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2010 New Year Message
The State of KAIST in 2009 & 2010:
Assessing the Past Year’s Accomplishments and
Next Year’s Challenges and Opportunities
Nam Pyo Suh
President, KAIST
January 4, 2010
Summary
2009 was a great year for KAIST, with every member of the KAIST family working to cement KAIST’s position among the world’s leading universities. Faculty, staff and students alike have made unique and important contributions to toward this goal through major advances in research, education, and service. Our work in science, technology, and education will profoundly impact industry and society, in Korea and throughout the world. In addition to achieving major scientific discoveries and developing technologies and processes, our faculty has greatly improved KAIST’s curriculum and pedagogical practices. Many professors have been recognized by many organizations in and outside of Korea in 2009. Our students have contributed to KAIST through their involvement in research and a wide array of extracurricular activities. Our staff has accomplished a seamless merger of ICU and KAIST, in addition to managing a variety of other demanding projects. As a result of all of these contributions, KAIST is a stronger, more dynamic institution today than it was a year ago.
In the coming year, KAIST must continue its efforts to become one of the best universities in the world. While building on our previous accomplishments, we will face new challenges. We will have to identify and commence challenging research projects, while continuing to evolve our educational programs. We have several construction projects to complete. And we must continue to expand KAIST’s sphere of influence, collaborating with colleagues around the world. With our dedication to excellence, 2010 will be a productive and intellectually rewarding year.
Our past efforts have attracted attention both internationally and domestically. Our progress in education and research has been recognized by international ranking agencies (QS/The London Times) and domestic newspapers. For example, international ranking agency QS listed KAIST 21st in engineering and IT, 39th in sciences, and 69th overall -- from 243th in 2005 and 198th in 2006 – making KAIST the fastest rising university. And domestic newspapers, JoongAng Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo, rated KAIST the top university in Korea.
I am personally most grateful to thousands of financial contributors to KAIST, who have enabled us to undertake critical projects, both physical and academic. Thanks to their contributions, KAIST will continue to renovate and innovate in the years to come. Chairman Byung-Ho Kim made the largest gift in 2009, following the important tradition established by Chairman Moon-Sool Chung, Chairman Chong-Moon Lee, Dr. Byiung-Joon Park, Chairman Neil Pappalardo, Professor Geun-Chul Lyu, Chairman Donald C. W. Kim, Dr. Hyung-Kyu Lim, and many others. Their contributions will be remembered for establishing the tradition of philanthropic giving in Korea.
KAIST has also been fortunate to receive tremendous support from the Korean government. The government and the National Assembly have enabled KAIST to undertake two ambitious and bold projects: the On-Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV) project and the Mobile Harbor (MH) project. By demonstrating these projects’ success, we hope the government will continue to provide strong support in 2010, as we believe they will yield rich educational, scientific, technological, and economic returns to taxpayers.
CY 2009 – A Retrospective Assessment
CY 2009 has been a remarkable year for KAIST. We have made great strides in making KAIST into one of the best universities in the world, with a strategy that addresses the most important challenges of the 21st century – in the spheres of energy, environment, water and sustainability (EEWS) – through multi-disciplinary education, research, and technological innovation.
The following are the major highlights of the past year (listed in no particular order):
Education in 2009
1. Three years ago, KAIST developed educational and research strategies that have continued to evolve and improve. In education, our goals have been to admit the most capable students, to teach synthesis as well as analysis, and to produce graduates who can compete both globally and locally. To achieve the first goal, we have adopted new admissions policies, which have proved effective at bringing some of the best and the brightest minds to KAIST (see 6). Regarding the 2nd goal, freshman students are now required to take the freshman design subject to make them “bi-functional” in both synthesis and analysis. As for the 3rd goal, The Mileage Program continues to broaden the outlook of our undergraduate students. To make our students competitive globally, we have actively recruited international students and faculty and adopted English as the official language of instruction.
2. KAIST has tried to instill a sense of responsibility in our students. To this end, we have asked them to complete their prescribed degree programs within the allotted time. While we emphasize academic achievements, we also believe that health and physical exercise are also important. Therefore, we are constructing a new athletics facility to strengthen our students’ mental fortitude by augmenting it with active participation in sports and through physical exercise.
3. To re-focus our educational and research programs, we have re-organized KAIST into six Colleges and created three new academic departments. The six colleges are: College of Natural Science, College of Engineering, College of Information Science and Technology, College of Life Science and Bioengineering, College of Business, and College of Cultural Science. Four new academic units created in 2009 are the Department of Knowledge and Service Engineering in the College of Information Science and Technology, the Department of Ocean Systems and Graduate School of EEWS in the College of Engineering, and the Graduate School of Nano-Science and Technology in the College of Natural Science.
4. KAIST has also initiated new graduate-level educational programs in a number of fields -- ocean systems, nano-science and technology, EEWS, knowledge and service engineering, intellectual property, science and technology journalism, and Ph.D. education for medical doctors (MDs). We also have received strong support for the WCU programs in a number of fields from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST).
5. In addition, we have strengthened our programs in systems and design in order to change the nature of engineering education and the intellectual perspective of the freshman at KAIST. Colleagues who have taught the freshman design course attest that it has achieved its educational goal -- Professors Kate Thompson and Taesik Lee have done a great job making it successful. We have also launched many new programs, including the Renaissance Ph.D. Program under the direction of Professor Dong-Yul Yang. Also, KAIST has two new masters of science (MS) programs – MS in Intellectual Property and MS in Science Journalism – under the leadership of Dean Kwang Hyung Lee. Professor Chul-Ho Kim will direct the MS in IP Program and Dean Kwang Hyung Lee will direct the MS in Science Journalism.
6. KAIST is committed to seeking and admitting talented students. In 2009, we initiated a new process for selecting and admitting the most qualified undergraduate students from normal high schools, in addition to continuing the interview-based admissions process introduced two years ago. Under the new process, the principal of each normal high school (there are roughly 1,300 in Korea) was asked to recommend one student for KAIST. After a preliminary screening by the Admissions Office, followed by an interview at the KAIST campus, 150 students were admitted from this group.
