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Former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. KunMo Chung, Awarded KAIST Honorary Doctorate
KAIST will confer an honorary doctorate on former minister of Science and Technology, Dr. KunMo Chung, at the 2014 KAIST graduation ceremony on Friday, February, 21.Dr. Chung presented the Survey Report for the Establishment of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science (KAIS) to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1969. This proposal for nurturing the advanced science technology elite and boost Korean industrial development became the foundation for KAIS, which is now known as KAIST.After passing the KAIS Foundation Law in 1970, Dr. Chung designed the faculty room, secured faculty members, and acquired a $6 million education loan from the USAID. Dr. Chung devoted himself to research and teaching. His first appointment was the position of assistant professor at the University of South Florida, followed by research professor positions at the Princeton Nuclear Fusion Research Center and MIT Nuclear Engineering, and an associate professor position in the Department of Electrophysics at the Polytechnic Institute of New York.When KAIS was founded on Feb. 16, 1971, 31-year-old Dr. KunMo Chung became the provost and a professor in the Electronic and Electrical Science Department where he made outstanding contributions to the development of science and technology in Korea.
2014.02.21 View 9375 -
KAIST to Hold "Data Science Workshop"
Discussion regarding the scientific utilization of data and its future possibilityThe upcoming 2nd Data Science Workshop is to be held at COEX, Seoul, on 27th February‘Big Data’ has attracted the explosion of interest in recent years. KAIST has arranged a platform of discussion for the utilization of data science and its possible usage in the future.The Department of Knowledge Services Engineering at KAIST is to hold the 2nd Knowledge Services Workshop under the topic of "Data Science for Industry" at COEX, Seoul, on 27th February.Data Science refers to using scientific approach to extract generalized knowledge from the data in order to find meaningful information.With the era of Big Data ahead, the amounts of data produced by the industry are rapidly increasing. The companies have recognized the significance of the data, however, the understanding of its systematic utilization is yet to be realized."Data Science Workshop" has been organized to discuss on how to create a new value using the data compiled by the industry. Lectures are to be given by four leading professionals in the field of data science, who are the professors from Department of Knowledge Services Engineering at KAIST. The head of the department, Mun-Yong Lee, said, “This workshop will be an opportunity for the companies that are considering introducing data science, as well as the students who are interested in the related field, to think about the possibility and future of data science.”Pre-registration for the workshop is currently open until 23rd February on the official website (http://kseworkshop.kaist.ac.kr).
2014.02.20 View 8335 -
KAIST developed an extremely low-powered, high-performance head-mounted display embedding an augmented reality chip
Walking around the streets searching for a place to eat will be no hassle when a head-mounted display (HMD) becomes affordable and ubiquitous. Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed K-Glass, a wearable, hands-free HMD that enables users to find restaurants while checking out their menus. If the user of K-Glass walks up to a restaurant and looks at the name of the restaurant, today’s menu and a 3D image of food pop up. The Glass can even show the number of tables available inside the restaurant. K-Glass makes this possible because of its built-in augmented reality (AR) processor. Unlike virtual reality which replaces the real world with a computer-simulated environment, AR incorporates digital data generated by the computer into the reality of a user. With the computer-made sensory inputs such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data, the user’s real and physical world becomes live and interactive. Augmentation takes place in real-time and in semantic context with surrounding environments, such as a menu list overlain on the signboard of a restaurant when the user passes by it, not an airplane flight schedule, which is irrelevant information, displayed. Most commonly, location-based or computer-vision services are used in order to generate AR effects. Location-based services activate motion sensors to identify the user’s surroundings, whereas computer-vision uses algorithms such as facial, pattern, and optical character recognition, or object