Campus/People
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Formosa Group of Taiwan to Establish Bio R&D Center at KAIST Investing 12.5 M USD
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on February 17th that it signed an agreement for cooperation in the bio-medical field with Formosa Group, one of the three largest companies in Taiwan.
< Formosa Group Chairman Sandy Wang and KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee at the signing ceremony >
Formosa Group Executive Committee member and Chairman Sandy Wang, who leads the group's bio and eco-friendly energy sectors, decided to establish a bio-medical research center within KAIST and invest approximately KRW 18 billion or more over 5 years. In addition, to commercialize the research results, KAIST and Formosa Group will establish a joint venture in Korea with KAIST Holdings, a KAIST-funded company.
The cooperation between the two organizations began in early 2023 when KAIST signed a comprehensive exchange and cooperation agreement (MOU) with Ming Chi University of Science and Technology (明志科技大學), Chang Gung University (長庚大學), and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (長庚記念醫院), which are established and supported by Formosa Group. Afterwards, Chairman Sandy Wang visited KAIST in May 2024 and signed a more specific business agreement (MOA).
KAIST Holdings is a holding company established by KAIST, a government-funded organization, to attract investment and conduct business, and will pursue the establishment of a joint venture with a 50:50 equity structure in cooperation with Formosa Group. KAIST Holdings will invest KAIST’s intellectual property rights, and Formosa Group will invest a corresponding amount of funds.
The KAIST-Formosa joint venture will provide research funds to the KAIST-Formosa Bio-Medical Research Center to be established in the future, secure the right to implement the intellectual property rights generated, and promote full-scale business.
The KAIST-Formosa Bio-Medical Research Center will establish a ‘brain organoid bank’ created by obtaining tissues from hundreds of patients with degenerative brain diseases, thereby securing high-dimensional data that will reveal the fundamental causes of aging and disease. It is expected that KAIST’s world-class artificial intelligence technology will analyze large-scale patient data to find the causes of aging and disease.
Through this business, it is expected that by 2030, five years from now, it will discover more than 10 types of intractable brain disease treatments and expand to more than 20 businesses, including human cell-centered diagnostics and preclinical businesses, and secure infrastructure and intellectual property rights that can create value worth approximately KRW 250 billion.
The Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan has 10,000 beds and handles 35,000 patients per day, and systematically accumulates patient tissue and clinical data. Chang Gung Memorial Hospital will differentiate the tissues of patients with degenerative brain diseases and send them to the KAIST-Formosa Bio-Medical Research Center, which will then produce brain organoids to be used for disease research and new drug development. This will allow the world’s largest patient tissue data bank to be established.
Dean Daesoo Kim of the College of Life Science and Bioengineering at KAIST said, “This collaboration between KAIST and Formosa Group is a new research collaboration model that goes beyond joint research to establish a joint venture and global commercialization of developed technologies, and it is significant in that it can serve as an opportunity to promote biomedical research and development.”
With this agreement, KAIST, which has been promoting the KAIST Advanced Regenerative Medicine Engineering Center in Osong K-Bio Square, has secured a practical global partner.
< Representatives of the Formosa Group and KAIST >
KAIST’s Senior Vice President for Planning and Budget, Professor Kyung-Soo Kim emphasized, “KAIST has made great efforts to secure an edge in state-of-the-art biomedical fields such as stem cells and gene editing technology, by attracting the world’s best experts and discovering global cooperation partners, and these results can ultimately be linked to the Osong K-Bio Square project.”
SVP Kim then predicted, “In particular, the practical cooperation with Taiwan’s best Formosa Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, which has abundant clinical experience in stem cell treatment, will be an important axis of KAIST’s bio innovation strategy.”
Formosa Chairman Sandy Wang emphasized that this investment and cooperation is built on trust in KAIST’s R&D capabilities and the passion of its researchers. And added that through this, the Formosa Group will practice corporate social responsibility and take an important first step together with KAIST to protect the welfare and health of humanity. She also went on the say that she expects to see the cooperation expanded to various fields such as mobility and semiconductors based on the successes begotten from the cooperation in the bio field.
KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee said, “I evaluate this agreement as one of the most important events that will spearhead KAIST into overseas biotechnology stages,” and added, “I expect that this cooperation will be an opportunity for Taiwan and Korea, both of which have IT industry-centered structures, to create new growth engines in the bio industry.” Meanwhile, Formosa Group is a company founded by Chairman Sandy Wang’s father, Chairman Yung-Ching Wang. It is the world’s No. 1 plastic PVC producer and is leading core industries of the Taiwanese economy, including semiconductors, steel, heavy industry, bio, and batteries. Chairman Yung-Ching Wang was respected by the Taiwanese people for his exemplary return of wealth to society under the belief that the companies and assets he founded “belong to the people.”
2025.02.17 View 1218 -
KAIST Holds 2025 Commencement Ceremony
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) held its 2025 Commencement Ceremony at the Lyu Keun-Chul Sports Complex on the Daejeon Main Campus at 2 p.m. on the 14th of February.
< A scene from KAIST Commencement 2025 - Guests of Honor and Administrative Professors Entering the Stage headed by the color guards of the ELKA (Encouraging Leaders of KAIST) >
At this ceremony, a total of 3,144 degrees were conferred, including 785 doctorates, 1,643 masters, and 716 bachelors. With this, KAIST has produced a total of 81,156 advanced science and technology personnel, including 17,313 doctorates, 41,566 masters, and 22,277 bachelors since its establishment in 1971.
Changyu Lee from the School of Computing received the Minister of Science and ICT Award, and the Chairman of the KAIST Board of Trustees Award went to Lance Khizner Dabu Gragasin, an international student from the Philippines of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. The President’s Award was given to Seoyeong Yang of the Department of Biological Sciences, and the Alumni Association President’s Award and the Development Foundation Chairman’s Award was given to Gahyeon Bae of the Department of Industrial Design and Buyeon Kim of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, respectively.
