In 1996, the Ministry of Industry & Energy founded the International Design School for Advanced Studies (IDAS) as the first professional graduate school of industrial design. Its mission was to produce world-class professional designers through a new education model focused on creativity and practice.

In December 1998, IDAS launched the New Millennium Course – Design Innovation for Policy Makers to ground them in design knowledge and spread design awareness in the society. The New Millennium Course has led opinion leaders such as CEOs in companies, high officers in the government, and celebrities in culture and art to make innovations in design by adapting design concepts to their organizations and systems.

Alumni association founded IDAS KOREA and started the IDAS (Intellect and Design as Assets for the future Society) movement. The movement has shown fruitful results, as they have changed their organizations, products, services, and even themselves 

Furthermore, IDAS launched the New Vision Course-Design Innovation for Executives in 2001 to make design a core resource of business and management.

Now IDAS has fortified its programs by offering Master’s programs in Product Design, Digital Media Design and Design Management, and a Ph.D. program in Design.

The government designated the first Design Innovation Center in IDAS in 1999 and the International Design Trend Center in IDAS in 2001. Those design centers have carried out diverse research and training programs on design trends, techology, materials and user experience.