and motion tracking to distinguish images and objects. Many of the current HMDs deliver augmented reality experiences employing location-based services by scanning the markers or barcodes printed on the back of objects. The AR system tracks the codes or markers to identify objects and then align them with virtual reality. However, this AR algorithm is difficult to use for the objects or spaces which do not have barcodes, QR codes, or markers, particularly those in outdoor environments and thus cannot be recognized. To solve this problem, Hoi-Jun Yoo, Professor of Electrical Engineering at KAIST and his team developed, for the first time in the world, an AR chip that works just like human vision. This processor is based on the Visual Attention Model (VAM) that duplicates the ability of human brain to process visual data. VAM, almost unconsciously or automatically, disentangles the most salient and relevant information about the environment in which human vision operates, thereby eliminating unnecessary data unless they must be processed. In return, the processor can dramatically speed up the computation of complex AR algorithms. The AR processor has a data processing network similar to that of a human brain’s central nervous system. When the human brain perceives visual data, different sets of neurons, all connected, work concurrently on each fragment of a decision-making process; one group’s work is relayed to other group of neurons for the next round of the process, which continues until a set of decider neurons determines the character of the data. Likewise, the artificial neural network allows parallel data processing, alleviating data congestion and reducing power consumption significantly. KAIST’s AR processor, which is produced using the 65 nm (nanometers) manufacturing process with the area of 32 mm2, delivers 1.22 TOPS (tera-operations per second) peak performance when running at 250 MHz and consumes 778 miliWatts on a 1.2V power supply. The ultra-low power processor shows 1.57 TOPS/W high efficiency rate of energy consumption under the real-time operation of 30fps/720p video camera, a 76% improvement in power conservation over other devices. The HMDs, available on the market including the Project Glass whose battery lasts only for two hours, have revealed so far poor performance. Professor Yoo said, “Our processor can work for long hours without sacrificing K-Glass’s high performance, an ideal mobile gadget or wearable computer, which users can wear for almost the whole day.” He further commented:“HMDs will become the next mobile device, eventually taking over smartphones. Their markets have been growing fast, and it’s really a matter of time before mobile users will eventually embrace an optical see-through HMD as part of their daily use. Through augmented reality, we will have richer, deeper, and more powerful reality in all aspects of our life from education, business, and entertainment to art and culture.” The KAIST team presented a research paper at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) held on February 9-13, 2014 in San Francisco, CA, which is entitled “1.22TOPS and 1.52mW/MHz Augmented Reality Multi-Core Processor with Neural Network NoC for HMD Applications.”Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSqY30FOu2s&feature=c4-overview&list=UUirZA3OFhxP4YFreIJkTtXw
2014.02.20 View 15538 -
Venture Startup by Middle School Students Makes Donation to KAIST
Korean middle school students who
participated in a venture program made donations to KAIST. “Mending”, a startup founded by Korean
middle school students, donated 10 million won and the education supplier “Edubox”
contributed 100 million won to the IP Education Center for Young Venture Candidates
at KAIST. The donations were made at the IP
Education Center’s 3rd graduation ceremony on February 14th
at KAIST. Mending was started by three students in
the IP Education Center in 2013. This startup
features volunteering through talent sharing and other educational endeavors. It
received voluntary donations from supporters of the programs. Hee-Yon Yon, the co-president of
Mending, said, “We have developed a new concept of business and showed profit
can be made through donations and sharing”. Edubox responded to the visions of
Mending and added to the donation for additional development of the IP
Education Center. The KAIST IP Education Center for
Young Venture Candidates was founded with the support of KIPO (Korean
Intellectual Property Office) and KIPA (Korea Invention Promotion Association)
in 2009. The curriculum consists of Intellectual Property, Entrepreneurship, Future
Technology and Humanities. Eighty students are selected for the program every
year and 200 students have successfully completed the program.