Minister of Science and ICT Sang-Im Yoo joined the ceremony to deliver a congratulatory speech and to present the awards to outstanding graduates.
< Minister Sang-Im Yoo of the Ministry of Science, Technology and ICT giving his congratulatory message at KAIST Commencement 2025 >
The valedictorian speeches were given by Minjae Kim of the School of Computing, who has practiced the value of sharing that learning is not competition but cooperation, and Mohammed Haruna Hamza of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, a Nigerian international student. Mr. Hamza is the first foreign student to represent the graduating class as valedictorian since the founding of KAIST.
Hamza lost his home and school in his home country due to a terrorist group’s bombing and moved south, but despite the adversity, he continued his studies while pursuing his dream of becoming an aerospace engineer. As a result of his efforts, Hamza was invited by the Korean government to study at KAIST. He expressed his determination to pursue his dream by saying, “I am grateful for the people and experiences that helped me overcome my adversity. The future is the result of the decisions we make today.”
A Pakistani international student was chosen as one of this year's "Most Talked about Graduates of the Year". It is Ali Syed Sheraz who wore his doctoral cap at this year’s commencement ceremony. Ali, a single father who left his one-year-old son behind in his home country, working as a university lecturer. He joined the Ph.D. program in mechanical engineering in 2019 with a passion for mechanical energy.
Ali’s academic journey was full of challenges and growth. Due to COVID-19, his research was suspended for six months, and he had difficulty continuing his studies undergoing three surgeries after a bicycle accident, including a surgery for a fractured elbow, a nose surgery, and removal of kidney stones.
However, he accepted these failure and hardship as a process of growth and participated in the ‘Failed Project Showcase’ and ‘Failure Essay Contest’ held by the KAIST Failure Society, sharing his experiences and growing into a more solid researcher.
< Most Talked about Graduate Graduate of the Year - Syed Sheraz Ali >
Despite experiencing various hardships, he found lessons to learn from them and changed his perspective, which made him unafraid of taking on new challenges. He showed through his own example that failure is not just stumbling blocks but can be a stepping stone to success by looking at his studies and personal life positively.
Furthermore, after becoming the president of the Muslim Student Association, Ali introduced halal menus to the cafeteria on campus so that more Muslim students could eat comfortably. Thanks to this change, his time at KAIST has become an opportunity to understand and experience various cultures more.
Ali is researching artificial muscles (soft actuators) with the world's highest bending strain using MXene, an artificial muscle nanomaterial that can move smoothly, in Professor Il-kwon Oh's lab.
Ali said, "After completing my Ph.D., I plan to develop soft robots, healthcare electronics, and next-generation tactile technology based on MXene, a next-generation 2D material. It is important for my juniors not to be afraid of failure and to have a challenging attitude."
Another 'Most Talked about Graduate of the Year', Mr. Sung-Hyun Jung, who graduated with a master's degree from the Graduate School of Bio Innvation Management, is the CEO of Promedius, a medical AI startup, and has commercialized an osteoporosis diagnosis software based on chest X-rays using AI, and grown it into a leading company in the bone health field.
CEO Jung's challenge shows that KAIST's management education is not just theoretical but practical enough to be applied immediately in the field. CEO Jung, who is also the father of three daughters, experienced business failure in China during the period when the conflict between Korea and China was intensifying.
He moved to Silicon Valley in the United States to revive his business and tried to acquire even small businesses, but the reality was not easy. He worked hard, standing 14 hours a day in a kimchi factory and a restaurant kitchen to make a living. After finishing his life in the United States, CEO Jung returned to Korea and had the opportunity to join Lunit, a global medical AI leader founded by KAIST graduates. CEO Jung experienced the growth of the global medical AI market firsthand with unit Chairman Seungwook Paek.
When he entered the Master's Program at the Graduate School of Bio Innvation Management in 2023 to acquire more specialized knowledge, CEO Jung had just transferred to Promedius and was in a crisis situation with only about 6 months left before the company's funds were exhausted.
While considering a change in business direction because he judged that it would be difficult to survive with existing business items, he learned keywords and investment review perspectives that venture capital (VC) pays attention to in Professor Hoonje Cho’s ‘Bio-innovation Business Startup Strategy and Practice’ class. He attracted 11.4 billion won in investment by applying the investment proposal he wrote based on what he learned from the class to actual practice.
< Most Talked about Graduate of the Year - Sung-Hyun Jung >
In addition, he applied the innovation strategy in the medical field he learned in Professor Kihwan Park’s ‘Innovation and Marketing in Bio and Pharmaceutics’ to the field of osteoporosis, and achieved the result of being selected as the first Asian company to be a corporate advisory committee member of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). Through this, he established the company as a representative global entity in the osteoporosis field in just one year.
CEO Jung, who applied what he learned from KAIST to actual management and achieved results in the global market in a short period of time, said, “I want to prove that KAIST education is not limited to theory, but is very practical.” He said, “I want to let people know that my life, once full of hardship, got on the track toward success after encountering KAIST,” and expressed his ambition, saying, “My long-term goal is to create a world-class company that is recognized globally.”
In addition, an honorary doctorate was awarded to Chairman Joong Keun Lee of Booyoung Group at the commencement ceremony.
Chairman Joong Keun Lee, who is an entrepreneur that led Booyoung Group, a leading general construction company, received the honorary doctorate in business administration, for leading the development of domestic housing welfare, education, and culture.
KAIST Provost Gyunmin Lee said, “Chairman Joong Keun Lee spared no effort in providing dedicated support for the development of domestic science and technology and the cultivation of future talents. He is awarded the honorary doctorate in recognition of his social responsibility in various fields, including scholarships and support for educational facilities, as well as domestic and international education, culture, veterans affairs, and overseas support.”
Since founding Booyoung Group in 1983, Chairman Lee has boldly entered the rental housing business, a field that large construction companies had avoided, and has played a significant role in improving the quality of life of ordinary citizens by supplying 230,000 households out of 383 complexes and approximately 300,000 households nationwide as rental housing, thereby contributing greatly to the stability of national housing.