(These newly admitted students have been given the opportunity to make up for any deficiencies in mathematics, physics and chemistry by taking on-line KAIST courses. Dean Kwang Hyung Lee created the experimental Bridge Program this year, with over 130 high school students subscribing to complete the final semester of high school education. Mid-term examination results indicated that these students are thriving at KAIST.)
This new admissions process supplements the process successfully introduced two years ago, in which students are admitted based on interviews and high school grades only – a change that has proved of great interest to other universities in Korea. Using this process, KAIST will admit an additional 850 students from the Science High Schools, the Korea Science Academy, and normal high schools. The composition of the incoming 1,000-student freshman class is consistent with the goals established in the Five Year Plan.
7. KAIST has signed several agreements with universities and research institutes abroad for student exchanges, dual degree programs, and post-doctoral studies. In 2009, international students from 72 countries studied at KAIST. KAIST has also sponsored two recent Ph.D.s as post-doctoral fellows at the NASA Ames Research Center, California, United States.
8. In December 2009, as a part of the UAE-Korea agreement, KAIST agreed to collaborate with the Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR), the leading scientific and technological university in Abu Dhabi. Under this program, KAIST will aid KUSTAR with its educational and research programs in a number of fields. There will be an exchange of personnel and research collaboration, in addition to curricula development, establishment of laboratories, and infrastructure strengthening. This program is expected to last about ten years with a major review in five years.
Research in 2009
1. KAIST has developed a research strategy that will help it become a leader in the fields of science and technology. This strategy consists of a two-pronged approach: (a) encourage and support Faculty-Initiated Individual Research (FIIR) and (b) undertake concentrated, multidisciplinary, system-scale projects in a few select areas. The most important means of supporting FIIR has been KAIST’s Fellowship, HRHR , and EEWS Programs. To balance FIIR projects, KAIST has supported multi-disciplinary group research through the KAIST Institutes (KI) and also the EEWS Program.
2. KAIST has also provided start-up funds to new faculty members for equipment and other scholarly activities (rather than using the funds to support graduate students, since many of our incoming students are provided with fellowships).
3. In basic research, our professors and students have made important advances in sciences (e.g., mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics). In technological innovation, KAIST has developed many new processes and technologies (e.g., applied biochemistry, biochemical processing, robotics, On-Line Electric Vehicle (OLEV), Mobile Harbor (MH), semiconductor processing, IC design, electronic packaging, fuel cells, optics, propulsion, complex systems, ship insulation, nanotechnology, and many others). These research contributions will gain international recognition as their results become better known and widely used.
4. To promote research collaboration between KAIST and leading European universities, the Office of External Affairs organized a trip to Europe. Five professors, Dean Yong-Taek Im, two students, and I visited four leading European universities – Technical University of Denmark, Delft University of Science and Technology, RWTH Aachen University, and Ecole Polytechnic/
ParisTech. On this trip, Professors Jie-Oh Lee and Yong-Mahn Han presented their work in biological chemistry and stem-cell research, respectively, and Professors Joong-Myeon Bae, Kyung-Cheol Choi, and Otfried Cheong presented their work on fuel cells, displays, and combinatorial geometry, respectively. These visits clearly indicated that KAIST is at the forefront of science and technology.
5. The OLEV and MH Projects are large, multi-disciplinary R&D projects specially funded through the 2009 Supplementary Budget. The goal of the OLEV Project, headed by Professor Dong-Ho Cho, is to eliminate internal combustion engines in order to lower CO2 levels in the earth’s atmosphere and to also help Korea reduce its imports of fossil fuels. Many professors and research staff members (Professors Chun-Taek Rim, Joung-Ho Kim, In-Soo Suh, Yong-Hoon Jeong, Hang-Ki Lee, and others) have worked on this project. A company named OLEV&E Company was established by the KAIST Development Foundation to attract industry involvement and accelerate the commercialization process as stipulated by the government as part of the 2009 Supplementary Budget. CEO Chung-Goo Lee, the former CEO of Hyundai Motors, is heading this commercialization effort. KAIST has developed OLEV buses and cars that draw electric power and recharge a small battery system from underground cables without any mechanical contact to power electric motors. The efficiency of power transmission is over 72% and the electromagnetic force (EMF) is well below specifications. This system is being installed in Seoul Grand Park. We have filed for many patents.
6. The goal of the Mobile Harbor project is to create “moving harbors” that can load and unload containers to and from large container ships and deliver them to small as well as large harbors -- the central goal being to eliminate the need for large, deep-water harbors by making “mobile harbors” that can go out to ships moored in deep waters. The team headed by Professor Byung-Man Kwak has demonstrated the viability of the original technology. Many professors – Professors Yun-Sik Park, Jun-Ho Oh, Gyung-Jin Park, Taesik Lee, Soon-Heung Han, Soo-Hyun Kim, and others -- have contributed to this project. The CEO of the Mobile Harbor Corporation, Daniel C. S. Ahn, and his team directed the design of two large mobile harbors, which will be submitted for certification for commercial use. We have many patents filed.
(It should be noted that initially, the OLEV and MH projects were supported by the EEWS project, the HRHR Initiatives, and KI.)
7. The EEWS has funded 24 projects related to 10 critical topics in EEWS: Solar Energy, Photosynthesis and Carbon Capture & Storage, Fuel Cell, Bio Fuel, Battery and Green Car, Safe Nuclear Energy, Enhancing Energy Efficiency, Environment Monitoring and Recovery, Sustainable Manufacturing and Building, and EEWS Strategies.
8. A number of the KAIST Institutes (KI) have been gaining momentum. The KI for IT Convergence, which has a great number of faculty members from many disciplines, is conducting joint research projects. The KI for Design of Complex Systems has developed complex insulations systems for special-purpose large vessels. There are many other achievements that will be noted in a more expanded report.
