Institute of Natural Science
North Korea · Asia
About
University of Sciences is a university located inside the region of the National Academy of Science in Pyongyang, North Korea. The university was previously called as "Institute of Natural Science".
UOS is geographically located in Pyongsong, South Pyong'an Province, North Korea. However, North Korean government appointed the area of science district to belong to Pyongyang for giving some privileges of Pyongyang citizens to scientists of NAS and students of UOS. As Kim Il Sung, a former leader of North Korea, emphasized the significance of education for gifted and talented students, UOS originally started as a branch of Kim Il Sung University on January 17, 1967. It was separated from Kim Il Sung University in 1985. In North Korea, this university is known as "Sujae Daehark (University for talented students)". In South Korean mass media, this university is called "KAIST of North Korea".
Top students of natural sciences or engineering in North Korea study at this university supported totally by North Korean government. Eighty percent of them is graduated from No.1 Middle Schools, which are science high schools for gifted and talented students in North Korea, and the rest twenty percent are medal winners in the National Science Olympiads (math, physics, chemistry, and biology) or national science quiz contests. Unlike other universities in North Korea, students entering UNS have age limit. Equal or younger than 17 people are eligible to take entrance exam for UOS.
It is known that many alums of this university are involved in projects for developing missiles and launching artificial earth satellites.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.