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KAIST Proposes a Multinational AI Cooperation Strategy Beyond U.S.–China Dominance
2026.01.19 View 145 -
Chairman Jae-Chul Kim of Dongwon Group Donates a Total of 60.3 Billion Won to KAIST
<Jae-Chul Kim, Honorary Chairman of Dongwon Group>
"In the era of AI, a new future lies within the sea of data. I ask that KAIST leaps forward to become the world's No. 1 AI research group." — Jae-Chul Kim, Honorary Chairman of Dongwon Group
KAIST announced on January 16th that Honorary Chairman Jae-Chul Kim of Dongwon Group has pledged an additional 5.9 billion KRW in development funds to foster Artificial Intelligence (AI) talent and strengthen research infrastructure, bringing his total contribution to 60.3 billion KRW. This marks his second additional donation since 2020, continuing his steadfast support for strengthening South Korea's national competitiveness in the field of AI.
Through his initial donation in 2020, Chairman Kim established the 'Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI' at KAIST, urging the university to secure world-class capabilities. Upon hearing that KAIST’s AI research level ranked 5th among global universities over the past five years (2020–2024), Chairman Kim requested that the university strive to reach the No. 1 spot in the world.
In response, President Kwang Hyung Lee explained, "To surpass Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), which is currently evaluated as the world’s best with an AI faculty of about 45, the KAIST Graduate School of AI needs to expand its faculty to over 50 and construct a dedicated research building." Chairman Kim responded by saying, "I will build the building," and this latest donation is a fulfillment of that promise.
This third pledge of 5.9 billion KRW was decided to cover the projected budget shortfall as the design of the AI Education and Research Building enters full-scale development.
The AI Education and Research Building will be a facility with 8 floors above ground and 1 basement level, covering a total floor area of 18,182 m² (approx. 5,500 pyeong). It is scheduled for completion in February 2028. Once finished, it will serve as a global AI research hub housing 50 faculty members and 1,000 students.
Since the 2021 academic year, KAIST has been selecting 60 Master’s and 10 Doctoral students annually as 'Dongwon Scholars' outside of the regular quota for a period of 10 years. While the tuition and research incentives for the first three years were supported by the donation, KAIST has been utilizing its own budget since the 2024 academic year to ensure students can focus entirely on their research.
Moving forward, the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI plans to build a world-class faculty and operate systematic Master's and Doctoral programs to cultivate global AI leaders. In addition to technical expertise, the school will offer educational programs focused on character and holistic development, leading the charge in strengthening Korea's AI competitiveness.
Honorary Chairman Jae-Chul Kim stated, "I hope this donation serves as a small 'priming water' for South Korea to leap forward as an AI powerhouse. I look forward to seeing global core talents grow here and contribute to our national strength."
President Kwang Hyung Lee expressed his gratitude, saying, "Chairman Kim’s unwavering support is the greatest driving force for KAIST to secure global AI sovereignty. We will ensure the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI becomes a mecca where the world's best AI minds gather to innovate, honoring the Chairman’s vision."
2026.01.16 View 255 -
KAIST Proposes AI-Driven Strategy to Solve Long-Standing Mystery of Gene Function
<(From Left) Distinguisehd Professor Sang Yup Lee, Dr. Gi Bae Kim, Professor Bernhard O. Palsson>
“We know the genes, but not their functions.” To resolve this long-standing bottleneck in microbial research, a joint research team has proposed a cutting-edge research strategy that leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drastically accelerate the discovery of microbial gene functions.
KAIST announced on January 12th that a research team led by Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, in collaboration with Professor Bernhard Palsson from the Department of Bioengineering at UCSD, has published a comprehensive review paper. The study systematically analyzes and organizes the latest AI-based research approaches aimed at revolutionizing the speed of gene function discovery.
Since the early 2000s, when whole-genome sequencing became a reality, there were high expectations that the genetic blueprint of life would be fully decoded. However, even twenty years later, the roles of a significant portion of genes within microbial genomes remain unknown.
While various experimental methods—such as gene deletion, analysis of gene expression profiles, and in vitro activity assays—have been employed, discovering gene functions remains a time-consuming and costly endeavor. This is primarily due to the limitations of large-scale experimentation, complex biological interactions, and the discrepancy between laboratory results and actual in vivo responses.