< Chairman Joong Keun Lee giving his acceptance speech for his honorary Doctorate >
Chairman Joong Keun Lee, who has been offering hope for a sustainable future, said, “I am honored to receive an honorary doctorate from KAIST, and I hope that KAIST students will nurture their dreams and talents and grow into global talents who will contribute to national development.”
President Kwang-Hyung Lee said, “Chairman Joong Keun Lee has been carrying out various social contribution activities, and in particular, through supporting academic infrastructure, which is the core of national competitiveness, we can see his deep interest in and sense of responsibility for the development of science and technology in our country.” He added, “I am truly delighted to have him as a member of the KAIST family, and I congratulate him on behalf of all members, including our students.”
President Kwang-Hyung Lee also delivered a message of encouragement at the ceremony to charge the graduates to, “Find and keep a dream of your own, be on the lookout for opportunities, don’t be afraid of making mistakes, and do not shy away from taking on challenging tasks.” He added, “Even if you fail, don’t give up. Keep on trying so that you will get to that stage of radiate your own light on the stages where anything is possible.” (End)
2025.02.14 View 2247 -
KAIST Alumni Association to Honor Alumni of the Year Award Winners
Photo 1. Photo of the KAIST Alumni of the Year Award Recipients
(From left) UST President Lee-whan Kim, CEO Han Chung of iThree Systems Co., Ltd., CEO Dong Myung Kim of LG Energy Solution Co., Ltd., and Professor Hyun Myung of the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on Monday, the 13th of January that the Alumni Association (President Yun-Tae Lee) has selected its Alumni of the Year.
This year’s honorees are: ▴ President Lee-whan Kim of the Korea National University of Science and Technology (UST), ▴ CEO Han Chung of i3 Systems, ▴ CEO Dong Myung Kim of LG Energy Solution, and ▴ Professor Hyun Myung of the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST.
The honorees were selected based on their achievements over the past year, and the award ceremony will be held at the 2025 KAIST Alumni Association New Year’s Gathering to be held at the L Tower in Seoul at 5 PM on Friday the 17th.
The KAIST Alumni of the Year Award is an award presented by the Alumni Association to alumni who have contributed to the development of the country and the society or have brought honor to their alma mater through outstanding academic achievements and community service. Since its establishment in 1992, 126 recipients have been awarded.
Lee-whan Kim (Master's graduate of Mechanical Engineering, 82), the President of the Korea National University of Science and Technology (UST), established a leading foundation for national science and technology policy and strategy, and played a leading role in innovating national science and technology capabilities through the advancement of the national research and development system and the advancement of science and technology personnel training. In particular, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of UST and the Korea Science Academy (KSA), and greatly contributed to establishing a foundation for the training and utilization of science and technology personnel.
Han Chung (Master's graduate of Electrical Engineering, 91, with Ph.D. degree in 96), the CEO of i3 Systems, is a first-generation researcher in the field of domestic infrared detectors. He developed military detectors for over 30 years and founded i3 Systems, a specialized infrared detector company, in 1998. Currently, he supplies more than 80% of the infrared detectors used by the Korean military, and has also achieved export results to over 20 countries.
Dong Myung Kim (Master's graduate of Materials Science and Engineering, 94, with Ph.D. degree in 98) the CEO of LG Energy Solution Co., Ltd. has led innovation in the battery field with his ceaseless exploration and challenging spirit, and is known as an authority in the secondary battery industry. He played a leading role in establishing K-Battery as a global leader, strengthened the country's future industrial competitiveness, and greatly contributed to the development of science and technology.
Hyun Myung (Bachelor's graduate of Electrical Engineering, 92, with Master's degree in 94, and Ph.D. degree in 98) a Professor of Electrical Engineering, KAIST, won first place in the world at the Quadruped Robot Challenge (QRC) hosted by the IEEE’s International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2023 with the 'DreamWaQ' system, an AI walking technology based on deep reinforcement learning that utilizes non-video sensory technologies. He contributed to enhancing the competitiveness of the domestic robot industry by developing his own fully autonomous walking technology that recognizes the environment around the robot and finds the optimal path.
Yun-Tae Lee, the 27th president of the KAIST Alumni Association, said, “KAIST alumni have been the driving force behind the growth of industries in all walks of life by continuously conducting research and development in the field of advanced science and technology for a long time,” and added, “I am very proud of the KAIST alumni award recipients who are leading science and technology on the world stage beyond Korea, and I sincerely thank them for their efforts and achievements.”
2025.01.15 View 2141 -
KAIST to Collaborate with AT&C to Take Dominance over Dementia
< Photo 1. (From left) KAIST Dean of the College of Natural Sciences Daesoo Kim, KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, AT&C Chairman Ki Tae Lee, AT&C CEO Jong-won Lee >
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on January 9th that it signed a memorandum of understanding for a comprehensive mutual cooperation with AT&C (CEO Jong-won Lee) at its Seoul Dogok Campus to expand research investment and industry-academia cooperation in preparation for the future cutting-edge digital bio era.
Senile dementia is a rapidly increasing brain disease that affects 10% of the elderly population aged 65 and older, and approximately 38% of those aged 85 and older suffer from dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common dementia in the elderly and its prevalence has been increasing rapidly in the population of over 40 years of age. However, an effective treatment is yet to be found.
The Korean government is investing a total of KRW 1.1 trillion in dementia R&D projects from 2020 to 2029, with the goal of reducing the rate of increase of dementia patients by 50%. Since it takes a lot of time and money to develop effective and affordable medicinal dementia treatments, it is urgent to work on the development of digital treatments for dementia that can be applied more quickly.
AT&C, a digital healthcare company, has already received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for its device for antidepressant treatment based on transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using magnetic fields and is selling it domestically and internationally. In addition, it has developed the first Alzheimer's dementia treatment device in Korea and received MFDS approval for clinical trials. After passing phase 1 to evaluate safety and phase 2 to test efficacy on some patients, it is currently conducting phase 3 clinical trials to test efficacy on a larger group of patients.