Merger
We have successfully merged ICU and KAIST to forge stronger programs in IT. This strengthened group at KAIST has initiated new research and education in IT. We also accepted the operational responsibility for the Korea Science Academy to foster creative and intelligent high school graduates, especially those interested in science and engineering.
Construction of New Buildings and Facilities
We are constructing several new buildings: the Chunghi and BJ Park KI Building for multidisciplinary research; the Pappalardo Medical Center; the Sports Complex; the International Center; an apartment complex for international faculty; and dormitories for students. We have also renovated many buildings (e.g., the student dining facilities). In addition to the seven new buildings under construction now, we will be building several new buildings: the Kim Byung-Ho IT building, the Second Chung Moon-Soul Building for Brain science and Engineering, and an Animal Facility. Construction will begin soon.
Faculty
1. As of December 2009, KAIST has 548 tenure-track professors and 322 non-tenure track professors. Of these, 39 are international faculty (including 20 Korean-Americans) and 34 are female. Our goal is to increase our international and female faculty to 20% each.
2. KAIST has appointed 56 outstanding new faculty members, including 15 international and 8 female members. The quality of these faculty members is exceptionally high. The search committees and department heads should be commended for an excellent recruiting job.
3. We have a truly outstanding faculty. Many members are known nationally and internationally for their contributions, and continue to receive awards for their work. Many of the young professors who recently joined KAIST are among the most outstanding scholars in their respective fields, showing much promise for KAIST’s future.
Students
1. In 2009, KAIST had 3,766 undergraduate students and 5,029 graduate students (2,456 MS candidates and 2,573 Ph.D. candidates). We have 289 more undergraduate students than we should have had, as these students have not completed all the requirements for their undergraduate degrees within the standard time frame. It is important that our students learn to complete their studies within the time allocated for their degrees, and for that matter, for any task. In order to encourage our graduate students to complete their formal academic training as soon as possible and assume long-term career paths, we have imposed a time limit for their tenure as graduate students.
2. To encourage students to finish their undergraduate studies in four years, we have instituted a tuition system that requires all students, regardless of GPA, to pay full tuition if they do not finish their undergraduate degrees within that time frame. MS students and Ph.D. students who do not finish their degree in two and five years, respectively, are also required to pay partial or full tuition.
The Pappalardo Medical Center
With the financial support of Chairman and Mrs. Neil Pappalardo, we are constructing the Pappalardo Medical Center. The purpose of the Pappalardo Medical Center is to provide primary care to KAIST family members -- students, staff, professors and their families. The Pappalardo Medical Center will be increasingly important as we have more members of the KAIST family who do not speak Korean. Thanks to the efforts of Professor Ook-Joon Yoo, Dean for the Graduate School for MD/PhD Program and the Director of the Center for Bio-Medical Research, the Pappalardo Medical Center will be dedicated in May 2010. Professor Yoo will soon be hiring medical and support staff for the medical center.
Meetings, Conferences, and Workshops
KAIST hosted many conferences and workshops in 2009, including the Second International Presidents Forum (IPF) and the International Workshop on EEWS. Hosting such events has served many important functions – increasing global visibility, teaching best practices, creating inter-personal connections, fostering financial support, and building good will throughout the world.
In Recognition of the Special Support of Government
Most of the new programs in education, research, and infrastructure construction described above have received strong budgetary support from the government. The top leaders of the Korean government have given us opportunities to explore bold new concepts in science and technology through the General Appropriation of the Budget and the special Supplementary Funding of 2009. We are grateful for their support. I am personally grateful to President M.B. Lee for his support of the OLEV and the Mobile Harbor Projects.
Awards and Achievements of the Faculty
Our colleagues have received many awards as follows:
- Professor Jung Woong RA is the recipient of the Korean Engineer Award.
- Professor Seong Hwan CHO won the Best Thesis Award from IEEE Transaction on Circuits & Systems.
- Professor Chang Hee LEE was elected as IEEE Fellow.
- Professor Seung Hyup YOO was awarded an Outstanding Poster Award at the 9th International Meeting on Information Display.
- Professor Kyung Cheol CHOI received Outstanding Poster Award at the 9th International Meeting on Information Display
- Professor Joung Ho KIM received Best Student Paper Award at the 18th Electrical Performance of Electronic Packaging and Systems.
- Professor Gun Woo MOON was awarded the Best Paper Prize at 2nd International Telecommunication Energy Conference.
- Professor Kwang Jo KIM received an Award from the President of Korea for his service in Information Security.
- Professor Kyu Young WHANG was elected as ACM Fellow.
- Professor Dong Man LEE received the Distinguished Service Award from Korea Internet & Security Agency.
- Professor Dong Jun KIM is the recipient of Microsoft Young Professorship Award.
- Professor Sung Eui YOON received the Distinguished Paper Award from Pacific Graphics Society.
- Professor Jae Hyuk HUH received the Distinguished Paper Award from Pacific Graphics Society.
- Professor Sue Bok MOON won the Female Scientist Award from Amore Pacific.
- Professor Byoung Kyu CHOI was awarded the Order of Merit for Science Technology (Ungbi Medal) as well as the Korean Engineer Award.
- Professor Ha Yong SHIN received Gahun Academic Award from Gahun Foundation for Science and Technology.
- Professor Hark HWANG is the recipient of Young Scientist Prize of the International Conference on IML 2009 and Symposium on GT/CM 2009.
- Professor Myung Suk KIM won the Korea Robot Award from the Minister of Knowledge Economy.
- Professor Sang Min BAE received Good Design Award.
- Professor Youn Kyung LIM is the recipient of Microsoft Young Professorship Award.
- Professor Hyeon Jeong SUK was awarded the Best Thesis Award of International Journal of Sensibility Engineering.
- Professor Sung-Chul SHIN was awarded the National Academy Sciences Award of 2009 by the National Academy of Sciences, Republic of Korea.
- Professor Wonho CHOE was awarded KSTAR Merit Award of 2009 by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
- Professor Kee Joo CHANG was named as the Fellow of 2009 by the American Physics Society.
