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Actress Han Makes Donation to KAIST
Actress and movie star Han Eunjung donated 100 million won ($98,000) to KAIST to help Korea"s prestigious research-oriented university continue its academic development on Wednesday (June 4).
In a donation ceremony held at the KAIST President"s office, she signed an agreement for donation.
Han said that she came to realize the importance of science and technology while filming a new movie based on a 15th century Joseon Dynasty episode featuring the development of a rocket-like firearm called "Singijeon." The blockbuster movie will be released in early August.
She also said that she was impressed by the first Korean astronaut So-Yeon Lee who took her undergraduate, master"s and doctorate degrees at KAIST, and decided to make a contribution to the school.
"I hope that I would be of any help in the development of KAIST in becoming one of the top research universities in the world," she said.
Han has been cast for the MBC drama "Lawyers of Korea" which will be aired starting from July.
2008.06.05 View 11732 -
KAIST, GS Caltex Jointly Develop New Bacteria to Produce Biobutanol
KAIST and GS Caltex, Korea"s second-largest refiner, have jointly developed a new strain of bacteria to produce biobutanol, which is regarded as a promising next-generation biofuel, KAIST authorities said on Monday (June 2).
A research team led by Prof. Sang-Yup Lee of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department and researchers of GS Caltex succeeded in developing an improved strain of bacteria which enables to produce a large amount of biobutanol in the process of fermenting biomass. The research team has applied for international patent for the new technology.
Biomass refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. It usually refers to plant matter grown for use as biofuel, but it also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibers, chemicals or heat.
In the 1970s and 1980s when scientists began researching the possibilities of alternative fuels, bacteria were used in the process of fermenting biomass. This ABE (acetone, butanol, ethanol) fermentation process yields butanol, acetone, and ethanol in a ratio of 6:3:1, respectively. Acetone produced in this process is not usable.
The newly developed technology to produce biobutanol has an advantage of lowering production cost by eliminating the process to separate acetone from butanol. This has been made possible by improving the bacteria used for the fermentation in metabolic engineering terms, and producing butanol and ethanol only in a ratio of 6:1, while curbing the generation of acetone.
In comparison with bioethanol, also a biofuel mixture which is currently under widespread use in some countries, butanol is more easily transported with gasoline and diesel through pipelines because of its lower tendency to separate from the fuel when contaminated with water. Butanol is also less corrosive than ethanol, another reason its transport through pipeline is preferable.
Global interest in full utilization of biomass and development of other alternative energy including biobutanol has deepened in recent years, as crude oil prices have skyrocketed to record levels and climate changes resulting from the excessive use of fossil fuel have been causing various problems around the world.
2008.06.04 View 12921 -
Prof. Chung Named Winner of 2008 KAIST Scientific Award
Professor Chung Jong-Kyeong of the Department of Biological Sciences was named the winner of the 2008 KAIST Scientific Award.
The prize was awarded by KAIST President Suh Nam-Pyo during the 37th KAIST anniversary ceremony on Feb. 16.
Chung was cited for disclosing the new anti-cancer aspect of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). His papers, published in the science magazine Nature in 2006 and again in 2007, revealed that the protein could be used to treat certain forms of cancer, as well as prevent malignant growths.
2008.02.28 View 13316 -
KAIST Introduces Dual Degree Program for MBA with American and British
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Graduate School of finance signed a dual degree program contract with the University of Rochester and London Business School. Starting from the entering class of 2009, the dual degree program will allow students of the Graduate School of finance to attend ten lectures in a foreign university and receive degrees from both institutes. After the dual degree program is applied, in the case of the University of Rochester, KAIST students will finish three terms at KAIST Graduate School of Business. Then the students will spend the last eight months in the University of Rochester. This opportunity will be given to roughly 20 students out of 100 entering students.KAIST MBA School was built in 1995 and has been operated as the Graduate School of Business Administration for ten years. Then, it was developed into two major departments: the Graduate School of finance and the Graduate School of information and media. After the division, they have chosen the dual degree program as the strategy for building up the capability of the Graduate School of Business.The dual degree program of KAIST has a unique feature that other MBA Schools do not have. Once a student is selected by KAIST to participate in the dual degree program, the student will be able to study in the foreign university even if he or she had been rejected from it. This is an important characteristic that differentiates KAIST from other MBA Schools where students need to have approvals from both universities.As well as the Graduate School of finance, the Graduate School of information and media is currently working on signing a dual degree program contract with Marshall University. Once a contract on Memorandum of Understanding is signed, students will be able to receive MBA degrees from both KAIST and Marshall University.The University of Rochester is a MBA School specializing in finance, which in 2007, was ranked 5th in financial affairs and accounting according to Financial Times. Currently, 14 KAIST students are enrolled in a dual degree program for MBA in the university.By KAIST Herald on November 2007
2007.12.21 View 13806 -
KAIST Graduate Selected As Winner of IEEE Outstanding Young Engineer Award
- First Korean winner of IEEE Outstanding Young Engineer Award
Dr. Myung-Jin Rhim, Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D of KAIST, has been selected to receive 2007 Outstanding Young Engineer Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology (CPMT) Society. Dr. Rhim will be the first Korean winner of the award.
