This conference serves as a platform for the official announcement of national competitiveness assessment results covering 62 countries/regions worldwide.

Going beyond the mere presentation of rankings, it analyzes the structural foundations of competitiveness in major countries amid a rapidly changing global environment and offers strategic policy implications for enhancing national competitiveness.

In addition, the conference will unveil the national brand rankings of 39 countries and present policy-oriented approaches to strengthening national brand value.

The opening ceremony will include a welcome address by Dong-Sung Cho, Chair of the Institute for Industrial Policy Studies (IPS).

Chairman Cho will deliver a welcome address highlighting the significance of the conference and the policy importance of research on national competitiveness and national brand.

A defining feature of this year’s conference is the introduction of a dedicated panel discussion featuring members of the Diplomatic Corps stationed in Korea.

Marking a strategic shift from purely academic discourse to field-based diplomacy,

Honorary Consuls and Ambassadors will share real-world perspectives on national competitiveness. This session is designed to serve as a distinctive policy-diplomacy platform for navigating global economic uncertainties.

The panel discussion is organized into two high-level sections:

· The Honorary Consul Panel: Chaired by Hwy-Chang Moon (Chair of IPSNC)
· The Ambassador Panel: Chaired by Geon-Cheol Shin (Vice President of aSSIST University)

The event will also feature the “Nation Brand Awards,” recognizing leaders and organizations that have significantly enhanced South Korea’s prestige in culture, industry, and the arts. Award recipients include former Deputy Prime Minister Oh Myung, a pioneer of Korea’s digital industry;

Olympic champions An Se-young (badminton) and Oh Sang-wook (fencing); and actress Yoona (Im Yoon-a), who has helped write a new chapter in global K-drama history. Additional awardees include Kim Soon-kwon, Chairman of the International Corn Foundation;

CJ Olive Young; the National Museum of Korea; Daegu International Opera Awards; MOFAC Studios; and YONG MA Electronics, among others.

The conference will be held in a hybrid (on/offline) format, allowing for global participation. It is expected to be a pivotal venue for shaping the strategic direction of national competitiveness and fostering international cooperation.

About IPSNC

IPSNC (The Institute for Policy and Strategy on National Competitiveness) was established in 2006 as an organization under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It inherited the IPS National Competitiveness Ranking research project initiated by the Institute for Industrial Policy Studies (IPS) in 2000. Since 2020, the WURI has been publishing rankings that evaluate the innovativeness of the world's major universities. In 2023 rankings, Minerva University, Arizona State University, University of Pennsylvania, MIT, and Stanford University ranked first through fifth, respectively, among 423 universities evaluated.