To overcome these hurdles, the research team emphasized that an AI-driven approach combining computational biology with experimental biology is essential.
In this paper, the team provides a comprehensive overview of computational biology approaches that have facilitated gene function discovery, ranging from traditional sequence similarity analysis to the latest deep-learning-based AI models.
Notably, 3D protein structure prediction technologies such as AlphaFold (developed by Google DeepMind) and RoseTTAFold (developed by the University of Washington) have opened new doors. These tools go beyond simple functional estimation, offering the potential to understand the underlying mechanisms of how gene functions operate. Furthermore, generative AI is now extending research boundaries toward designing proteins with specifically desired functions.
Focusing on transcription factors (proteins that act as genetic switches) and enzymes (proteins that catalyze chemical reactions), the team presented various application cases and future research directions that integrate gene sequence analysis, protein structure prediction, and diverse metagenomic analyses.
<Schematic illustration of computational biology methods for enzyme function prediction>
2026.01.12 View 421 -
KAIST–Daekyo, Opening of the Cognitive Enhancement Research Center Lounge
< Group photo of officials at the opening ceremony of the KAIST–Daekyo Cognitive Enhancement Research Center Lounge >
KAIST held the opening ceremony for the ‘KAIST–Daekyo Cognitive Enhancement Research Center Lounge,’ jointly established with Daekyo, at the Meta-Convergence Hall on the Daejeon main campus last Saturday, the 10th.
This lounge was established through an in-kind donation by Daekyo for space creation as part of research cooperation. It was designed as a base space to more systematically operate brain development and cognitive function enhancement research that KAIST and Daekyo have been jointly promoting, and to share research results with society. Through this event, KAIST introduced the achievements of its research cooperation to date and provided a forum to explore the future directions of education and brain science.
Key KAIST officials, including Kyun Min Lee, Vice President for Provost and Academic Affairs, and Dae-Soo Kim, Dean of the College of Life Science and Bioengineering, as well as officials from both organizations, including Ho-joon Kang, CEO of Daekyo, attended the event to celebrate the opening of the lounge.
Since signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for industry-academic research cooperation with Daekyo in 2023, our university has been jointly conducting research on cognitive function enhancement and mental health across the entire life cycle—from infants to adults and seniors—based on brain and cognitive science. The cooperation continues to expand these research results into educational content and solutions.
An official from Daekyo stated, "The Cognitive Enhancement Research Center Lounge is a symbolic space for the research cooperation accumulated by both organizations, and it is highly meaningful to be able to communicate directly with customers and share research results here. Moving forward, Daekyo will continue to expand its cooperation with KAIST to prove the value of scientific and systematic education."
Kyun Min Lee, Vice President for Provost and Academic Affairs, said, "The opening of this lounge is significant in that a space for industry-academic cooperation research was created through Daekyo’s donation. Based on this space, KAIST will strive to share the achievements of brain and cognitive science research with society and contribute to the field of education."
2026.01.12 View 130 -
KAIST Drives National Competitiveness with a Dual-Impact Model for AI Research and Regional Innovation
<Photo of KAIST Students>
KAIST announced on December 9th that it will accelerate the nurturing of world-class scientific talent and regional balanced development. This follows the government's recent announcement on 'Leaping to a Science and Technology Powerhouse, the Republic of Korea, Where People Dream of Becoming Science and Technology Professionals Again (Nov. 7),' which explicitly named the four major science and technology institutes, including KAIST, as AX (AI Transformation) innovation hubs and key leading institutions for regional innovation.
This move aligns with the policy direction of President Jae-myung Lee. On November 4th, President Jae-myung Lee stated in a Cabinet meeting, "STEM talent is the core of national competitiveness," adding that "the increase in applicants for early admissions to the four major science and technology institutes is a very desirable phenomenon for the nation's future." In particular, the President requested that the government "actively seek concrete policies, such as expanding the allowance for transfers between STEM fields, increasing budget support, securing excellent faculty, and upgrading research and education infrastructure, because science and technology institutes can also significantly contribute to regional balanced development."
