INU Receives National Brand Award

Incheon National University has been ranked No.1 for five consecutive years in the regional national university category at the 2026 National Brand Awards of Korea (NYF K-NBA). Since 2022, the university has maintained its position as the top brand in its category, reaffirming its status as a leading national university in Korea.

The National Brand Awards of Korea is a prestigious evaluation hosted by the New York Festivals, one of the world’s top three advertising festivals. It selects representative brands across sectors based on the National Brand Competitiveness Index (NCI). In the 2026 results, Incheon National University ranked first among regional national universities with an overall preference score of 77.86, receiving high evaluations across key indicators including image power, quality power, loyalty power, and global power.

The NCI goes beyond simple preference surveys by analyzing perceived brand value from multiple dimensions. It quantitatively measures a brand’s competitiveness by calculating weighted scores based on correlations between category-specific evaluations and overall preference. Within this rigorous evaluation framework, Incheon National University achieved balanced excellence across all indicators, securing its five-year consecutive top ranking.

Since its transition to a national university corporation, Incheon National University has demonstrated continuous growth across education, research, employment and entrepreneurship, and institutional evaluations. It has also strengthened its global competitiveness, achieving top-tier performance in the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI). Furthermore, the university is fostering future-ready talent through AI-based education and research, while contributing to public value and national competitiveness through close collaboration with local communities.

President In-jae Lee stated, “Incheon National University is growing into a leading national university in the capital region, contributing to regional and national development through sustained efforts,” adding, “We will continue to cultivate talent and produce research outcomes that lead future society, ultimately contributing to the advancement of the nation and humanity.”