SM Entertainment establishes their own version of SOPA (School of Performing Arts Seoul), the SM Institute

On September 9, SM Entertainment announced the launch of the first ever SM Institute (SMI) in partnership with the Jongro Education Center.

The SM Institute is a global education institution geared toward students with an interest in the entertainment field. The program consists of some of SM Entertainment's highly effective formulas for nurturing the growth of talented individuals into global K-Pop stars, while also factoring in important skill sets including global language programs in Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese. 

Furthermore, SM Institute also houses learning programs for not only young talents interested in a career in K-Pop, but also programs geared toward modeling, acting, influencing, fashion, beauty, management, etc. 

Since establishing an MOU partnership in 2016, SM Entertainment and Jongro Education Center focussed on developing unique education programs and curriculums, as well as systems including a mixture of on/offline systems, Education-tech solutions utilizing AI, and much more.

SM Institute's president Choi Jin Young revealed, "Becoming an entertainer often means giving up on one's education in order to channel all of one's energy into practicing and training. SMI utilizes systems including efficient online learning and curriculums geared toward students' needs so that young people can fulfill their dreams while continuing their education; furthermore, the Institute aims to provide its students with a variety of career options in entertainment through its unique training programs." 

Both Korean and global students can apply to enroll in SM Institute beginning in October of this year. The Institute aims to launch its first semester in March of 2021.