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, "Strengthening AI research capabilities and regional balanced development is a Dual-Impact Model for AI Research and Regional Innovation that boosts national competitiveness." He confirmed that through the government's policy direction, the innovation philosophy KAIST has pursued—that 'the region is national competitiveness'—has been established as a core national direction.
In reality, KAIST continues to firmly play a central role in nurturing the talent that sustains South Korea's science and technology sector, even amid the deepening phenomenon of students flocking to medical schools. The increase in early admission applicants to the four science and technology institutes proves the successful establishment of education and research foundations where students can choose the dream of becoming science and technology professionals instead of doctors. To accelerate this trend, KAIST is focusing on establishing a National AI Research Lab and pioneering the next-generation AI research paradigm with the goal of becoming one of the top three AI powerhouses (G3) globally.
Our university was selected not only to lead the development of the next-generation bio-AI model 'K-Fold'—which surpasses Google DeepMind—and as a key participating institution in the Lunit consortium, but also as a core research team in the national AI flagship project, the 'Generative AI Leading Talent Cultivation Program.' Through discovering research topics that reflect diverse technological demands from industries, nurturing advanced AI talent, and demonstrating research outcomes in industrial settings, KAIST is being reborn as a field-ready leader guiding the AI Transformation (AX) across all of South Korea's industries.
KAIST's AI research competitiveness has also been officially recognized overseas. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang personally introduced KAIST as an "Amazing University" during his keynote speech at the 2025 APEC CEO Summit (Oct. 31), highly evaluating KAIST's world-class research capabilities and global collaboration potential.
Regional innovation is also gaining momentum. Our university is expanding physical AI-based research infrastructure in regions like Jeonbuk and Gyeongnam, centered around its main campus in Daejeon. Through the AI and robot-based 'Robot Valley Project' and the 'Global Innovation Startup Growth Hub Project,' in cooperation with Daejeon City, KAIST is supporting the advancement of local industries and the growth and global expansion of startups.
<ANGEL SUIT, a gait-training robot>
In particular, Sovagen—a bio-company founded on the technology of Professor Jeong Ho Lee of the KAIST Graduate School of Medical Science—recently succeeded in an overseas technology transfer of an RNA new drug for epilepsy valued at 750 billion KRW, proving a virtuous cycle model of innovation where university research translates into actual industry success.
Furthermore, the foundation for future talent development is being strengthened through efforts like promoting a culture of challenging research via the 'Failure Lab,' and early nurturing of outstanding talent through the 'Junior KAIST' and '3+4 TUBE Programs.' While setting the direction for regional university innovation through the specialized and performance-centric 'KAIST Model,' the university is also taking the lead in popularizing science and fulfilling its social responsibilities.
President Kwang Hyung Lee emphasized, "We will continue to pursue the expansion of the AI research budget and the establishment of international joint research infrastructure through close cooperation with the government." He concluded, "We will cultivate young talents who have chosen the future to be the main players in South Korean science and technology, fulfilling our central role in the 'AI Powerhouse Republic of Korea,' where the nation and the regions grow together."
2025.12.09 View 1182 -
KAIST, National Quantum Fab Research Institute Opening Ceremony and Research Building Groundbreaking Ceremony Held
<Groundbreaking Ceremony Shovel Scene for the KAIST National Quantum Fab Research Building>
KAIST announced on December 3rd that it held the opening ceremony for the National Quantum Fab Research Institute and the groundbreaking ceremony for the Quantum Fab Research Building at the KAIST main campus in Daejeon, officially commencing the construction of the nation's core infrastructure to enhance South Korea's quantum technology competitiveness.
The event began with a progress report and introduction of the institute by Yong Hoon Cho, Director of the Quantum Fab Research Institute, followed by a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the official start of the Quantum Fab Research Building's construction and an unveiling of the plaque. Approximately 50 officials attended the event, including Jang-woo Lee, Mayor of Daejeon, Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST, and the presidents of the National Nanofab Center and the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, representing government, local government, and collaborating organizations.
