technology
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KAIST and KOICA Invited Dominican Republic Officials for Workshop
KAIST will host a two-week workshop for Dominican Republic officials and scholars in collaboration with KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) beginning October 23 at KAIST.
The workshop aims to encourage academia-industry cooperation as one of the Projects for Human Resource Development for Science and Technology at KOICA. Dominican participants including the assistant minister of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCYT) and deans of engineering colleges at major universities will enjoy lectures from experts and visit enterprises known for excellent academia-industry collaboration.
According to the Center for Overseas Development, at which Professor WonJoon Kim in the School of Business and Technology Management at KAIST holds the position of director, the workshop is designed to develop human resources in the science and technology (S&T) area, share knowledge on research and development in the field of academia-industry cooperation, and help the participants acquire know-how for managing partnerships between related organizations and industries.
During the workshop, KAIST plans to transfer know-how and share knowledge on its academia-industry cooperation R&D system, in hopes that the workshop will help the Dominican Republic foster its manpower in higher education. The workshop organizers hope that the officers and scholars will be able to apply what they will learn for establishing and carrying out detailed action plans for academia-industry cooperation policies in an effective manner.
“This workshop provides an opportunity to learn about the development of S&T in Korea, academia-industry cooperation R&D, and fostering manpower in advanced S&T. Through the knowledge sharing, we can have a better understanding of academia-industry cooperation as well as education on advanced manpower,” said Pedro Antonio Eduardo, the assistant minister of MESCYT.
He added, “I hope that this workshop will further detailed cooperation between the two countries for Korean high-tech enterprises’ overseas expansion and advanced manpower education. The development model in Korea has many essential elements, so learning its engine for growth and polytechnic manpower education will help develop my country’s industry sector.”
The Project for Human Resource Development for Science and Technology is one of the official development assistance projects running from last year until 2019. It promotes R&D activities for S&T in the Dominican Republic, encouraging academia-industry cooperation by improving trainers in charge of advanced manpower education.
2017.10.30 View 6852 -
A Novel and Practical Fab-route for Superomniphobic Liquid-free Surfaces
(clockwise from left: Jaeho Choi, Hee Tak Kim, Shin-Hyun Kim)
A joint research team led by Professor Hee Tak Kim and Shin-Hyun Kim in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at KAIST developed a fabrication technology that can inexpensively produce surfaces capable of repelling liquids, including water and oil.
The team used the photofluidization of azobenzene molecule-containing polymers to generate a superomniphobic surface which can be applied for developing stain-free fabrics, non-biofouling medical tubing, and corrosion-free surfaces.
Mushroom-shaped surface textures, also called doubly re-entrant structures, are known to be the most effective surface structure that enhances resistance against liquid invasion, thereby exhibiting superior superomniphobic property.
However, the existing procedures for their fabrication are highly delicate, time-consuming, and costly. Moreover, the materials required for the fabrication are restricted to an inflexible and expensive silicon wafer, which limits the practical use of the surface.
To overcome such limitations, the research team used a different approach to fabricate the re-entrant structures called localized photofludization by using the peculiar optical phenomenon of azobenzene molecule-containing polymers (referred to as azopolymers). It is a phenomenon where an azopolymer becomes fluidized under irradiation, and the fluidization takes place locally within the thin surface layer of the azopolymer.
With this novel approach, the team facilitated the localized photofluidization in the top surface layer of azopolymer cylindrical posts, successfully reconfiguring the cylindrical posts to doubly re-entrant geometry while the fluidized thin top surface of an azopolymer is flowing down.
The structure developed by the team exhibits a superior superomniphobic property even for liquids infiltrating the surface immediately.
Moreover, the superomniphobic property can be maintained on a curved target surface because its surficial materials are based on high molecules.
Furthermore, the fabrication procedure of the structure is highly reproducible and scalable, providing a practical route to creating robust omniphobic surfaces.
Professor Hee Tak Kim said, “Not only does the novel photo-fluidization technology in this study produce superior superomniphobic surfaces, but it also possesses many practical advantages in terms of fab-procedures and material flexibility; therefore, it could greatly contribute to real uses in diverse applications.”
Professor Shin-Hyun Kim added, “The designed doubly re-entrant geometry in this study was inspired by the skin structure of springtails, insects dwelling in soil that breathe through their skin. As I carried out this research, I once again realized that humans can learn from nature to create new engineering designs.”
