool. Human beings must always remain the ones who guide and control that tool,” he told The Korea Times.
The new graduate program will be jointly run by the colleges of pharmacy, medicine and medical AI. Students will train on real‑world clinical data while participating in industry internships and regulatory training. The program is designed to meet a growing global demand for professionals who understand both AI technology and the regulatory and ethical frameworks that govern it.
The Catholic Medical Center’s AI code of ethics, adopted on May 7, is the first of its kind in Korea. The code states that AI should enhance human decision‑making and not supplant it. Choi noted that AI has accelerated every stage of drug development, from design to validation, and that “the faster technology advances, the more important ethical review and regulatory oversight become.”
CUK’s integrated ecosystem—university, industry and hospitals—provides a unique advantage for training professionals who combine technical expertise with ethical judgment. “Our strength is that the university, industry and hospitals already operate within a single ecosystem,” Choi said. The university is also partnering with cosmetics firm COSMAX to create a Bio‑AI Cosmetics Track that blends education, joint research and industry‑sponsored scholarships.
Beyond domestic programs, CUK is leveraging its global Catholic network to enhance international competitiveness. The university hosts East Asia’s only Vatican‑approved Graduate School of Canon Law, which connects it to the Holy See’s quality‑assurance agency AVEPRO and the alliance of Catholic research universities SACRU. These links enable research collaboration, faculty exchange and governance cooperation that extend beyond traditional student‑exchange programs.
CUK is preparing to host the international academic conference for the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul, an event that will attract roughly 400,000 overseas participants and about one million attendees overall. The conference will bring together young people, scholars and Church leaders from around the world and will serve as a platform for the university to demonstrate the meaning of “Be Catholic, Be Excellent.”
The university is also expanding research collaboration with Catholic universities in Italy, Spain, Taiwan, India, Japan and the United States. Joint projects focus on sustainability, ecological restoration and the protection of human life, and are supported through jointly funded research programs.
CUK’s long‑term goal is to join the world’s top 200 universities in the QS World University Rankings. Choi said that while rankings are an important benchmark, the university’s distinct Catholic identity is the real competitive advantage. “When universities face crises, many try to survive by benchmarking others,” he said. “We believe the answer is different. The more authentically Catholic we are, the more competitive we become.”
In the AI era, Choi added, universities should pursue more than technological advancement or knowledge expansion. “If we pursue life, truth and human dignity in the right way,” he said, “recognition and rankings will follow as a result — not as the purpose.”
The Catholic University of Korea’s initiatives illustrate a model where AI innovation is guided by a clear ethical framework and supported by a tightly integrated academic‑clinical‑industry ecosystem. The university’s efforts to embed AI ethics in medicine, expand interdisciplinary education, and leverage its Catholic network position it as a distinctive player in Korea’s rapidly evolving AI landscape.
President Choi Jun‑gui said the university’s vision, “Be Catholic, Be Excellent,” is meant to distinguish CUK by pairing cutting‑edge AI and biomedical innovation with education grounded in human dignity, ethics and respect for life. “AI is a tool. Human beings must always remain the ones who guide and control that tool,” he told The Korea Times.
The new graduate program will be jointly run by the colleges of pharmacy, medicine and medical AI. Students will train on real‑world clinical data while participating in industry internships and regulatory training. The program is designed to meet a growing global demand for professionals who understand both AI technology and the regulatory and ethical frameworks that govern it.
The Catholic Medical Center’s AI code of ethics, adopted on May 7, is the first of its kind in Korea. The code states that AI should enhance human decision‑making and not supplant it. Choi noted that AI has accelerated every stage of drug development, from design to validation, and that “the faster technology advances, the more important ethical review and regulatory oversight become.”
CUK’s integrated ecosystem—university, industry and hospitals—provides a unique advantage for training professionals who combine technical expertise with ethical judgment. “Our strength is that the university, industry and hospitals already operate within a single ecosystem,” Choi said. The university is also partnering with cosmetics firm COSMAX to create a Bio‑AI Cosmetics Track that blends education, joint research and industry‑sponsored scholarships.
Beyond domestic programs, CUK is leveraging its global Catholic network to enhance international competitiveness. The university hosts East Asia’s only Vatican‑approved Graduate School of Canon Law, which connects it to the Holy See’s quality‑assurance agency AVEPRO and the alliance of Catholic research universities SACRU. These links enable research collaboration, faculty exchange and governance cooperation that extend beyond traditional student‑exchange programs.
CUK is preparing to host the international academic conference for the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul, an event that will attract roughly 400,000 overseas participants and about one million attendees overall. The conference will bring together young people, scholars and Church leaders from around the world and will serve as a platform for the university to demonstrate the meaning of “Be Catholic, Be Excellent.”
The university is also expanding research collaboration with Catholic universities in Italy, Spain, Taiwan, India, Japan and the United States. Joint projects focus on sustainability, ecological restoration and the protection of human life, and are supported through jointly funded research programs.
CUK’s long‑term goal is to join the world’s top 200 universities in the QS World University Rankings. Choi said that while rankings are an important benchmark, the university’s distinct Catholic identity is the real competitive advantage. “When universities face crises, many try to survive by benchmarking others,” he said. “We believe the answer is different. The more authentically Catholic we are, the more competitive we become.”
In the AI era, Choi added, universities should pursue more than technological advancement or knowledge expansion. “If we pursue life, truth and human dignity in the right way,” he said, “recognition and rankings will follow as a result — not as the purpose.”
The Catholic University of Korea’s initiatives illustrate a model where AI innovation is guided by a clear ethical framework and supported by a tightly integrated academic‑clinical‑industry ecosystem. The university’s efforts to embed AI ethics in medicine, expand interdisciplinary education, and leverage its Catholic network position it as a distinctive player in Korea’s rapidly evolving AI landscape.