- Professor Sangil OUM was awarded TJ Park Bessemer Science Scholarship.
- Professor Suh-Hyun CHOI was awarded Amore-Pacific Frontier Award.
- Professor Jinhyun PARK was awarded Sangsan Young Mathematician Award.
- Professor Hyotcherl IHEE was awarded Distinguished Lectureship Award by the Chemical Society of Japan.
- Professor Juhyoun KWAK was awarded Q.Won Choi Academic Award by the Korean Chemical Society.
- Professor Ryong RYOO was awarded Creative Knowledge Awards by KISTI.
- Professor Changyoung IM was awarded the Order of Service Merit, Red Stripes, from the government.
- Professor Tae Gwan PARK was awarded the Clemson Award from the Society for Biomaterials, USA, the highest honor in biomaterials research field in the world.
- Professor Tae Gwan PARK was also awarded the first Creative Knowledge Award from the KISTI, selected as one of most highly cited six Korean scientists for the past 10 years.
- Prof. Chulhee CHOI was awarded the Minister Prize for Excellence in University-Industry Cooperation from MEST, Korea (2009. 11. 5); Selected as one of the 60 best researchers in 2009 by the National Research Foundation, Korea.
- Prof. Jung Kyoon CHOI was awarded the TJ Park Bessemer Science Fellowship (Junior Faculty).
- Prof. Jong Chul YE was awarded the Best paper award, Korea Society of Human brain mapping conference (2009); A Winner of Recon Challenge, Data Sampling and Image Reconstruction, ISMRM Workshop Series (2009. 1); Invited Guest Editor for Special Issue of “Compressed Sensing Signal Processing,” Journal of Korea Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (KIEE).
- Prof. Young-Ho CHO was awarded the Grand Prize for Pre-CEO (DAEDEOK INNOPOLIS).
- Prof. Jaeseung JEONG was awarded the "2009 Young Global Leaders" selected by World Economic Forum (a.k.a. Davos Forum).
- Prof. Dongsup KIM was awarded the best performance in the SH3 section of the DREAM4 Peptide Recognition Prediction challenge.
- Prof. Hee-Seok LEE, Ji-Young YOON and Se-Hee HAN received Best Paper Award, the Knowledge Management Society of Korea.
- Prof. Tong-Suk KIM and Byoung-Kyu MIN (student) received the 3rd Financial News & KAFA Doctoral Student Dissertation Award.
- Professor Kwang-Woo PARK received Best Bank Management/ Investment Bank Award, Shinhan Bank & KAFA (Korean American Finance Association).
- Prof. Byung-Tae LEE and Chang-Woo SUH (student) received Excellence Paper Award, The Korea Society of Management Information Systems 2009.
- Prof. Su-Jin LEE received Best paper award (CM Division Best Empirical/Theoretical Paper Award), the Academy of Management Conference 2009.
- Prof. Steven JORDAN was awarded 1st place prize for the best paper award at the 2009 FMA Asian Conference, the CFA institute.
- Prof. Seung-Kyu RHEE received Excellence paper award, The Korea Production and Operation Management Society.
- Prof. Young-Gul KIM (7th), In-Goo HAN (12th) and Jae-Kyu LEE (19th) were ranked as High Impact IS Papers and Researchers in the Pacific Asia Region, AIS(Association for Information Systems).
- Prof. Jae-Min JUNG named as Best translator, The Korea Association for Broadcasting & Telecommunication Studies (KABS).
Gifts and Donations from Generous KAIST Supporters
KAIST has been extremely fortunate to receive generous financial support from many leaders, alumni, friends, and supporters. In just a few years, the number of donors has increased from a few hundred to over 3,000. In 2009, KAIST received major gifts from supporters: Chairman and Mrs. Byung-Ho Kim donated 30 billion won, Chairman and Mrs. Donald C.W. Kim of Hawaii donated US$1 million, Chairman Hui-Yul Bae of Japan provided a 1 billion won gift, alumnus Dr. Hyung-Kyu Im, President of Samsung, gave a second gift of 200 million won, and the family of Seung-Yul Chung donated 100 million won. There have also been many generous donors too numerous to list.
As we look ahead at fundraising goals, KAIST is still in need of 20 billion won to support its Sports Complex, after a generous donation of 5.6 billion won from Woori Bank and POSCO.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors (BoD) is the governing body of KAIST. It sets the policies, approves appointments and the budget, and selects and appoints the President of KAIST. The support of the Board is essential in planning and executing KAIST programs.
The new chairman of the BoD is Dr. Moon-Soul Chung, the Board’s longest serving member. In 2009, joining the esteemed group, many outstanding leaders joined as new board members. New members include Mr. Donald C.W. Kim, the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Hawaii and CEO of AMKOR A&E; Dr. Chong-Moon Lee, the Chairman of Ambex; Dr Byiung-Jun Park, the Founder and former CEO of MTL, Inc.; Dr. Geun-Chul Lyu, Professor Emeritus at Moscow Technological University; Attorney Joo-Myung Whang, the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ICU.
New Appointments in the Administration
Professor Minho Kang, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, has been appointed as the Vice President in charge of the newly established IT Convergence Campus.
We have two new academic deans. Professor Dong Won Kim has been appointed Dean of the College of Cultural Science. Dean Kim, who received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, is a specialist in the history of science. He succeeded Dean Young-Hae Noh, who did an outstanding job leading the College for three years. Professor Ravi Kumar is the new Dean for the College of Business, succeeding Professor Byung-Hoon Ahn, who was the original founder of the College of Business in Seoul campus. Dean Kumar has a Ph.D. from Northwestern University and was formerly an Associate Dean at the University of Southern California.
Professor Do Kyung Kim, a professor of materials science, is now the Dean of Admissions, a newly created position.
Professor Dong-Ho Cho is the Director of the OLEV project. He is also the Director of KI for IT Convergence and the KT Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering.
Dr. Chung-Goo Lee has assumed the position of the CEO of the OLEV&E Company, which has the task of commercializing On-Line Electric Vehicles. He also has an appointment as a KAIST Distinguished Professor of Practice.