The paper (Jaeho Choi as a first author) was published in ACS Nano, an international journal for Nano-technology, in August.
(Schematic diagram of mushroom-shaped structure fabrication)
(SEM image of mushroom-shaped structure)
(Image of superomniphobic property of different types of liquid)
2017.09.08 View 7150 -
2017 ICISTS Conference 'Draw the Web: Interactions in Society'
The KAIST undergraduate organization, ICISTS (International Conference for Integration of Science, Technology and Society) will convene its annual conference from July 31 to Aug. 4 at the KAIST Daejeon Campus. This year’s theme is “Draw the Web: Interactions in Society.” More than 300 participants from 60 universities in 20 countries will participate in the international conference hosted and planned by the student organization.
Speakers at the 2017 conference include leaders in technology, business, investment, and entrepreneurship, and many others highlighted by Christoffer O. Hernæs, chief digital officer of Skandiabanken and vice president of strategy and innovation at Sparebank; Vincent C. Müller, professor of the philosophy division of humanities & social sciences at Anatolia College; Nigel Parker, director of developer and platform evangelism at Microsoft APAC; and Jon Gosier, founder and CEO of WoundedMetrics, who was voted as one of the 25 most influential African-Americans in technology by Business Insider in 2013 and 2014.
ICISTS has organized and hosted this event, the largest academic conference hosted and organized by students in Asia, since 2005 as a way to discuss an incredibly challenging issue: how science and technology is being integrated into society. This year’s conference will explore how prominent technological advancements are integrated, and how the interactions between humanity and technology will affect society. This year’s sub-theme is “Settlement, Movement, and Inequality.”
In addition to the main session, ICISTS is preparing discussion sessions in which guest speakers and participants will divide into small groups to discuss their responses to the themes. Various additional events including a culture night and an excursion program will serve as opportunities to network with other participants. For more information on the program and how to register, please visit http://www.icist.org.
2017.05.22 View 7305 -
Policy Debate Series for Industry 4.0
(Photo caption: President Shin takes the podium as the first speaker of a year-long monthly policy dabate series on Industry 4.0 on May 11.)
KAIST will kick off a monthly policy debate series on Industry 4.0 every Thursday from May 11 at the Startup KAIST building. The year-long series, featuring professors from key technology fields associated with Industry 4.0, is designed to help policy makers from government, industry, and research institutes respond better to the ramifications that Industry 4.0 brings about in each sector.
The series will help them establish the vision and strategy that will work for the new industrial environment to take the lead in the new industrial era.
Twelve professors, including President Sung-Chul Shin, from departments that are researching emerging technologies will speak on the megatrend of new technology, while facilitating debates and Q& A sessions with participants.
The participants will include officials from the government complexes in Sejong and Daejeon cities, government-funded research institutes in Daejeon, and businessmen, among others. For registration, please go to https://startup.kaist.ac.kr/register.
Schedule
Speaker
Theme
May 11
President Sung-Chul Shin
Challenges and Innovations of KAIST in the Era of Industry 4.0
June 8
Professor Jonghwan Kim
Machine Intelligence and Deep Learning
July 6
Professor Jun Ho Oh
Robot Technology and the Future
Aug. 3
Professor Hyunchul Shim
Unmanned Vehicle Technology and Industry 4.0
Sept. 7
Professor Hawoong Jeong
Complex Systems and Data Science
Oct. 12
Professor Yongdae Kim
Technology, Policy, and the Fostering of Talents: Industry 4.0 and Information Protection
Nov. 9
Professor Sang Yup Lee
The Role of Biotechnology in Industry 4.0
Dec. 7
Professor Meeyoung Cha
AI-Based Research for Fake News Detection
2018 Jan. 4
Professor Joungho Kim
Innovation for the Korean Semiconductor Industry: Kim’s Law
Feb. 8
Professor Jaekyun Moon
Education for Industry 4.0
March 8
Professor Sang Kil Cha
Artificial Intelligence Cyber Warfare: Its Present and Future
April 5
Professor Jaeseung Jeong
The Future of Brain Engineering and Artificial Intelligence
2017.05.08 View 8905 -
JETS Conference 2017
KAIST and four science and technology research universities in Korea co-hosted a technology start-up fair, the 2017 JETS (Job, Exhibition, Tech Forum, and Startup) Conference January 19 ~20 in the Ryu Geun-chul Sports Complex at KAIST.