<Plaque-Unveiling Scene at the Opening of the KAIST National Quantum Fab Research Institute>
Since being selected as the lead institution for the Quantum Fab in a competition held by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation last year, our university secured a commitment of 20 billion KRW from the Daejeon Metropolitan City for construction costs and completed the institute's establishment and design. The new Quantum Fab Research Building, with a total floor area of 2,498 ㎡, is targeted for completion in 2027.
The new building will house South Korea's largest specialized, open-access cleanroom fab for quantum devices. A total of 45 billion KRW or more will be invested by 2031, including national funds, local government funds, and KAIST's budget. Over 37 units of advanced equipment will be installed in the 1st and 3rd-floor FAB cleanrooms in stages, along with stability facilities such as Class 100-1,000 cleanliness standards, constant temperature/humidity, and emergency power supply.
The KAIST Quantum Fab operates on a fully open-access system allowing researchers to directly carry out processes. It will support processing technologies for various quantum platforms, including photons, point defects, and neutral atoms, and will also enhance user programs such as training and workshops. Phase 1 service began in July of this year, and Phase 2 full-scale operation, based on the newly installed equipment, will start in 2028.
Jang-woo Lee, Mayor of Daejeon, stated, "The KAIST open-access Quantum Fab is a core platform that will lead the industrialization of quantum technology in South Korea," adding, "Especially since the US and South Korea have designated quantum computing as a strategic field in their $350 billion technology cooperation package, Daejeon's role is becoming even more crucial."
Director Yong-Hoon Cho said, "Through a user-centric process support system, we will play a central role in the national quantum research ecosystem," adding, "Based on our research capabilities and support system, we will expand industry-academia-research cooperation and aim to leap forward as a pilot quantum fab."
President Kwang Hyung Lee remarked, "Quantum science and technology is a core strategic area that will determine the future technological hegemony," and "We will take this opening and groundbreaking ceremony as an opportunity for industry, academia, research, and government to join forces and strengthen the competitiveness of the national quantum ecosystem."
KAIST plans to focus on establishing a self-sustainable virtuous cycle system centered around the Quantum Fab, and will further dedicate efforts to enhancing national strategic technology competitiveness through the nurturing of specialized talent and the development of processing technologies for each platform.
<Bird’s Eye View of the KAIST National Quantum Fab Research Building>
2025.12.04 View 1434 -
Imdang Scholarship and Culture Foundation Donates 500 Million Won to Modernize KAIST's Space Research Infrastructure
< Photo of the Chung Mong-Hun Uri-Star Research Building at the Satellite Research Center >
KAIST announced on the Novemnber 21st that it received a donation of 500 million won from the Imdang Scholarship and Culture Foundation and will proceed with an environmental improvement project for the 'Chung Mong-Hun Uri-Star Research Building' at the Satellite Research Center on the main campus in Daejeon.
The Imdang Scholarship and Culture Foundation is a non-profit scholarship foundation established in 2005 by Chairwoman Moon-Hee Kim, the mother of Hyundai Group Chairwoman Jeong-Eun Hyun. Currently, Executive Director Ji-Yi Chung of Hyundai Movex, Chairwoman Hyun's eldest daughter, serves as the Chairwoman of the Foundation. The foundation has been carrying out various projects over three generations to promote education, culture, arts, sports, and nurture talent.
This donation from the Imdang Scholarship and Culture Foundation once again brings the special and long-standing relationship between KAIST and the Hyundai Group into the spotlight.
The 'Chung Mong-Hun Uri-Star Research Building,' located on the main KAIST campus in Daejeon, was established with a donation from the late Mong-Hun Chung, former Chairman of the Hyundai Group and husband of Chairwoman Hyun, to foster the development of domestic space research. This enabled the launch of the nation's first dedicated university-affiliated space research organization. Following this, Chairwoman Hyun also continued to show special interest and affection for research support projects. The research building was named its current name in 2008 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the passing of the late Chairman Mong-Hun Chung. In this way, the partnership between Hyundai and KAIST is regarded as a healthy example of corporate social contribution, where a company participates in the development of the knowledge ecosystem and the nurturing of talent.