2014.02.18 View 6962 -
World's Largest Web Conference To Be Held in Korea
The 2014 International World Wide Web Conference (WWW 2014), the world’s most prestigious academic conference in the field of web, will be held for the first time in Korea. The conference is to be last for five days at Seoul COEX, from 7th to 11th April. International World Wide Web Conference covers a wide range of web-related areas, including technologies, research papers, services and more. Since the first conference in 1994 in Switzerland, it has been held in various parts of North America, Europe, South America and Asia, attracting more than 1000 experts in the field. The 23rd International World Wide Web Conference is managed by the International World Wide Web Conferences Steering Committee (IW3C2) and co-hosted by KAIST and National Agency for Technology and Standards, as well as sponsored by Korea Information Science Society and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Keynote speakers for this year’s conference include inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, senior vice president of Microsoft, Dr. Qi Lu, and Carnegie Mellon University’s Prof. Christos Faloutsos, as well as Samsung Electronic’s vice president Jong-Deok Choi. In addition to WWW 2014, BigData Innovators Gathering (BIG 2014) and Web for Access (W4A 2014) is also to be held in joint. KAIST Computer Sciences Department’s Prof. Jinwan Jeong, in charge of directing this year’s conference, said “From one-sided 1st generation web to two-way 2nd generation web, such as blogs, and then recently to the 3rd generation web, which include social networks and semantic webs, the web technologies has grown vastly over the past 25 years. WWW 2014 will be the opportunity for Korea to discuss with the world about the informatization and future of the web.” Pre-registration for WWW 2014 can be applied at the official webpage for WWW 2014 (http://www2014.kr) before 17th February.
2014.02.14 View 9358 -
Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo Appointed as the First Asian University Chairman of the ISSCC
Hoi-Jun Yoo, a professor of Electrical Engineering Department at KAIST, was chosen to be the first Asian University Chairman of the ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuits Conference) held in San Francisco, USA, from February 10 to 13, 2014. His term will last one year from April, 2014. Professor Yoo ranked tenth globally in thesis achievement over the 60-year history of the ISSCC. He ranked fourth globally over the last ten years and was the highest-ranked member from Asia over that time. He received an award for this remarkable achievement in 2012. ISSC is a world-renowned conference in the semiconductor field, where only 200 strictly selected papers are presented by semiconductor-related enterprises, research centers, and university representatives. Nicknamed the “The Olympics of the Semiconductor”, ISSCC runs for 4 days and hosts more than 3000 semiconductor engineers from around the world. It is most famous for the first CPU presentation by Intel and the first memory technology release of Samsung. Professor Yoo stated, “The Korean Semiconductor Engineering is leading the world’s technology instead of imitating it.” He aspires to devote himself to upgrading semiconductor engineering around the world.
2014.02.14 View 9115 -
ICISTS-KAIST Talk Concert 2014
The International Conference for the Integration of Science, Technology and Society at KAIST (ICISTS-KAIST) will hold a talk entitled “Scientific Technology and Culture” at Youngdungpo Art Hall in Seoul on Tuesday, February 11, 2014.The three main presenters will be: Jin-Hwa Kim, Director of Korbit, Dong-Hyeon Jo, Chief of New Business at Nexon, and media artist Yi-Nam Lee. They will address the meeting of culture and scientific technology in the fields of art, games, and other genres.Jin-Hwa Kim is the director of Korbit, the first Korean bitcoin exchange, and wrote The Next Money: Bitcoin, the world’s first bitcoin textbook. He will elaborate on how science and technology are constantly changing and have affected popular culture, and how public demand gave birth to bitcoin.Dong-Hyeon Jo from Nexon will explain how the appearance of new media and platforms such as smartphones has changed our lives.Media artist Yi-Nam Lee has been described as “the second Nam-June Paik,” an internationally-acclaimed video artist, for his integration of oriental and western masterpieces with modern media. During the event, samples of his artwork will be displayed.ICISTS-KAIST is a student organization which has held a conference every year since 2005 with hundreds of students attending from many parts of the world, Asia in particular.
2014.02.07 View 10037 -
2014 Davos Forum: KAIST-EPFL Connection
The Korean-American Science and Technology News (KASTN), a biweekly global electronic newsletter carrying news and analyses in science and technology, as well as social, economic, and cultural issues related to the general interest of the Korean-American professional community, published an article on the partnership agreement made by KAIST and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne (EPFL) during the 2014 World Economic Forum held at Davos, Switzerland, from January 22nd to 25th.