This dementia treatment device is equipped with a system that combines non-invasive electronic stimulations (TMS electromagnetic stimulator) and digital therapeutic prescription (cognitive learning programs) to provide precise, automated treatment by applying AI image analysis and robotics technology.
Through this agreement, KAIST and AT&C have agreed to cooperate with each other in the development of innovative digital treatment equipment for brain diseases. Through research collaboration with KAIST, AT&C will be able to develop technology that can be widely applied to Parkinson's disease, stroke, mild cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, etc., and will develop portable equipment that can improve brain function and prevent dementia at home by utilizing KAIST's wearable technology.
To this end, AT&C plans to establish a digital healthcare research center at KAIST by supporting research personnel and research expenses worth approximately 3 billion won with the goal of developing cutting-edge digital equipment within 3 years.
The digital equipment market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 22.1% from 2023 to 2033, reaching a market size of $1.9209 trillion by 2033.
< Photo 2. (From left) Dean of the KAIST College of Natural Sciences Daesoo Kim, Professor Young-joon Lee, Professor Minee Choi of the KAIST Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, Chairman Ki Tae Lee, CEO Jong-won Lee, and Headquarters Director Ki-yong Na of AT&C >
CEO Jong-won Lee said, “AT&C is playing a leading role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease using TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) technology. Through this agreement with KAIST, we will do our best to create a new paradigm for brain disease treatment and become a platform company that can lead future medical devices and medical technology.”
Former Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Ki Tae Lee, a strong supporter of this R&D project, said, “Through this agreement with KAIST, we plan to prepare for a new future by combining the technologies AT&C has developed so far with KAIST’s innovative and differentiated technologies.”
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee emphasized, “Through this collaboration, KAIST expects to build a world-class digital therapeutics infrastructure for treating brain diseases and contribute greatly to further strengthening Korea’s competitiveness in the biomedical field.”
The signing ceremony was attended by KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, the Dean of KAIST College of Natural Sciences Daesoo Kim, AT&C CEO Lee Jong-won, and the current Chairman of AT&C, Ki Tae Lee, former Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics.
2025.01.09 View 1981 -
“Cross-Generation Collaborative Labs” for Semiconductor, Chemistry, and Computer Science Opened
< Photo of Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo (center) of the School of Electrical Engineering at the signboard unveiling ceremony >
KAIST held a ceremony to mark the opening of three additional ‘Cross-Generation Collaborative Labs’ on the morning of January 7th, 2025.
The “Next-Generation AI Semiconductor System Lab” by Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo of the School of Electrical Engineering, the “Molecular Spectroscopy and Chemical Dynamics Lab” by Professor Sang Kyu Kim of the Department of Chemistry, and the “Advanced Data Computing Lab” by Professor Sue Bok Moon of the School of Computer Science are the three new labs given the honored titled of the “Cross-Generation Collaborative Lab”.
The Cross-Generation Collaborative Lab is KAIST’s unique system that was set up to facilitate the collaboration between retiring professors and junior professors to continue the achievements and know-how the elders have accumulated over their academic career. Since its introduction in 2018, nine labs have been named to be the Cross-Generation Labs, and this year’s new addition brings the total up to twelve.
The ‘Next-Generation AI Semiconductor System Lab’ led by Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo will be operated by Professor Joo-Young Kim of the same school.
Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo is a world-renowned scholar with outstanding research achievements in the field of on-device AI semiconductor design. Professor Joo-Young Kim is an up-and-coming researcher studying large language models and design of AI semiconductors for server computers, and is currently researching technologies to design PIM (Processing-in-Memory), a core technology in the field of AI semiconductors.
Their research goal is to systematically collaborate and transfer next-generation AI semiconductor design technology, including brain-mimicking AI algorithms such as deep neural networks and generative AI, to integrate core technologies, and to maximize the usability of R&D outputs, thereby further solidifying the position of Korean AI semiconductor companies in the global market.
Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo said, “I believe that, we will be able to present a development direction of for the next-generation AI semiconductors industries at home and abroad through collaborative research and play a key role in transferring and expanding global leadership.”
< Professor Sang Kyu Kim of the Department of Chemistry (middle), at the signboard unveiling ceremony for his laboratory >
The “Molecular Spectroscopy and Chemical Dynamics Laboratory”, where Professor Sang Kyu Kim of the Department of Chemistry is in charge, will be operated by Professor Tae Kyu Kim of the same department, and another professor in the field of spectroscopy and dynamics will join in the future.
Professor Sang Kyu Kim has secured technologies for developing unique experimental equipment based on ultrashort lasers and supersonic molecular beams, and is a world leader who has been creatively pioneering new fields of experimental physical chemistry.
The research goal is to describe chemical reactions and verify from a quantum mechanical perspective and introduce new theories and technologies to pursue a complete understanding of the principles of chemical reactions. In addition, the accompanying basic scientific knowledge will be applied to the design of new materials.
Professor Sang Kyu Kim said, “I am very happy to be able to pass on the research infrastructure to the next generation through this system, and I will continue to nurture it to grow into a world-class research lab through trans-generational collaborative research.”
< Photo of Professor Sue Bok Moon (center) at the signboard unveiling ceremony by the School of Computing >
Lastly, the “Advanced Data Computing Lab” led by Professor Sue Bok Moon is joined by Professor Mee Young Cha of the same school and Professor Wonjae Lee of the Graduate School of Culture Technology.
Professor Sue Bok Moon showed the infinite possibilities of large-scale data-based social network research through Cyworld, YouTube, and Twitter, and had a great influence on related fields beyond the field of computer science.
Professor Mee Young Cha is a data scientist who analyzes difficult social issues such as misinformation, poverty, and disaster detection using big data-based AI. She is the first Korean to be recognized for her achievements as the director of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, a world-class basic science research institute. Therefore, there is high expectation for synergy effects from overseas collaborative research and technology transfer and sharing among the participating professors of the collaborative research lab. Professor Wonjae Lee is researching dynamic interaction analysis between science and technology using structural topic models.