Professor Byung Man Kwak of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is the Director of the Mobile Harbor project.
Dr. Daniel Choong-Seung Ahn was appointed to be the CEO of the Mobile Harbor Company, a unit set-up for the commercialization of Mobile Harbors. He also has an appointment as a KAIST Distinguished Professor of Practice.
A number of our colleagues assumed new functions for KAIST as well. They are as follows:
Professor Han, In-Goo – Senior Associate Dean, College of Business
Professor Kim, Bo-Won – Dean, KAIST Graduate School of Management
Professor Kim, Young-Gul – Associate Dean, College of Business
Professor Yang, Tae-Yong – Dean, Graduate School of Innovation and Technology Management
Professor Park, Chul-Soon – Head, Department of Information Communication Engineering
Professor Yoon, Wan-Chul – Head, Department of Knowledge Service Engineering,
Professor Lee, Duk-Joo – Head, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Professor Kang Jeung-Koo – Head, Graduate School of EEWS
Professor Shin, Joong-Hoon – Head, Graduate School of NanoScience and Technology
Professor Joong-Myeon Bae – Director, KAIST Institute for Eco∙Energy
Professor Kim, Chul-Ho – Head, Intellectual Property Program
CY 2010 – Challenges and Opportunities
In 2010, we must continue to pursue the ultimate goal of making KAIST one of the best S&T universities in the world. This goal can be achieved through effective education and research. KAIST must offer educational programs that produce future leaders. The basic research done at KAIST should shape the future development of human knowledge and society, and the technologies developed at KAIST should be innovative enough to solve important problems in the 21st century. The plans of our colleges, departments, and KIs are attached in the Appendix. We should refine and modify them in 2010 with the ultimate goals of KAIST in mind.
Education in 2010 and beyond
In 2010, we should continue to improve our educational programs. We should further strengthen the Renaissance Ph.D. Program to be sure that KAIST produces engineers and scholars with advanced degrees, who can deal with both the design and analysis of complex systems. At the same time, we should strengthen undergraduate subjects that deal with design, following the successful development of the freshman design subject.
We should review our curricula to be sure that it is more codified, streamlined and simplified to make learning more effective and productive. It might benefit some students if we can teach them the essences of their chosen fields while providing enough flexibility for broad educational experiences and independent learning. Developing new subjects (or courses) is intellectually and physically demanding. Yet it is a necessary function of leading universities. We should recognize our major innovative contributions to education just as we do our innovative research.
Our students should finish their degrees within a reasonable period of time. Staying in school longer than necessary is a waste of both human talent and financial resources. Our students will find their true innate capabilities when they leave KAIST and pursue their careers. No one benefits by unnecessarily prolonging formal education. Certainly, the taxpayers should not be asked to bear the financial burden when a student is lax in fulfilling his or her share in the educational process.
KAIST should develop new educational materials, methods, aids and tools. The distance learning/teaching program – the Bridge Program initiated by Dean Kwang Hyung Lee to teach the high school students admitted to KAIST before they actually enroll at KAIST – is a good example of how modern IT can be used to increase the effectiveness and productivity of education.
Research – Basic Research
Basic research in science and engineering is the intellectual sustenance of research universities. Most basic research is often initiated and executed by individual professors, researchers, and students. They come up with ideas and seek answers to the problems posed. In addition to pursuing independent individual research, we must foster multi-disciplinary research at the interface between disciplines where rich intellectual issues and questions lie. KAIST as a leading research university must support the multi-disciplinary research conducted by a group of researchers from many disciplines. To achieve this goal, the KAIST Institutes (KIs) are providing both intellectual leadership and major new facilities. At this time, there are eight (8) KIs. They are concerned with energy, IT, nano-science, bio-science, environment, water, materials, and design. A new building is being constructed to better accommodate these activities.
We must constantly seek new ideas and problems that can yield rich intellectual dividends. Among the new multi-disciplinary subjects are brain research and high resolution MRIs.
Research -- Technology Innovation
At the opposite end of the research spectrum from basic research is technology innovation. A couple of major examples of technology innovation we have undertaken recently are the “on-line electric vehicle” and the “mobile harbor” projects. Another example is the new process of converting natural bio-products into polymers, which was the invention of Dean Sang-Yup Lee. We need to constantly probe new areas and problems that are ready for major technological innovations.
We have been asking how we can reduce the CO2 generation by jet engines and save 20% of the fuel consumed by current commercial airliners. While we have come up with a couple of ideas, nothing concrete had been developed. (Recently, other research has disclosed that a way of improving fuel efficiency of jet engines is to uncouple the speed of the fan from the compressor in turbojets. This shows that we have been probing the right questions.)
There are many other topics we could consider. We need major innovations in generating, handling, and using hydrogen. We also need new innovations in energy storage such as more efficient, lightweight batteries that can store and discharge electric energy at a much faster rate. We also need to develop medical diagnostic tools and systems for various heath related problems.
To encourage creative thinking and technology innovation, KAIST has been supporting HRHR (High Risk/ High Return) projects. We also have the EEWS funding to come up with major solutions for problems related to EEWS. KAIST faculty, staff and students should be encouraged to identify major problems that require technological innovations.
New KIs
In 2010, KAIST Institutes will consolidate, improve, and expand many of the programs we have initiated in 2009. We also hope to launch new multi-disciplinary units – the KAIST Institute for Theoretical Studies and the KAIST Institute for Brain Research. We should also consider closing down some of the existing KIs if they are no longer needed.
Globalization of KAIST Education
Other countries have approached us about transplanting our educational programs to their countries. This is in recognition of the fact that Korea’s rapid growth during the past three decades is in large part due to Korea’s high educational standards and strong universities.
Our new initiative with KUSTAR of Abu Dhabi should set an important milestone in expanding the global activities of KAIST and encouraging its growth.
