Korea Toyota Motor (Korea Toyota) said on March 27 that it awarded Ajou Motor College an 80,000,000 KRW scholarship (about $60,000) and hosted a hands-on motorsports and electrification training program centered on vehicle test drives to develop the next generation of automotive professionals.
The program took place on the Ajou Motor College campus as part of Korea Toyota’s industry-academia initiative, the T-TEP (TOYOTA Technical Experience Program). Key participants included Lee Byung-jin, vice president of Korea Toyota, and Han Myeong-seok, president of Ajou Motor College, along with other officials.
Under the partnership, Korea Toyota has combined scholarship funding with practical training. Since signing the T-TEP agreement in 2020, the company has operated an electrification training academy and supplied practice vehicles and parts. Over three years from 2024 through this year, Korea Toyota has provided a cumulative 240,000,000 KRW (about $180,000) in scholarships to support talent development.
This year’s scholarship will fund a study program in Japan to broaden students’ understanding of the global auto industry. Funds will also back technical training for motorsports and imported-car majors, and Korea Toyota plans to expand students’ field experience through internships.
Following the scholarship ceremony, Korea Toyota ran the Toyota·Lexus Experience Program for about 80 motorsports and imported-car majors at Ajou Motor College. The day combined brand briefings, recruiting information and on-road test drives, giving students direct exposure to Toyota and Lexus technologies and helping them build the practical skills needed for careers in the automotive sector.
On the public-road driving session, students sampled Lexus models such as the LX 700h, LM 500h and NX 450h, and Toyota models including the Alphard, Prius and Crown to experience each brand’s driving characteristics and electrification capabilities. The circuit session featured the Toyota GR86—provided as a T-TEP training vehicle—along with other sports cars so students could experience motorsports driving firsthand.
Ajou Motor College’s motorsports students plan to campaign the GR86 in the country’s only endurance race, the 2026 Inje Masters Series. Korea Toyota will support the entry further by supplying race parts and tires.
Lee Byung-jin, vice president of Korea Toyota, said Korea Toyota supports future industry leaders through steady scholarship programs and immersive events like the Toyota·Lexus Experience Day, helping students develop broad perspectives and technical expertise. He added that, based on the partnership with Ajou Motor College, the company will continue to expand motorsports culture and support the development of next-generation mobility talent.
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