Korea’s major science and technology research universities, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech), and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), held the event in a collaborative effort to educate, inspire, and connect young entrepreneurs, especially those who will launch technology start-ups.
The conference brought entrepreneurs and innovators together who seek ways of working with and supporting start-ups and for their sustainable growth. It also drew aspiring young students and researchers from universities and the government-funded research institutions who are in the process of commercializing their technology. Students from each university’s industry-academia cooperation program who incubated their technology and ideas were key contributors.
At the Tech Forum, entrepreneurship and technology consultation specialists including Joe Jasin, managing director at DNA Investment Partners in the US, the founder of Cyworld Dong-Hyung Lee, and Professor Hawoong Jeong, a complex bio-network specialist from the Department of Physics of KAIST lectured on the ecosystem of start-ups and its trends and development.
The Dean of University-Industry Cooperation at KAIST Joongmyeon Bae said, "We organized this event in collaboration with four major research universities to further encourage technology start-ups from young students and help their ideas and technology bear fruit. We will continue to strive to create an ecosystem of start-ups which works efficiently.”
(Above photo: Founder of the Cyworld, Dong-Hyung Lee gives a lecture at the Tech Forum. Below photo: Students visit exhibition booth of each participating institution.)
2017.01.20 View 10343 -
Mobile Software Platform Research Center Recognized by the MSIP
The Mobile Software Platform Research Center (MSPRC) at KAIST received an award from the Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning of Korea on November 29, 2016, at Coex in Seoul. The award was presented at the Conference of Software R&D Annual Report 2016 hosted by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MISP) and the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Promotion (IITP).
The research center developed user experience (UX)-oriented mobile software platforms that support the invention of next-generation UX service technologies. The center has filed 37 patents and registered 15 technologies. Its researchers received ten Best Paper Awards and published a total of 133 papers in Korean and international journals.
Research teams at MSPRC expect that their software platforms will offer training programs for software engineers and new UX services. They also said that their extensive event processing platforms would reduce energy consumption on mobile devices.
Professor Seungryoul Maeng of the School of Computing, the Director of MSPRC, said, “This is a great honor for us. I am greatly thankful for the teamwork of participating departments--Computer Science, Industrial Design, and Industrial and Systems Engineering. We will continue to introduce our research outcomes and to work towards commercializing these results.”
Members of the Mobile Software Platform Research Center, KAIST
2016.12.07 View 6559 -
Continuous Roll-Process Technology for Transferring and Packaging Flexible Large-Scale Integrated Circuits
A research team led by Professor Keon Jae Lee from KAIST and by Dr. Jae-Hyun Kim from the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has jointly developed a continuous roll-processing technology that transfers and packages flexible large-scale integrated circuits (LSI), the key element in constructing the computer’s brain such as CPU, on plastics to realize flexible electronics.
Professor Lee previously demonstrated the silicon-based flexible LSIs using 0.18 CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) process in 2013 (ACS Nano, “In Vivo Silicon-based Flexible Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Monolithically Encapsulated with Biocompatible Liquid Crystal Polymers”) and presented the work in an invited talk of 2015 International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM), the world’s premier semiconductor forum.
Highly productive roll-processing is considered a core technology for accelerating the commercialization of wearable computers using flexible LSI. However, realizing it has been a difficult challenge not only from the roll-based manufacturing perspective but also for creating roll-based packaging for the interconnection of flexible LSI with flexible displays, batteries, and other peripheral devices.
To overcome these challenges, the research team started fabricating NAND flash memories on a silicon wafer using conventional semiconductor processes, and then removed a sacrificial wafer leaving a top hundreds-nanometer-thick circuit layer. Next, they simultaneously transferred and interconnected the ultrathin device on a flexible substrate through the continuous roll-packaging technology using anisotropic conductive film (ACF). The final silicon-based flexible NAND memory successfully demonstrated stable memory operations and interconnections even under severe bending conditions. This roll-based flexible LSI technology can be potentially utilized to produce flexible application processors (AP), high-density memories, and high-speed communication devices for mass manufacture.