Dr. Rhim received his Ph.D of Materials Science & Engineering at KAIST in 2001 and has made outstanding research outputs, such as 28 papers at international journals covered by Science Citation Index (SCI) and 12 international patents. He has been also listed in Marquis Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders, Who’s Who in Asia, and Outstanding Intellectual of the 21st Century, 21st Century Award for Achievement published by the International Biographical Centre of Cambridge, England.
IEEE CPMT Society has yearly awarded the Outstanding Young Engineer Award to a scientist or engineer of electronic components, packaging, and manufacturing technology prior to his or her 35th birthday in recognition of his or her research achievements. Dr. Rhim is now in his postdoctoral program at Georgia Institute of Technology in USA.
2007.06.14 View 16802 -
KAIST To Open Cultural Activity Classes
KAIST To Open Cultural Activity Classes
KAIST will open classes of Cultural Activity (CA) this fall semester, and many of them will be instructed by students.
CA classes are regular classes opened to create a better atmosphere on campus and broaden students’ sociality and provide opportunities of diverse experiences to enhance students’ qualities as elite scientists. All classes will be provided at night or weekend to allow students to take part in cultural activities of their interests.
Total 21 classes, such as animation, photo-taking, electronic guitar, classic guitar, Ocarina, Inline skate, Haedong kendo, weight training, yoga, Tae-keuk-kwon, aerobic, recreation, hacking, drum playing, etc., will be provided, and 15 of them, such as animation, photo-taking, electronic guitar, etc., will be lectured by students. The students-lectured classes have been selected after thorough examination of lecture plans.
Leadership Mileage Points (LMP) will be offered to students both of lecturing and attending CA classes and, in the case of freshmen, a credit will be admitted for the obligatory subject of leadership demanding two credits. A larger number of students than the enrollment capacity have applied for the classes within a day. CA classes are expected to change campus life in KAIST.
Meanwhile, students will be given LMPs for each of their activities, such as humanity/ leadership lectures, on-campus voluntary services, off-campus voluntary services, mind and body training, exchange student activity, field experiences, etc., and will be issued a leadership certificate graded as ‘silver’, ‘gold’, ‘platinum’ and ‘diamond’ according to the accumulative LMPs in graduation. A personal certificate describing the details of on-campus activities by students will also be issued to help students’ employment activities.
KAIST has recently introduced a new two-dimensional admission policy that evaluates applicants’ humanities as well as academic achievements, based on President Suh’s judgment that students with expertise but no humanity will not be able to create the bright future of Korea. The LMP has the same purport as the new policy in that enrolled students are also to be evaluated in two aspects - humanity and academic achievements, and will bring a new paradigm to Korean education.
2007.06.08 View 12392
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KAIST hosts Korea-China High-tech Expo
KAIST hosts Korea-China High-tech Expo
- Three days from Tuesday, December 12 at Beijing International Convention Center in China
- 30 Korean companies and 40 Chinese companies will participate and exhibit cutting-edge technologies
KAIST (President Nam-Pyo Suh) will host ‘Korea-China High-Tech EXPO 2006’ with Chinese Association for Science and Technology (CAST) at Beijing International Convention Center in China for three days from Tuesday, December 12.
‘Korea-China High-Tech EXPO’ is an event which has taken place annually since the conclusion of the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) for the enhancement of international joint researches and mutual exchanges between KAIST and Tsinghua University in the year of 2002 and faces the 4th time this year.
The event began for the activation of technical exchanges between top venture enterprises of the both countries and the enhancement of academic exchanges between top technical universities of the both countries and now has grown into a business stage for the enhancement of competitiveness of venture enterprises and the creation of new markets.
In the event, 30 companies, including Golfzon Co,. Ltd. etc., and 4 institutes, including KAIST Human-Friendly Welfare Robot System Engineering Research Center, etc., from Korea and 40 companies from China will participate and exhibit their cutting-edge technologies. The participants have been selected with the focus on technologies requested by China-side, and each participant will be provided with opportunities of detailed consultation with buyers from ten companies of China. During the event, subsidiary events like excellent technology exhibition, Korea-China technical business forum, special introductions of goods by Mosin Biotech, Inc. and Daeduk Lab Inc., etc. will take place.