Graduation Exercise
In February 2010, we are looking forward to holding graduation exercises in the new Sports Complex. This project was partially funded by Woori Bank and POSCO. This will surely reduce the anxiety level of Dean Kyung-Wook Paik, who is in charge of the graduation exercise, as in the past the Committee for Graduation Ceremony had to monitor the weather, as the ceremonies were held in KAIST’s outdoor amphitheater. We were fortunate that the weather cooperated the last few years, and we were pleased that President M.B. Lee delivered a memorable graduation address that was warmly received by our graduates and guests.
Construction
In May 2010, we will dedicate four new buildings, in addition to the Sports Complex: the Chunghi and BJ Park KI Building, the Pappalardo Medical Center, and the International Center. We are hoping that we will soon have a major donor for the Sports Complex as well.
We will also complete the new apartment complex for international faculty and two dormitories for students in 2010. These buildings will help in reduce the pressure for accommodation for faculty and students.
In 2010, KAIST will build several new buildings to accommodate new research and educational programs. We will build the Chung Moon-Soul Building II for Brain research and education, the Kim Byung-Ho IT Building, Animal Facility, and a new Natural Science Building. These buildings should be ready for occupancy in 2011. The new Kim Byung-Ho IT Convergence Center should incorporate futuristic IT technologies.
Several of our old buildings were built more than 20 years ago. They are in urgent need of complete remodeling and renovation. We are hoping to convince the government that these buildings should be completely renovated to reduce the endless repair costs that are currently being incurred to maintain the minimal functions of the buildings. The cost of the renovation is estimated to be 80 billion won.
Academic Programs by Colleges and Departments
Departments, colleges and programs have developed their own plans for 2010, which are attached to this report. These plans will be refined in 2010 once we have a firm budget from the government.
Finance and Budget
In the past, without a full-time CFO, KAIST’s sizable finances were challenging to administer. On January 1, 2010, Mr. Cho, Koog-Jun, with his deep experience in finance and banking, will become the first CFO of KAIST. He will oversee all aspects of finance, including the budget, outsourcing, and expenses associated with major projects.
A major concern for KAIST is the future of its government support. KAIST’s budget increased during the past three years because of the special funding of special projects such as the Globalization Project, the EEWS program, the WCU program, the OLEV Project, and the MH Project. However, KAIST’s base budget has not increased at a rate commensurate with its successful educational and research programs. In order to achieve its goals, KAIST must receive substantial increases in its base budget in the future.
Issues Related to Faculty
Our Five-Year Plan was based on the idea that the number of KAIST’s tenure-track faculty would grow to about 700, so that KAIST can be competitive with the best universities in the world. In the past three years, 150 new professors joined our faculty. Even with the merger of ICU and KAIST, we now have only about 550 tenure-track faculty members, far short of where we should be. During the next 10 years, about 34% of the faculty will retire, and in 15 years, about 54% of the faculty will retire. This high retirement number is a result of the faculty’s skewed age distribution, caused by the merger of relatively new institutions, i.e., KAIS, KIT, and ICU.
To overcome the problems associated with this loss of faculty, we must do the following two things: (a) extend the retirement age of some key faculty members and (b) add many more young professors and eminent scholars to the ranks of our faculty. Our current thinking is that we should extend the retirement age of about 15% of our faculty members to age 70, but careful planning is necessary to implement such a policy.
Sejong City
In January 2009 (well before the current controversy surrounding the relocation of the government), KAIST and the government signed an MOU, which stipulates that KAIST will purchase 490 thousand Pyung of land in Sejong City. Our plan is to establish a Research Hospital, the College of Life Science and Bioengineering, the Graduate School of Public Policy for Science and Technology, Research Centers for Green Technologies (OLEV, MH, and EEWS), an Apartment Complex for Faculty and Staff (for purchase), and a Convention Center for International Conferences. The government agency in charge of developing the city will be installing OLEV bus lines in the city.
The land we have agreed to purchase is adjacent to the widest section of Guem Gang River. It is a prime piece of real estate. KAIST will be able to establish a beautiful campus there, where our students and faculty can enjoy nature while pursuing scholarly and educational activities.
K-12 Education
As we recruit more faculty and staff from abroad, secondary education for their children will become an issue that must be addressed. Because an acceptable agreement with a local international school could not be arranged, we have decided to establish a K-12 school on the ICC campus. We hope to incorporate the school in 2010 and to begin to teach in 2011. Our K-12 school will be similar to the one started by Handong University.
We wish everyone a Happy New Year!
2010.01.07 View 23178 -
KAIST to Host ITTP Conference in Tunisia
KAIST"s Global IT Technology Program (ITTP) will host an international conference at Hammamet Hotel in Tunisia in cooperation with its counterpart at Seoul National University (SNU) on Nov. 23, university authorities said on Wednesday (Nov. 18).
The event is a pre-conference for the ICT4All Forum on Nov. 24-25 which the Tunisian government is organizing with the ADB, World Bank, Arab Society for Intellectual Property and the UTICA to deal with developing information and communication technologies.
KAIST"s ITTP which started in 2006 is designed to build global network of IT leaders around the world. The program supported by the Korean Ministry of Knowledge and Economy offers a customized master"s and doctoral degree program for foreign government officials, employees of public institutions and senior researchers at national research centers working in the IT fields. Scholarships are provided for all trainees, for up to 2 years for master"s students and up to 3 years for doctoral students.
The program focuses on transferring advanced technologies and business strategies of Korea to the global IT leaders of the next generation.
During the conference, seven government officials from as many countries currently under the KAIST or SNU programs will present international cooperation cases based on their own experiences in the IT fields. KAIST ITTP organizers will also provide an educational session on the mobile government for Tunisian experts and conference participants in the information and communications fields.
2009.11.20 View 14577
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Prof. Woo's Team Discovers Eco-Friendly Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell System
A KAIST research team led by Prof. Seong-Ihl Woo of the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering has found a method to use glycerol, a byproduct from the production of biodiesel, as fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), university authorities said on Tuesday (Oct. 27).
