Mason Korea is taking its defense research capabilities to the next level. Mason Korea's Industry-University Collaboration Foundation recently signed a memorandum of understanding with two major Korean defense players, the Association of the Republic of Korea Army and the Defence Information and Communication Association, at the War Memorial of Korea in central Seoul. Together, they'll work on developing advanced defense information and communications technology (ICT) and command, control, communications, computing, cyber and intelligence (C5I) systems.
At the heart of this collaboration is the C5I Korea Center, a local extension of George Mason's C5I Center back in Virginia. The center will serve as ground zero for joint research, education and industry partnerships focused on defense ICT, cyber capabilities and artificial intelligence. The partnership's roadmap is packed: collaborative research on C5I systems tailored for Korea, a "C5I-AI Convergence" exhibit at next year's Korea Army International Defense Industry Exhibition, and building bridges between the military, industry, academia and civilian sectors through professional education programs and workshops.
"Aligned with Korea's national objective of becoming a leading AI power by 2026, this collaboration will leverage the C5I Korea Center's strong R&D strengths with the operational expertise of the Defence Information and Communication Association and the military practitioners of the Association of the Republic of Korea Army," said Insub Shin, who directs the C5I Korea Center and leads the Defence Information Communication Association.
For Mason Campus Dean Joshua Park, the partnership represents a chance to blend the campus' strengths in data science and AI with real-world defense applications. "Through practical training and partnerships across military, academic and industry sectors, we aim to cultivate professionals who can support digital transformation and AI-enabled missions," Park said.
The official opening ceremony for the new center will take place this spring semester.
February 12, 2026