The KAIST Satellite Research Center, housed in the 'Chung Mong-Hun Uri-Star Research Building,' was established in 1989 as the nation's first dedicated university-affiliated space research organization. Starting with 'Uribyol-1,' which signaled the start of South Korea's space development, it has led the development of various satellites, including next-generation small satellites and ultra-small satellite constellations, based on independent domestic technology, growing into a world-class small satellite research institution.
Currently, about 80 researchers are stationed at the research building, dedicated to developing cutting-edge small satellite technology. However, the inconvenience of transporting research equipment due to the absence of an elevator and the lack of accessibility for mobility-impaired individuals have been persistent issues.
KAIST plans to use this donation to install an elevator connecting the basement floor to the 4th floor above ground. This will increase the efficiency of transporting research equipment while providing a convenient movement environment for both visitors and researchers.
Furthermore, the public relations hall, which has been operating since 2008, will be renovated into an experiential exhibition space, applying the latest digital display techniques to allow visitors to see KAIST's space research achievements and history at a glance. Visited by over 1,000 people annually, including domestic and international students, the general public, research institutions, businesses, and government officials, this space is expected to become a place for experiencing and sharing KAIST's space technology development process and future vision.
To commemorate this project and express gratitude for the sponsorship, our university will hold a plaque of appreciation ceremony at the KAIST Seoul Campus President's Office on Friday, November 21st, at 3:00 PM. Chairwoman Jeong-Eun Hyun of the Hyundai Group, President Kwang Hyung Lee of KAIST, and Director Jaeheung Han of the KAIST Space Science Research Institute attended the event to exchange expressions of mutual cooperation and gratitude.
Hyundai Group Chairwoman Jeong-Eun Hyun stated, "The late Chairman Mong-Hun Chung supported the development of the KAIST Satellite Research Center with his deep passion for science and space," and "I hope this environmental improvement project will carry on his legacy, contribute to the development of Korean space technology, and serve as an opportunity for more young talents to foster their dreams."
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, "The Chung Mong-Hun Uri-Star Research Building is a symbolic space for the development of South Korea's space technology, and this environmental improvement project will serve as an opportunity to enhance both research efficiency and the value of public experience," adding, "The meaningful sponsorship from the Imdang Scholarship and Culture Foundation will be a great source of strength for KAIST's future space research development."
2025.11.21 View 943 -
Professor Youngjin Kwon's Team Wins Google Award 'Catches Bugs Without a Real CPU
< Professor Youngjin Kwon >
Modern CPUs have complex structures, and in the process of handling multiple tasks simultaneously, an order-scrambling error known as a 'concurrency bug' can occur. Although this can lead to security issues, these bugs were extremely difficult to detect using conventional methods. Our university's research team has developed a world-first-level technology to automatically detect these bugs by precisely reproducing the internal operation of the CPU in a virtual environment without needing a physical chip. Through this, they successfully found and fixed 11 new bugs in the latest Linux kernel.
Our university announced on the 21st that the research team led by Professor Youngjin Kwon of the School of Computing has won the 'Research Scholar Award' (Systems category) presented by Google.
The Google Research Scholar Award is a global research support program, implemented since 2020, to support Early-Career Professors conducting innovative research in various fields such as AI, Systems, Security, and Data Management.
It is known as a highly competitive program, with the selection process conducted directly by Google Research scientists, and only a tiny fraction of the hundreds of applicants worldwide are chosen. In particular, this award is recognized as one of the most prestigious industry research support programs globally in the field of AI and Computer Systems, and domestic recipients are rare.
■ Technology Developed to Detect Concurrency Bugs in the Latest Apple M3 and ARM Servers
Professor Kwon's team developed a technology that automatically detects concurrency bugs in the latest ARM (a CPU design method that uses less power and is highly efficient) based servers, such as the Apple M3 (Apple's latest-generation computer processor chip).
A concurrency bug is an error that occurs when the order of operations gets mixed up while the CPU handles multiple tasks simultaneously. This is a severe security vulnerability that can cause the computer to suddenly freeze or become a pathway for hackers to attack the system. However, these errors were extremely difficult to find with existing testing methods alone.