For the article, please click the link below: KASTN Issue 14-05, February 26, 2014
http://www.phy.duke.edu/~myhan/b_14-05.pdf
2014.02.04 View 7977 -
The Huffington Post, January 30th, 2014: The Top Young Universities in the World, According to QS Rankings
KAIST was ranked third among the “QS Top 50 Under 50,” a ranking of the world’s top 50 universities established within the last 50 years, which was based on the highest performing young universities in the 2013/14 QS World University Rankings. For details, please read the news article below:
The Huffington Post, January 30th, 2014: The Top Young Universities in the World, According to QS Rankings: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/30/top-young-universities-in-world-qs-rankings_n_4693918.html
2014.02.03 View 5985 -
Man-Gi Paik Appointed as New President of KAIST Alumni Association
The KAIST Alumni Association selected Man-Gi Paik, a patent lawyer at the prestigious law firm of Kim & Chang in Korea, as its 22nd president. President Paik will hold the post from January 2014 to December 2015. After receiving a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering at KAIST in 1976, President Paik attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States and obtained a Masters of Business Administration. He served as the president of the Korean Association of Intellectual Property Service and a board member of KAIST. He is currently an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Intellectual Property, KAIST. President Paik said, “I’m honored to lead the KAIST alumni and look forward to creating many opportunities to work for the development of our alma mater.”
2014.02.03 View 8600 -
KAIST-Saudi Nuclear Workforce Training
Nuclear Engineering Intensive Course Program Held in Saudi Arabia from January 5th to 23rd
KUSTAR (The Khalifa University of Science and Technology Studies)-KAIST Institute of Education began its Nuclear Engineering Intensive Course Program on 5th January with researchers from K.A.CARE (King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy) of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This program, which was lasted until 23rd January, provided education to students on the basic technologies in the field of nuclear power.
The course involves a wide range of lectures, such as basic nuclear physics, applications using radiation, nuclear reactor design and safety, as well as nuclear power engineering.
In order to utilize the nuclear power and renewable energy, K.A.CARE was established in April 2010. The institution is also involved in the construction of nuclear infrastructure, including the site investigations, the establishment of regulatory bodies and state-owned nuclear companies, along with the newly launched workforce-training program.
The Director of the KUSTAR-KAIST Education Research Institute, Professor Soong-Heung Jang said, “This program is the beginning of long-term cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Our experience can be the basis for the construction of an extensive training program that involves many areas of nuclear engineering field.”
KAIST has been working in close cooperation with various institutions around the world, which also includes the establishment of KUSTAR-KAIST Institute of Education and Research in July 2010. KAIST is also actively cooperating with UAE Khalifa University in Middle East, sharing faculty, holding joint research programs and exchanging students.
2014.02.03 View 9786 -
A Molecular Switch Controlling Self-Assembly of Protein Nanotubes Discovered
International collaborative research among South Korea, United States, and Israel research institutionsThe key to the treatment of cancer and brain disease mechanism The molecular switch that controls the self-assembly structure of the protein nanotubes, which plays crucial role in cell division and intracellular transport of materials, has been discovered. KAIST Bio and Brain Engineering Department’s Professor Myeong-Cheol Choi and Professor Chae-Yeon Song conducted the research, in collaboration with the University of California in Santa Barbara, U.S., and Hebrew University in Israel. The findings of the research were published in Nature Materials on the 19th. Microtubules are tube shaped and composed of protein that plays a key role in cell division, cytoskeleton, and intercellular material transport and is only 25nm in diameter (1/100,000 thickness of a human hair). Conventionally, cancer treatment focused on disrupting the formation of microtubules to suppress the division of cancer cells. In addition Alzheimer’s is known to be caused by the diminishing of structural integrity of microtubules responsible for intercellular material transport which leads to failure in signal transfer. The research team utilized synchrotron x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscope to analyze the self assemble structure of protein nanotubes to subnanometer accuracy. As a result, the microtubules were found to assemble into 25nm thickness tubules by stacking protein blocks 4 x 5 x 8nm in dimension. In the process, the research team discovered the molecular switch that controls the shape of these protein blocks. In addition the research team was successful in creating a new protein tube structure. Professor Choi commented that they were successful in introducing a new paradigm that suggests the possibility of controlling the complex biological functions of human’s biological system with the simple use of physical principles. He commented further that it is anticipated that the findings will allow for the application of bio nanotubes in engineering and that this is a small step in finding the mechanism behind cancer treatment and neural diseases.
2014.02.03 View 9784