2006.12.11 View 15330
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Young investigators Forum in CT
Young investigators Forum in CT
The College of Culture Technology invited 13 young investigators acting in the field of Culture Technology around the world and held ‘Young investigators Forum in CT’ at KAIST Creative Learning B/D on October 30 to 31.
Aiming to share research performances in the field of Culture Technology and grope for future research directions, the forum progressed throughout total four sessions. The forum participants with various nationalities made presentations with the topics of ▲ computer music ▲ communication methodology for natives using mobile phones ▲ cultural and social Ecology of classic music ▲ robotic music suing wearable computing and exchanged cultures of each nation.
Ph.D. Bill Buxton, senior researcher of Microsoft and world’s great scholar in the field of Culture Technology, said at his keynote lecture, “The topic we will share today is about researches and a process of asking and answering itself. The reason that we can say ourselves smart is not that we are really smart, but that we can gather smart things.”
The forum provided future visions to students who are interested in cultural industries based on modern digital media as well as persons with Culture Technology degrees.
2006.11.08 View 12668
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Sona Kwak wins first prize in international robot design contest
Sona Kwak wins first prize in international robot design contest
Sona Kwak (Doctor’s course, Department of Industrial Design) won the first prize in an international robot design contest.
Kwak exhibited an emotional robot of ‘Hamie’ at ‘Robot Design Contest for Students’ in Ro-Man 2006/ The 15th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, which was held at University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom for three days from September 6 (Wed) and obtained the glory of the first prize.
‘Hamie’, the work of the first prize, has been devised in terms of emotional communication among human beings. The design concept of ‘Hamie’ is a portable emotional robot that can convey even ‘intimacy’ using senses of seeing, hearing, and touching beyond a simple communication function. The design of ‘Hamie’ was estimated to best coincide with the topic of the contest in consideration of its function that allows emotional mutual action between human beings as well as mutual action between human and robot, or robot and robot. ‘Hamie’ is not an actual embodiment but proposed as ‘a concept and design of a robot’.
‘Ro-man’ is a world-famous academic conference in the research field of mutual action between robot and human being, and ‘Robot Design Contest for Students’ is a contest to scout for creative and artistic ideas on the design and structure of future robots and exhibits works from all over world.
Kwak is now seeking to develop the contents and designs of various next-generation service robots such as ▲ ottoro ? cleaning robot ▲ robot for blind ▲ robot for the old ▲ robot for education assistance ▲ robot for office affairs ▲ ubiquitos robot in her lab (PES Design Lab) led by Professor Myungseok Kim.
“I’ve considered and been disappointed about the role of designers in robot engineering while I’ve been designing robots. I am very proud that my robot design has been recognized in an academic conference of world-famous robot engineers and gained confidence,” Kwak said.
2006.09.27 View 16648
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Korean Researchers Develop Skin-Like Tactile Sensor
THE KOREA TIMES2005.1.31(Mon)
A South Korean scientific research center said Sunday that it has developed a tactile sensor capable of functioning like human skin.
The left picture shows the letters of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) caught through a tactile sensor functioning like human skin and the right picture is its enlarged image. Scientists from KAIST developed the precision tactile sensor with 1-millimeter spatial resolution.
The tactile sensor is made of polydimethylsiloxane, a synthetic rubber, and has a 1-millimeter spatial resolution capability, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) said.
``Many tactile sensors have been developed so far, but ours has the highest spatial resolution capability, flexibility, softness and extensibility,’’ said Lee Hyung-kyu, who led the development project.
Late last year, the University of Tokyo unveiled a tactile sensor with a spatial resolution capability of 2 millimeters.
Lee said his team will announce the results of their research at an international conference on micro-electro-mechanical systems, to be held early next month in the U.S. city of Miami.
The new sensor is widely expected to lay the foundation for coating humanoids such as South Korea"s HUBO or Japan"s ASIMO with artificial skin.
HUBO is a humanoid robot recently developed by KAIST. It is capable of moving its fingers independently, dancing and shaking hands with people by using its 41 joints.
Japan"s ASIMO, an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, was unveiled in 2000 as the world"s most advanced bi-pedal robot.
Through several upgrades, it is now able to spin in the air, bend or twist its torso and maneuver around obstacles in its path.
2005.02.02 View 14952
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Professor Yang Receives Academic Award
By Ki-beom Lee / Reporter
The KAIST Herald December 3, 2003
The Professor Dong-yol Yang of the Department of Mechanical Engineering received the Sang-woo Academic Award last month. Unlike other awards of similar nature, this award is given to one of many leading scientists who has written six to seven papers in the previous year. This award is special in that Professor Yang retired as chairman of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity in December 2002. Professor Yang received a prize on the research of the anisotropic pressing out process. He has also written papers based on the twenty-five years of research at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and has researched high-speed modeling for the first time in Korea.
2004.03.15 View 17560