They plan to conduct research aimed at improving the analysis and understanding of negative influences occurring online, and in particular, developing a hateful precursor detection model using emotions and morality to preemptively block hateful expressions.
Professor Sue Bok Moon said, “Through this collaborative research lab, we will play a key role in conducting in-depth collaborative research on unexpected negative influences in the AI era so that we can have a high level of competitiveness worldwide.”
The ceremonies for the unveiling of the new Cross-Generation Collaborative Lab signboard were held in front of each lab from 10:00 AM on the 7th, in the attendance of President Kwang Hyung Lee, Senior Vice President for Research Sang Yup Lee, and other key officials of KAIST and the new staff members to join the laboratories.
2025.01.07 View 1943 -
Dongwon Group Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-chul Donates a Total of 54.4 Billion Won to KAIST
- Dongwon Group Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-chul, following his 2020 donation of 50 billion won, donates an additional 4.4 billion won to strengthen the AI education and research infrastructure
- The additional donation of 4.4 billion won will be used to build a new AI education and research building
- “In the AI era, there will be a new future in the sea of data. Please become the world’s No. 1 research group.” - Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-chul
< Photo 1. Kim Jae-chul, Honorary Chairman of Dongwon Group >
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 6th of January that Dongwon Group's Honorary Chairman Kim Jae-chul has pledged an additional development fund of 4.4 billion won to strengthen the AI education and research infrastructure. This is his second donation following the 50 billion won donated in 2020.
In 2020, Chairman Kim expressed his hope that KAIST acquire the highest level of capabilities in the field of AI by establishing the "Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI" with his donation. Upon hearing that KAIST's AI research level was ranked fifth in the world, Chairman Kim asked that it be raised to first.
In response to Chairman Kim's request, President Kwang Hyung Lee explained, "The number of AI professors at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), currently ranked first in the world, is 45. To surpass this, the KAIST AI Graduate School's faculty should be expanded from its current level of 20 to 50, and a research building should be built so that they can focus on research." Chairman Kim responded, "I'll build that building for you, so don’t worry about that."
KAIST will use 48.3 billion won of the donated funds to build an education and research building with a total floor area of 18,182㎡ (5,500 pyeong) on eight floors above ground and one floor below ground. The new building, which is scheduled to be completed in February 2028, is expected to be a world-class educational research facility that can house 50 professors and 1,000 students.
Chairman Kim said, “When I was young, I looked for the future of Korea in the blue ocean of the world, but in the AI era, a new future will be in the ocean of data,” and explained the purpose of the donation, saying, “I hope that Korea will be able to lead the era of the 4th industrial revolution by fostering global core talents who can leap forward as leaders in the era of data exploration.”
President Kwang Hyung Lee said, “I respect Chairman Kim’s decision to open a new horizon for fostering next-generation scientific talents who will lead the world. KAIST will grow the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI into the world’s No. 1 AI research group, just as Chairman Kim wishes.”
Meanwhile, with this donation, President Kwang Hyung Lee has raised 261.2 billion won in donations during his tenure (1,400 days), raising an average of 186 million won per day.
2025.01.06 View 1545 -
KAIST Opens Newly Expanded Center for Contemplative Research in Collaboration with Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department
KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on January 2nd that it would hold an opening ceremony for the expanded KAIST Center for Contemplative Research (Director Wan Doo Kim) at the Creativity Learning Building on its Daejeon campus on January 3 (Friday).
Established in 2018 with the mission of "integrating meditation and science for the happiness and prosperity of humanity," the KAIST Center for Contemplative Research has been expanding its scope of research into the neuroscience of meditation and training empathetic educators who will lead the field of meditation science in collaboration with the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, which was established in 2022.
Supported by the Plato Academy Foundation and with funding from SK Discovery for the facility’s expansion, the center now occupies an extended space on the 5th floor of the Creativity Learning Center. The new facilities include: ▲ Advanced Research Equipment ▲ Meditation Science Laboratories ▲ VR/XR-Based Meditation Experience Rooms ▲ A Large Digital Art Meditation Hall ▲ Personal Meditation Halls.
Particularly, the center plans to conduct next-generation meditation research using cutting-edge technologies such as: ▲ Brain-Computer Interface Technology ▲ Meditation Wearable Devices ▲ Metaverse-Based Meditation Environments.
The opening ceremony, scheduled for the morning of January 3 (Friday), was attended by key figures, including Plato Academy Foundation Chairman Chang-Won Choi, MindLab CEO Professor Seong-Taek Cho, Bosung Group Vice President Byung-Chul Lee, and KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee.
The event began with a national moment of silence to honor the victims of the recent Jeju Air passenger accident. It included a progress report by the center director, a lecture by Professor Jaeseung Jeong, panel discussions, and more.
Following a tour of the expanded facilities, the center hosted a 20-minute hands-on meditation science session using *Looxid Labs EEG devices for the first 50 participants.
*Looxid Labs EEG Device: A real-time brainwave measurement device developed by KAIST startup Looxid Labs that enables users to experience efficient and AI-powered data-driven meditation science practice (Looxid Labs website: https://looxidlabs.com/).
During the ceremony, Director of the Center for Contemplative Research Wan Doo Kim presented on "The Mission, Vision, and Future of the KAIST Center for Contemplative Research." Yujin Lee, a combined master’s and doctoral researcher from the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, shared insights on "The Latest Trends in Meditation Science Research."
A panel discussion and Q&A session on "The Convergence of Meditation and Brain and Cognitive Sciences" followed featuring Professors Jaeseung Jeong, HyungDong Park (Brain and Cognitive Sciences), and Jiyoung Park (Digital Humanities and Social Sciences).
Director Wan Doo Kim commented, “With this expanded opening, we aim to offer advanced meditation programs integrating brain and cognitive sciences and cutting-edge technology not only to KAIST members but also to the general public interested in meditation. We will continue to dedicate ourselves to interdisciplinary research between meditation and science.”