The research finding shows that glycerol can be an environmentally sustainable fuel when it is used for operating SOFCs with internal reforming, instead of hydrogen and methane. The finding was published in the Oct. 14, 2009 online edition of ChemSusChem, a sister journal of Angewandte Chemie, the world"s leading chemistry journal.
Biodiesel is an attractive alternative energy source because of its low sulfur content and demand is growing worldwide as oil price soars. Bio-derived glycerol will not contribute to the greenhouse effect and has the potential to contribute to reducing global warming.
Currently, glycereol is used as a raw material in the cosmetic, pharmacy, food, and tobacco industries. However, its supply exceeds its demand as the volume of biodiesel production increases. The production of 1 ton of biodiesel produces 0.1 ton of glycerol. Many researchers have investigated various routes for the consumption of surplus glycerol.
The research is expected to contribute to sustainable growth by reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide and reusing generated carbon dioxide for the production of biomass. The new method enables manufacturers to use glycerol as a fuel for operating SOFC.
2009.10.28 View 13997 -
KAIST's Industrial Design Program Rated among World's Best
KAIST"s master"s program in the area of industrial design has been rated among the world"s best in the latest survey of the World"s Best Design Programs published in the Oct. 2, 2009 issue of BusinessWeek, university authorities said Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The magazine has selected 30 top design programs at the postgraduate level from all over the world. Only six programs in Asia -- one each in Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and India -- were included in the list, while famous design schools in the United States and Europe dominated the list.
Why was KAIST on the list? The magazine commented: "The master"s program, set up in 1991, focuses on human-centered design, technology convergence, and business innovation. Students take courses in design marketing and design management to understand wider corporate issues and also learn how to use design as a strategic tool."
In presenting the list of top design programs, the magazine said that "students in these programs take classes in art, management and science, for example, and create projects in multi-disciplinary teams with students from other schools, They aim to use design for strategy rather than merely for aesthetics and may find jobs as design managers, researchers or business consultants." The magazine concluded that "these programs have formally established hybrid curricula."
Meanwhile, Woo-sung Park, a KAIST graduate, has been chosen among the "Twenty-one People Who Will Change Business" surveyed by the magazine. After graduating with a B.S. in industrial design from KAIST in 2005, Park worked for a design firm for two years. He then returned to KAIST to develop the analytical skills he now uses at the global consultancy Boston Consulting Group in Seoul.
2009.10.09 View 11836
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KAIST Secures Top Ranking of Korean Universities
KAIST won the No. 1 position for the second year in a row in the daily JoongAng Ilbo"s university rankings for 2009. Seoul National University took back the No. 2 spot, followed in order by POSTECH, Korea and Yonsei universities.
The survey was conducted in the four categories, educational environment/finance, professors" research, general reputation/social advancement and globalization. KAIST scored 293 points out of possible 400 this year, while the second-ranking SNU and third-ranking POSTECH earned 234 and 226 points, respectively.
The daily noted that KAIST particularly excelled in the category of educational environment/finance. It observed that donations to KAIST surged almost 100 times for the past three years since 2006 when President Suh took office.
In specific rankings of universities by academic disciplines, SNU came in first overall. KAIST topped in the science and engineering field, while Korea University ranked first in liberal arts studies.
This year, 88 four-year universities participated in the survey. The daily JoongAng Ilbo started its annual evaluation of Koran universities in 1994 to stimulate productive competition among institutions of higher learning and to provide objective standards for students and their parents to select schools for application.
For more information, news.joins.com/article/391/3789391.html
2009.09.24 View 15701
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World Research University Heads to Discuss Challenges in Global Financial Turmoil
About 70 leaders of the world"s major research universities will discuss how to better contribute to continued development of human society in global financial turmoil at a symposium organized by KAIST Monday (Sept. 21) at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul.
Participants of the 2nd International Presidential Forum on Global Research Universities are from 40 universities in 25 countries, including Stanford University and Georgia Institute of Technology of the United States, Berlin Institute of Technology of Germany, Paris Institute of Technology of France, Technical University of Denmark, National University of Singapore and Tokyo Institute of Technology. They include 20 presidents of Korean universities and two dozens of leaders from industry and the government.
Under the main subject of "Challenges to Global Research Universities," the international symposium will proceed in four panel sessions. The subjects of each session and their keynote speakers are:
-- "Institutional Management in Times of Financial Crisis" by Kurt Kutzler, President of Berlin Institute of Technology
-- "Innovations in Education & Research" by Brian Cantor, Vice Chancellor of University of York
-- "Globalization of Institutes of Higher Learning" by Gary Schuster, Provost and Executive Vice President of Georgia Institute of Technology
-- "The Roles of Government, University and Industry in Green Technology Development" by KAIST President Nam-Pyo Suh
KAIST President Suh said of the purpose of the conference: "The world has witnessed a global financial turmoil of unseen magnitude and many nations are still struggling under the devastating impacts. While universities were no exception in facing economic turmoil, they have realized renewed pressures and expectations from their respective communities to provide answers to the great challenges."
"The conference will serve as an opportunity for the representatives of research universities to compare their visions of networking among theier institutions and initiate steps for new relationships. The conference I am sure will have a far-reaching influence on the course our research universities will take to shoulder greater responsibilities for building a better future of the mankind."
For more information, visit forum.kaist.ac.kr
2009.09.16 View 17403
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KAIST Opens "Bridge Program" for Prospective Freshmen from General High Schools
KAIST opened an academic study program to get the 150 prospective freshmen from general high schools ready for undergraduate course work at the tech university, university authorities said on Thursday (Sept. 3).
The "Bridge Program" is designed to offer online courses in mathematics, physics and chemistry to help students without sufficient knowledge in those subjects.
For the 2010 academic year, KAIST"s admission officers have chosen 150 prospective freshmen among a total of 651 students who had been recommended by their school principals. It is the first time that KAIST has alloted a certain number of freshman slots to applicants from general high schools.
The system was designed to prevent elite high school graduates from taking a disproportionately large share of admissions.