Professor Lee said, “Highly productive roll-process was successfully applied to flexible LSIs to continuously transfer and interconnect them onto plastics. For example, we have confirmed the reliable operation of our flexible NAND memory at the circuit level by programming and reading letters in ASCII codes. Out results may open up new opportunities to integrate silicon-based flexible LSIs on plastics with the ACF packing for roll-based manufacturing.”
Dr. Kim added, “We employed the roll-to-plate ACF packaging, which showed outstanding bonding capability for continuous roll-based transfer and excellent flexibility of interconnecting core and peripheral devices. This can be a key process to the new era of flexible computers combining the already developed flexible displays and batteries.”
The team’s results will be published on the front cover of Advanced Materials (August 31, 2016) in an article entitled “Simultaneous Roll Transfer and Interconnection of Silicon NAND Flash Memory.” (DOI: 10.1002/adma.201602339)
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OJjAEm27sw
Picture 1: This schematic image shows the flexible silicon NAND flash memory produced by the simultaneous roll-transfer and interconnection process.
Picture 2: The flexible silicon NAND flash memory is attached to a 7 mm diameter glass rod.
2016.09.01 View 10296 -
KAIST and KTH Establish a Dual Degree Program in Nuclear Engineering
Professor Man-Sung Im, head of the Nuclear and Quantum Engineering Department at KAIST and Director Waclaw Gudowski of the Physics Department at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm (KTH), Sweden, agreed to establish a dual master’s degree program in the field of nuclear and quantum engineering, and signed the agreement on July 4, 2016 at the Faculty Club on the KAIST campus.
Following the first joint degree program in mechanical engineering in 2014, this is the second dual degree program created between the two universities.
Under the agreement, which will be effective beginning in the 2016 fall semester, KAIST and KTH will exchange students, confer students dual degrees when they earn the required number of credits, and support financial aid for exchange students.
Dean Im said, “The two schools have enjoyed an excellent reputation in nuclear and quantum engineering, and offering students more opportunities to study abroad at the other university will produce synergistic effects for the growth of the two schools' education and research.”
Founded in 1827, KTH is regarded one of the most prestigious universities in Northern Europe.
Professor Man-Sung Im of KAIST’s Nuclear and Quantum Engineering (pictured on the left) and Director Waclaw Gudowski of KTH’s Physics Department are shaking hands after signing the agreement for the dual master’s degree program.
2016.07.05 View 8518 -
President Sung-Mo Kang Receives the Jang Young-sil Award
On April 22, 2016, President Sung-Mo Kang of KAIST became the 18th recipient of the Jang Young-sil Award. The Jang Young-sil Memorial Association of Korea awarded the prize to him at the Korea Press Center in Seoul.
The award, created in 1999 by the Jang Young-sil Memorial Association of Korea to recognize those scientists who have made significant contributions to the development of Korean science and technology, is bestowed annually.
Jang Young-sil was a highly regarded Korean scientist and astronomer during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), whose major inventions were a sundial, a water clock, and a rain gauge.
In the award ceremony, the association said that President Kang had devoted much of his life to the advancement of science education and research, globally and nationally, as an educator, scholar, administrator, and researcher and that his accomplishments have served as an example of leadership for young scientists.
In his acceptance speech, President Kang expressed his gratitude for the award and said,
“I am honored to receive an award in the name of our great ancestor scientist Jang Young-sil who, despite his low birth as a peasant, rose to become an excellent scientist and built a remarkable legacy of science for Korea. While cherishing his spirit, creativity and grit, I will continue to working hard to foster outstanding scientists and engineers who are needed not only by Korea but also by the global community.”
In the photo, Dr. Gun-Mo Chung (pictured on the right), the former Minister of Science and Technology of Korea presents the Jang Young-sil Award to President Sung-Mo Kang (left).
2016.04.22 View 5229 -
A KAIST Alumnus Is Appointed the President of Seoul National University of Science and Technology
Jong-Ho Kim, graduated from the master’s program in the mechanical engineering department of KAIST in 1980, has been appointed the 11th president of Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech) on November 9, 2015.
Upon receiving his doctoral degree in production engineering from KAIST in 1986, President Kim began his career as a professor at SeoulTech. He served in many senior posts at the university including Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs, and of the Engineering College.
2015.11.15 View 4278 -
Using Light to Treat Alzheimer's Disease
Medical application of photoactive chemicals offers a promising therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases.