2025.01.03 View 1503 -
KAIST Wins CES 2025 Innovation Award, Showcasing Innovative Technologies
KAIST will showcase innovative technologies at the world’s largest technology fair, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025). In addition, KAIST startups VIRNECT Inc., Standard Energy Inc., A2US Inc., and Panmnesia, Inc. won the 2025 CES Innovation Awards.
< Image 1. 3D-Graphical Profile of CES 2025 KAIST Exhibition Booth >
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on the 31st that it will operate a 140㎡ standalone booth at CES Eureka Park, which will be held in Las Vegas, USA from January 7th to 10th next year, to showcase KAIST's innovative technologies to global companies and investors.
KAIST startups VIRNECT, Standard Energy, A2US, and Panmnesia, Inc. won the 2025 CES Innovation Awards. ▴VIRNECT won the Innovation Award in the ‘Industrial Equipment and Machinery’ category for ‘VisionX’, an AI-based smart glass for industrial sites; ▴Standard Energy Co., Ltd. won the Innovation Award in the ‘Smart City’ category for developing the world’s first vanadium-ion battery; ▴A2US won the Innovation Award in the ‘Environment & Energy’ category for its portable air purifier that eliminates bacteria, odors, and fine dust in the air with just water droplets; ▴Panmnesia, Inc. won the Innovation Award in the ‘Computer Peripherals and Accessories’ category for its ‘CXL-based GPU Memory Expansion Kit’ that can drastically reduce the cost of building AI infrastructure.
< Image 2. (From left on the top row) VIRNECT, Standard Energy, (From left on the bottom row) A2US, Panmnesia, Inc. >
This exhibition will feature 15 startups that are standing out in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, mobility, and sustainability. In particular, AI-based deep tech startups in various industries such as logistics, architecture, and medicine will take up half of the total, showcasing the companies’ innovative AI technologies.
Polyphenol Factory Co.,Ltd introduces ‘Grabity’, a hair loss shampoo launched domestically, which applies the patented ingredient ‘LiftMax 308™’ that forms an instantaneous protective layer on the hair during the shampooing process. A real-time demonstration will be held at this exhibition hall so that visitors can experience the effects of the ingredient directly, and plans to enter the global market starting with the launch on Amazon in the US in January 2025.
VIRNECT will present ‘VisionX’, a prototype that won the Innovation Award this time. The product provides a chatbot AI through an AI voice interface, and has a function that allows users to check the status of the equipment in real time through conversations with the AI and receive troubleshooting guidance through voice conversations, so users can experience it directly at the KAIST Hall.
‘Standard Energy’ plans to exhibit ‘Energy Tile’, an indoor ESS that utilizes the world’s first vanadium ion battery (hereinafter referred to as VIB). VIB is absolutely safe from fire and has high installation flexibility, so it can be applied to smart cities and AI data centers.
‘A2US’ is the only company in the world that has hydroxyl radical water production technology, and won the Innovation Award for its first product, an air purifier. In the future, it is expected to be widely commercialized in air and water purification, smart farms, food tech, and semiconductor cleaning using safe and environmentally friendly hydroxyl radical water.
Panmnesia, Inc. won the CES Innovation Award for its GPU memory expansion solution equipped with its CXL 3.1 IP. By connecting a memory expansion device using Panmnesia’s CXL IP, the GPU’s memory capacity can be expanded to the terabyte level. Following the Innovation Award for ‘CXL-equipped AI Accelerator’ at CES 2024 last year, it is the only company to have won the Innovation Award for its AI-oriented CXL solution for two consecutive years.
In addition, technologies from a total of 15 companies will be introduced, including ▴Omelet ▴NEXTWAVE ▴Planby Technologies ▴Cosmo Bee ▴ImpactAI ▴Roen Surgical ▴DIDEN Roboticss ▴Autopedia ▴OAQ ▴HydroXpand ▴BOOKEND ▴Sterri.
On the central stage of the KAIST Hall, KAIST students selected as CES Student Supporters will conduct interviews with participating companies and promote the companies' innovative technologies and solutions. On the 8th, from 5 PM to 7 PM, a KAIST NIGHT event will be held where pre-invited investors and participating companies can network.
Keon Jae Lee, the head of the Institute of Technology Value Creation, said, “Through CES 2025, we will showcase innovative technologies and solutions from startups based on KAIST’s deep science and deep tech, and lead commercialization in cutting-edge technology fields such as AI, robotics, mobility, and environment/energy. KAIST plans to further promote technology commercialization by supporting the growth and marketing of innovative startups through the Institute of Technology Value Creation and by strengthening global networks and expanding cooperation opportunities.”
2024.12.31 View 2601 -
KAIST Awarded Presidential Commendation for Contributions in Software Industry
- At the “25th Software Industry Day” celebration held in the afternoon on Monday, December 2nd, 2024 at Yangjae L Tower in Seoul
- KAIST was awarded the “Presidential Commendation” for its contributions for the advancement of the Software Industry in the Group Category
- Korea’s first AI master’s and doctoral degree program opened at KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI
- Focus on training non-major developers through SW Officer Training Academy "Jungle", Machine Learning Engineer Bootcamp, etc., talents who can integrate development and collaboration, and advanced talents in the latest AI technologies.
- Professor Minjoon Seo of KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI received Prime Minister’s Commendation for his contributions for the advancement of the software industry.
< Photo 1. Professor Kyung-soo Kim, the Senior Vice President for Planning and Budget (second from the left) and the Manager of Planning Team, Mr. Sunghoon Jung, stand at the stage after receiving the Presidential Commendation as KAIST was selected as one of the groups that contributed to the advancement of the software industry at the "25th Software Industry Day" celebration. >
“KAIST has been leading the way in achieving the grand goal of fostering 1 million AI talents in Korea by services that pan from providing various educational opportunities, from developing the capabilities of experts with no computer science specialty to fostering advanced professionals. I would like to thank all members of KAIST community who worked hard to achieve the great feat of receiving the Presidential Commendations.” (KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee)
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on December 3rd that it was selected as a group that contributed to the advancement of the software industry at the “2024 Software Industry Day” celebration held at the Yangjae El Tower in Seoul on the 2nd of December and received a presidential commendation.