As a result, 91 high schools which never before had its student enter KAIST will have at least one enrolled in the university in the next academic year.
Among the selected 150 students, 132 applied for mathematics course, 125 for physics and 116 for chemistry.
2009.09.07 View 10572
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KAIST Undergraduates Open Four-Day International Conference
The ICISTS-KAIST, an annual international conference organized by KAIST undergraduate students, opened on Thursday (Aug. 20) at the KAIST"s main campus in Daejeon.
The 2009 ICISTS (International Conference for the Integration of Science and Technology into Society) drew around 200 experts and students from 44 countries. Since its inception in 2005 to promote discourse on important science and technology issues affecting modern society, the conference has served as an opportunity for academic networking among students in various parts of the world.
The four-day conference consists of lectures, open discussions among lecturers and students, field trips to help students to understand actual applications, and team projects.
This year"s conference offers three workshops under the themes of "Climate Change: Merging Technology and Policy for Green Solutions"; "Human-Computer Interaction: Designing Computer System for Intuitive Human Access"; and "Nano Clinic: Breakthrough in Conquering Disease."
Lectures by invited experts in various scientific fields will help broaden students" perspectives particularly from interdisciplinary viewpoints, said an organizer of the conference.
2009.08.28 View 15904
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Transparent Antenna for Automobile Developed
A research team led by Prof. Jae-Woo Park of the School of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST, developed a transparent antenna for the next-generation automobiles, university authorities said on Monday (Aug. 17).
The development was made possible through joint researches with the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group; Winncom, a car antenna manufacturer; and a group of researchers led by Han-Ki Kim of the Department of Display Materials Engineering at Kyung Hee University in Seoul.
The transparent antennas were developed in two kinds -- one for the HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), a new protocol for mobile telephone data transmission, and the other for transmitting and receiving radio wave for emergency call.
Using the transparent electrically conductive film formation technology, the transparent antennas are to be mounted on the windshield of a vehicle.
"The development of transparent antenna represents a step forward for the advancement of the next-generation automotive electronic technology," said Seong-woo Kim, a senior researcher at the Hyundai-Kia Group.
2009.08.18 View 14511 -
KAIST College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering Signs MOU with Harvard
KAIST’s College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Harvard University’s Center for Brain Science on July 20, which will allow for joint research and exchange in researchers between the two institutions.
Headed by Director Kenneth Blum, Harvard’s Center for Brain Science leads the world in brain-related research. The new MOU will allow for research cooperation, exchanges of professors, researchers, and students, joint usage of infrastructure and research materials, and finally, sharing of research assignments.
The Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering Sang Yup Lee, who concerted efforts to form the MOU said, “This agreement will bring together two of the world’s leading brain-related research teams, and I hope that combining their expertise will bring great advances in brain science and engineering.
KAIST’s College of Life Science and Bioengineering, which is known for its creative interdisciplinary research, is producing exemplary research results in the field of brain science from its Biological Sciences and Bio and Brain Engineering departments.
In addition to cooperation with Harvard, KAIST has also formed partnerships with Emory University, Japan’s RIKEN Brain Institute, and Germany’s Max Planck Institute. Not only does it have a worldwide network pertaining to brain research, but KAIST has also engaged in cooperative research with prominent domestic institutions such as, Asan Medical Center, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, and the SK Corporation. Through these connections, KAIST has managed to lead in mutually cooperative brain interdisciplinary research.
2009.08.10 View 17124
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Prof. Park to Receive HP's Annual Innovation Research Award
Prof. In-Kyu Park of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST, has been will receive an award from Hewlett-Packard"s second annual Labs Innovation Research Program, university authorities said on Wednesday (July 8).
Prof. Park was chosen as the winner of the research award for his paper entitled "Eco-friendly nanomanufacturing for intelligent environment sensing applications."
Sixty projects from 46 universities in 12 countries were selected as the recipients of the awards from HP Labs, the company"s central research arm. The program is designed to create opportunities for colleges, universities and research institutes to conduct collaborative research with HP.
HP Labs Innovation Research Awards provide project funding of up to $100,000 for one year to each of the chosen academic institutions, which is renewable for up to three years based on research progress and HP business requirements.
Prof. Park has conducted joint researches on nanoimprinting, nanosensors, and nanoelectronics with HP"s Information and Quantum Systems Lab since 2005. Starting from the later half of 2009, he is to receive research grants under the industry-academia cooperation program of the world"s information technology giant firm.
2009.07.09 View 15013 -
USC Professor Appointed New Dean of KAIST College of Business
Ravi Kumar, former vice dean of the Graduate and International Program at the University of Southern California, has been appointed as dean of the KAIST College of Business, the university announced on Tuesday (June 30).
Dr. Kumar has been a professor of information and operations management at the Marshall School of Business, USC. He is widely known for his research on global operations, particularly in improving operational performance through cellular design and integrated decision-making with marketing and information technology.
KAIST President Nam-Pyo Suh said: "We are fortunate to have Prof. Kumar as the new Dean of the College of Business. He has made many important contributions to the USC business school, especially in adding international dimensions to the school"s activities. He has established an impeccable reputation as a scholar and visionary. We expect that he will display great leadership in making the KAIST College of Business one of the best schools of its kind in the world."
Prof. Kumar received his bachelor degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1974, master degree from the University of Texas, Arlington, in 1976 and doctorate degree from Northwestern University in 1981.
His papers have been published in Management Science, Marketing Science, Journal of Economic Theory, Production and Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management and Journal of Management Information Systems. He serves as a senior editor on the Board of Production and Operations management and Operations management Educational Review.
He has won several awards for teaching excellence at both the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and USC. They included the Outstanding Educator Award and the Golden Apple Teaching Award.
Prof. Kumar has extensive international consulting experiences with Rolls Royce, BMW, Daimler Benz Aerospace, ABB, Ericsson, BAS Global, Motorola, Reuters, Du Pont, Sanwa Bank, Korea First Bank, Korean Air, Infosys, Acer, Shell Hong Kong and other companies.
2009.07.01 View 14510