A research team jointly led by Professor Chan Beum Park of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at KAIST and Dr. Kwon Yu from the Bionano Center at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) conducted research to suppress an abnormal assembly of beta-amyloids, a protein commonly found in the brain, by using photo-excited porphyrins.
Beta-amyloid plaques are known to cause Alzheimer's disease. This research finding suggests new ways to treat neurodegenerative illnesses including Alzheimer's disease. It was published online as the lead article in the September 21th issue of Angewandte Chemie. The title of the article is “Photo-excited Porphyrins as a Strong Suppressor of ß-Amyloid Aggregation and Synaptic Toxicity.”
Light-induced treatments using organic photosensitizers have advantages to managing the treatment in time and area. In the case of cancer treatments, doctors use photodynamic therapies where a patient is injected with an organic photosensitizer, and a light is shed on the patient’s lesion. However, such therapies had never been employed to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
Alzheimer's starts when a protein called beta-amyloid is created and deposited in a patient’s brain. The abnormally folded protein created this way harms the brain cells by inducing the degradation of brain functions, for example, dementia. If beta-amyloid creation can be suppressed at an early stage, the formation of amyloid deposits will stop. This could prevent Alzheimer’s disease or halt its progress.
The research team effectively prevented the buildup of beta-amyloids by using blue LED lights and a porphyrin inducer, which is a biocompatible organic compound. By absorbing light energy, a photosensitizer such as porphyrin reaches the excitation state. Active oxygen is created as the porphyrin returns to its ground state. The active oxygen oxidizes a beta-amyloid monomer, and by combining with it, disturbs its assembly.
The technique was tested on drosophilae or fruit flies, which were produced to model Alzheimer on invertebrates. The research showed that symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in the fruit flies such as damage on synapse and muscle, neuronal apoptosis, degradation in motility, and decreased longevity were alleviated. Treatments with light provide additional benefits: less medication is needed than other drug treatments, and there are fewer side effects. When developed, photodynamic therapy will be used widely for this reason.
Professor Park said, “This work has significance as it was the first case to use light and photosensitizers to stop deposits of beta-amyloids. We plan to carry the research further by testing compatibility with other organic and inorganic photosensitizers and by changing the subject of photodynamic therapy to vertebrate such as mice.”
Picture 1 – Deposits of Beta-Amyloid in Fruit Flies Stopped by Using Porphyrin and Blue LED Lights
Picture 2 – The Research Finding Published as the Lead Article in Angewandte Chemie (September 2015)
2015.11.11 View 10649 -
KAIST's Graduate School of Culture Technology Celebrates Its Tenth Anniversary
The Graduate School of Culture Technology (GSCT) at KAIST hosted a ceremony and a variety of events to celebrate its tenth anniversary on October 22, 2015, on campus.
Established in 2005 with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, GSCT offers an intensive, in-depth education in culture technology, an interdisciplinary field first introduced in Korea by KAIST, which brings arts, humanities, science, and technology together in an academic and research arena.
Over the years, the graduate school has fostered top-notch researchers and professionals who have played a leading role in the development of a Korean culture contents industry that includes movies, broadcasting programs, music, games, and culture events.
After the anniversary ceremony, GSCT held a "Demo Day" to showcase its major research projects. A total of 41 projects were presented under the themes of “Art and Science,” “Human and Humane,” and “Virtual Reality vs Reality.”
In addition, there was a seminar held on GSTC’s ten-year accomplishment and future planning with the school’s Professors Sunghee Lee, Juyong Park, and Juhan Nam; a cultural event for the public called the “Talk Concert,” which included many professionals in culture industry and academia to share ideas and views; and the Homecoming Day for GSTC graduates. So far, the graduate school has produced 295 masters and 34 doctors. About 34% of its graduates are employed in the movie, game, and broadcasting sectors, 33% in the social networking service and Internet industry, and 33% in performing art and exhibition and event.
Dong-Man Lee, the Dean of KAIST's Graduate School of Culture Technology, said,
“We will continue to develop our school to lead the advancement of the Korean culture industry, contributing to the growth of Korean Wave, the popularity of Korean culture, in the global community.”
In the picture below, Dean Lee delivers a speech to celebrate the school’s tenth anniversary.
Soo-Man Lee, the founding chairman of S.M. Entertainment, speaks at the Talk Concert.
Scenes from the Demo Day
2015.10.26 View 7493