The “Software Industry Day”, hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency and the Korea Software Industry Association, is an event designed to promote the status of software industry workers in Korea and to honor their achievements.
Every year, those who have made significant contributions to policy development, human resource development, and export growth for industry revitalization are selected and awarded the ‘Software Industry Development Contribution Award.’
KAIST was recognized for its contribution to developing a demand-based, industrial field-centric curriculum and fostering non-major developers and convergence talents with the goal of expanding software value and fostering excellent human resources.
< Photo 2. Senior Vice President for Planning and Budget Kyung-soo Kim receiving the commendation as the representative of KAIST >
Specifically, it first opened the SW Officer Training Academy "Jungle" to foster convergent program developers equipped with the abilities to handle both the computer coding and human interactions for collaborations. This is a non-degree program that provides intensive study and assignments for 5 months for graduates and intellectuals without prior knowledge of computer science.
KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI opened and operated Korea’s first master's and doctoral degree program in the field of artificial intelligence. In addition, it planned a “Machine Learning Engineers’ Boot Camp” and conducted lectures and practical training for a total of 16 weeks on the latest AI technologies such as deep learning basics and large language models. It aims to strengthen the practical capabilities of start-up companies while lowering the threshold for companies to introduce AI technology.
Also, KAIST was selected to participate in the 1st and 2nd stages of the Software-centered University Project and has been taking part in the project since 2016. Through this, it was highly evaluated for promoting curriculum based on latest technology, an autonomous system where students directly select integrated education, and expansion of internships.
< Photo 3. Professor Minjoon Seo of Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, who received the Prime Minister's Commendation for his contribution to the advancement of the software industry on the same day >
At the awards ceremony that day, Professor Minjoon Seo of KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI also received the Prime Minister's Commendation for his contribution to the advancement of the software industry. Professor Seo was recognized for his leading research achievements in the fields of AI and natural language processing by publishing 28 papers in top international AI conferences over the past four years.
At the same time, he was noted for his contributions to enhancing the originality and innovation of language model research, such as △knowledge encoding, △knowledge access and utilization, and △high-dimensional inference performance, and for demonstrating leadership in the international academic community.
President Kwang Hyung Lee of KAIST stated, “Our university will continue to do its best to foster software talents with global competitiveness through continuous development of cutting-edge curriculum and innovative degree systems.”
2024.12.03 View 2882 -
KAIST Office of Global Initiative Hosts 2024 Global Startup Internship Seminar
< Photo of ImpriMed CEO Sungwon Lim’s lecture >
The Office of Global Initiative at KAIST successfully hosted the 2024 Global Startup Internship Seminar (GSIS) from Wednesday, November 20, to Friday, November 22.
Now in its third year, following the 2022 Global Startup Internship Fair, the GSIS aims to introduce KAIST students to internship opportunities at U.S.-based startups and encourage participation in global internship programs, particularly for students with entrepreneurial aspirations. This year’s seminar featured notable startups including ImpriMed, a precision medical AI company; Klleon, an AI culture tech firm; and Bear Robotics, renowned for its autonomous serving robots. Approximately 80 KAIST students attended the event through prior registration.
A key highlight of this year’s seminar was the participation of the CEOs from Bear Robotics and ImpriMed, two prominent Silicon Valley startups. Both CEOs, who had previously participated in the 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Summer School (GESS) last June, offered insights into their companies, provided one-on-one career counseling sessions, and discussed the concept of global entrepreneurship with students interested in U.S. startup internships.
In addition to company presentations, the seminar offered practical workshops on resume and email writing tailored for U.S. internships, testimonials from current KAIST students and alumni who interned at Silicon Valley startups, and a J1 Visa Information Session, all aimed at preparing students for internships in the United States.
So Young Kim, Vice President of the International Office and Director of the Office of Global Initiative, expressed her hopes for the event, stating, “through this event, KAIST students will be inspired by the global entrepreneurial spirit of mentors who have started businesses abroad, and that it will help further spread a culture of challenging adversity and overcoming the risks of failure.” She further added that KAIST is committed to continuously developing programs that cultivate a global entrepreneurial mindset among its students.
The 2024 Global Startup Internship Seminar successfully concluded, providing KAIST students with vision and opportunities in global entrepreneurship.
2024.11.25 View 1291 -
KAIST’s RAIBO2 becomes the World’s First Robo-dog to Successfully Complete a Full-course Marathon
KAIST's quadrupedal walking robot "RAIBO", which can run seamlessly on sandy beaches, has now evolved into "RAIBO2"and achieved the groundbreaking milestone by becomeing the world's first quadrupedal robot to successfully complete a full-course marathon in an official event.
< Photo 1. A group photo of RAIBO2 and the team after completing the full-course marathon >
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on the 17th of November that Professor Je Min Hwangbo's research team of the Department of Mechanical Engineering participated in the 22nd Sangju Dried-Persimmon Marathon and completed the full-course race (42.195 km) with a time of 4 hours 19 minutes and 52 seconds.
< Photo 2. RAIBO2 after completing the full-course marathon with its official record presented on the photo wall >
The Sangju Dried Persimmon Marathon is known for its challenging course featuring two 50 m elevation climbs, each at the 14 km and 28 km marks, making it defficult for amateur runners. This made it an especially demanding challenge for the walking robot, as unexpected losses in efficiency could occur.
< Photo 3. RAIBO2 with the completion medal around its neck >
To prepare RAIBO2, Professor Hwangbo's team developed a walking controller using reinforcement learning algorithms within their proprietary simulation environment "RaiSim". This simulator allowed the team to simlate diverse terrains such as slopes, stairs, and icy roads to ensure stable walking performance.
