- LocationAgricultural Hall 1 #208
- Phone031-670-5080
- Emailhyun0640@hknu.ac.kr
- Fax031-670-5089

Educational objectives
- Cultivate challenging intellectuals with expertise in the agricultural industry
- Cultivate professionals with creative thinking and practical skills
- Foster responsible members of the society with experience and a cosmopolitan outlook
Major information
Plant Life & Environmental Science is an academic field exploring the efficient production and use of edible, medicinal, and specialty crops that are useful for humans, which includes biomass among various useful plant resources existing in nature. It focuses on basic education in cultivation, plant physiology, plant genetics, soil science, and biochemistry for the utilization of plant resources. It also cultivates specialists and academic future generations through applied education such as molecular science, genetic engineering, tissue culture, seed science, plant ecology, ecological restoration, agrochemicals, natural product analysis, and biomass treatment.
Theoretical and practical training is offered on genetic function research related to plant development, environmental stress adaptability, high yield ability, and high quality. The major program nurtures plant biotechnology research personnel, and plant breeding technicians through theoretical and practical training on molecular breeding methods such as traditional breeding technology, genetic modification technology (GMO), gene editing, and molecular marker development.
Moreover, to solve various environmental problems through theoretical and practical education in the fields of agrochemicals, natural product chemistry, seeds, ecology, and environmental restoration for the sustainable use of agriculture and natural ecosystem, the Plant Life & Environmental Science major program fosters experts who can contribute to promoting a safe and sustainable agricultural industry based on securing food safety of agri-food, utilizing useful biomass resources, and overall knowledge of the agricultural environment.
To respond to the changing times in the context of climate change and the environment, this major conducts education on technology using bioenergy (ethanol, diesel, methane gas) and petrochemical alternative raw materials through the bio-chemical conversion of biomass of by-products of the agricultural industry. It contributes to the development of the national economy and agricultural industry by fostering experts in the agriculture industry through convergence education in related fields, answering the call to fostering a sustainable future with the help of smart agricultural technicians.
Career paths after graduation
- Graduate school : Domestic and foreign general graduate school, graduate school of (oriental) medicine.
- Public servant : state public officer (research, administrative, technical position at the Rural Development Administration, Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and related agencies), provincial public officer (research, leadership, and technical position in each province).
- National research institute : Rural Community Corporation, Foundation of Agriculture Technology Commercialization & Transfer, National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, Korea Seed & Variety Service, Agricultural and Fishery Food Distribution Corporation, National Institute of Ecology, Korea Agency of Education, Promotion & Information Service in Food, Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries, Plant Quarantine Agency, Forestry Promotion Institute, National Institute of Environmental Research, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Food Research Institute, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
- Domestic research institute : Korea Life Science Research Institute, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology.
- Companies : public and private botanical gardens, Nonghyup, seed company, pesticide company, fertilizer company, pharmaceutical company, agricultural environment-related company, golf course, botanical garden, soil environment management venture company, water and groundwater exploration company.
- International organizations : FAO, IAEA, IITA, IRRI, UNESCO
- Self-employment : Bio-Tech venture company, professional agricultural manager, botanical garden, agricultural consulting.