In particular, RAIBO2's high torque transparency joint mechanism enable the robot to efficiently harvest energy on the downhill slopes to regain some of the energy used in climbing up steep hill.
In addition, the stability of the robot was greatly improved through the collaboration with RAION ROBOTICS Inc., a company founded by the researchers from Professor Hwangbo’s lab.
< Figure 1. Conceptual diagram of power flow employed by the quadrupedal robot >
< Figure 2. The process of leg posture change of RAIBO2 walking at the most efficient walking speed of 3 m/s. By reducing the ground contact speed of the feet, the collision energy loss was reduced, and by minimizing the slipperiness of the foot upon contact, the body's kinetic energy was maintained towards the direction of the movement. >
Due to the nature of walking, pedal robots must employ highly complex systems that can withstand periodic vibrations from the frequent impacts that occur upon contact with the ground surface. Immediately after development, high efficiency was already recorded in short-distance experiments in the laboratory at the beginning of the year, but the manufacturing technology of RAION ROBOTICS significantly bolstered RAIBO's performance in running safely for a prolonged time of more than 4 hours among random pack of people in an actual marathon.
Compared to previous studies on improving walking efficiency, where external parts or software could not be changed and only limited improvements were made in some areas, Professor Hwangbo’s research team cited the fact that they were able to comprehensively solve problems by developing all steps and parts in-house, including mechanism design, electrical design, software, and artificial intelligence, as a key factor in improving efficiency.
Following the development of RAIBO1, the research team developed RAIBO2 and optimized all aspects of the robot. In particular, the team integrated the motor driver circuitry directly into the robot to minimize actuator losses and increase the control bandwidth, greatly improving walking efficiency and stability.
< Photo 4. RAIBO2 running the full-course marathon along human participants >
Choongin Lee, a Ph.D. Student that co-first author of the studies on RAIBO, said, “Through the marathon project, we demonstrated that RAIBO2 has the walking performance to stably execute services such as delivery and patrol in urban environments with many people and random objects,” and “In follow-up research, we will add autonomous navigation functions to RAIBO and strive to achieve the world’s best walking performance in mountainous and disaster environments.”
< Photo 5. RAIBO2 and co-first authors of the related research at the Ph.D. program of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST. (From left) Choongin Lee, Donghoon Youm, and Jeongsoo Park >
This research was conducted with the support of Samsung Electronics Future Technology Promotion Center and RAION ROBOTICS Inc.
2024.11.17 View 4930 -
KAIST’s Beach-Roaming Quadrupedal Robot “RAIBO” to Run a Marathon!
“RAIBO”, KAIST’s four-legged robot featuring remarkable agility even on challenging terrains like sandy beaches, is now set to be the first in the world to complete a full marathon.
< Photo 1. A group photo of the research team of Professor Je Min Hwangbo (second from the right in the front row) of the Department of Mechanical Engineering who participated in the marathon event at 2024 Geumsan Insam Festival last September >
On the 17th of November, KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced that Professor Je Min Hwangbo’s team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed an upgraded version, “RAIBO2,” which will take on the full 42.195-kilometer course at the "Sangju Dried-Persimmon Marathon".
This is over double the previous maximum distance achieved by quadruped robots, which was limited to around 20 kilometers. The KAIST team has successfully developed a robot that can walk continuously for 43 kilometers on a single charge, completing the course in 4 hours and 40 minutes by following a GPS-guided path on the university’s main athletic field. Through this marathon, the team aims to demonstrate RAIBO2’s walking performance in an actual urban environment.
Previously, most measurements of walking robots’ travel distances were confined to controlled laboratory conditions or theoretical data. This marathon challenge is thus significant in that the robot will run alongside the general public in a real urban setting, marking the first attempt to validate the practical potential of four-legged robots in real environments.
Quadruped robots have shown advantages in challenging terrains, such as ice, sand, and mountainous areas, where they can walk stably. However, limited travel distance and running time have long been obstacles to wider applications.
< Figure 1. Conceptual diagram of power flow employed by the quadruped robot >
Professor Hwangbo’s team designed every component of the robot, from its actuators to its mechanical structure, to overcome these limitations. Notably, they implemented an efficient walking control system based on reinforcement learning using their proprietary dynamic simulator “RaiSim”.
The team also collected and analyzed walking data from outdoor environments, creating a model to address walking losses. This model was then used to iteratively improve walking efficiency over one full year.
< Figure 2. The leg posture change process of RAIBO2 walking at the most efficient walking speed of 3 m/s. By reducing the ground contact speed of the feet, the collision energy loss was reduced, and by minimizing the slipperiness of the foot upon contact, the body's kinetic energy was maintained towards the direction of the movement. >
This is the team’s second attempt. Their first was during the marathon event at “Geumsan Insam Festival” in September when the robot’s battery ran out at the 37-kilometer mark, falling short of completion. The battery drained 10 kilometers earlier than expected due to frequent speed changes as the robot adjusted to the pacing of other runners on the course.
Following the initial attempt, the team focused on technical improvements for a successful finish. They enhanced control efficiency by implementing joint stiffness control directly onto the motor actuator and increased battery capacity by 33% by refining the internal structure. These improvements enabled the robot to cover a maximum distance of 67 kilometers on straight paths.
< Figure 3. Data from completing 43 km on a single charge at the main sports field on campus. Left) GPS data of the driving course used during autonomous running. Middle) Covered distance by the hour. Right) Energy consumption by module >
Choongin Lee, a Ph.D. student of RAI Lab who is one of the co-first author of this study, explained, “Our comprehensive analysis of walking losses in terms of mechanics, electrical systems, and walking methods was crucial to improving walking efficiency. This research marks an important milestone in extending the operating range of quadruped robots to urban environments.”
< Photo 2. A Photo from Practice Run>
This research was supported by the Samsung Electronics Future Technology Development Center and RAION ROBOTICS Co., Ltd.
< Photo 3. A Photo from Practice Run >
2024.11.15 View 2608