■ Automatically Detects Bugs by Reproducing CPU Internal Operations Without a Real CPU
The core achievement of Professor Kwon's team is the 'technology to reproduce the internal operation of the CPU exactly in a virtual environment without a physical chip.' Using this technology, it is possible to precisely analyze the order in which instructions are executed and where problems occur using only software, without having to disassemble the CPU or use the actual chip.
By running the Linux operating system based on this system to automatically detect bugs, the research team discovered 11 new bugs in the latest Linux kernel* and reported them to the developer community, where they were all fixed.
*Linux kernel: The core operating system engine that forms the basis of servers, supercomputers, and smartphones (Android) worldwide. It acts as the 'heart' of the system, managing the CPU, memory, and storage devices.
Google recognized this technology as 'very important for its own infrastructure' and conferred the Award.
< Google Scholar Award Recipient Page >
This technology is evaluated to have general applicability, not only to Linux but also to various operating systems such as Android and Windows. The research team has released the software as open-source (GitHub) so that anyone in academia or industry can utilize it.
Professor Youngjin Kwon stated, "This award validates the international competitiveness of KAIST's systems research," and "We will continue our research to establish a safe and highly reliable computing environment."
※ Google Scholar Award Recipient Page: https://research.google/programs-and-events/research-scholar-program/recipients/ GitHub (Technology Open-Source): https://github.com/casys-kaist/ozz
2025.11.21 View 1067 -
Four KAIST Scholars Named to the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers List
Four members of KAIST including Distinguished Professor Sang Yup LEE, have been selected for the '2025 Highly Cited Researchers (HCR)' list announced by Clarivate Plc, a global academic information analysis company in the United States.
HCR is a program that identifies researchers who show top 1% influence in their respective fields based on the citation frequency of papers included in Web of Science, and it is utilized as an important indicator in the evaluation of world universities and research institutions. Clarivate announced the final list this year after verifying the excellence of research performance and academic influence through rigorous qualitative and quantitative reviews.
This year, the following professors from KAIST were selected: Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Professor Jin-Soo Kim* from the Graduate School of Engineering Biology in the field of Biology and Biochemistry; and Professor Bumjoon Kim and Professor Jangwon Seo from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the Cross-Field category.
* Professor Jin-Soo Kim is currently listed under Edgene on the HCR list, and the affiliation is scheduled to be updated to KAIST at the end of December.
< KAIST Faculty List Selected as HCR (The total number of selected researchers is 6,868, but the total number of entries by field is 7,131, as the same researchers were selected simultaneously in multiple Cross-Field categories.) >
The Cross-Field category was established to recognize researchers who have demonstrated influence across multiple fields, going beyond a single academic area. Its importance is growing with the spread of convergence research, and it is evaluated as an indicator showing that a researcher has diverse academic impact.
This year, a total of 6,868 researchers from over 1,300 institutions in 60 countries worldwide were named HCR, and a total of 76 researchers from 12 fields were selected in South Korea. While several institutions in South Korea produced HCRs, KAIST produced its HCR selectees based on globally recognized research achievements in the fields of Bioengineering, Biotechnology, and Convergence.
2025.11.14 View 1004 -
AI Finds Urban Commercial Districts Resilient to Climate Risk
< (From left) Integrated M.S.-Ph.D candidate Keonhee Jang, Postdoctoral Researcher Namwoo Kim, Professor Yoonjin Yoon, Researcher Seok-woo Yoon, Postdoctoral Researcher Young-jun Park, (Top) M.S candidate Juneyoung Ro >
KAIST announced on October 29th that its Urban AI Research Institute (Director, Distinguished Professor Yoonjin Yoon of Civil and Environmental Engineering conducted joint research in the field of 'Urban AI' with MIT's Senseable City Lab (Director, Professor Carlo Ratti) and disclosed the results at the 'Smart Life Week 2025' exhibition held at COEX, Seoul, in late September.
KAIST and MIT have been pursuing the 'Urban AI Joint Research Program' to interpret major urban problems using artificial intelligence. At this exhibition, the research results were presented in a form that citizens could directly experience, focusing on three themes: ▲Urban Climate Change, ▲Green Environment, and ▲Data Inclusivity.
Through this collaboration, the two institutions demonstrated that AI technology can expand beyond a tool for calculating urban problems to a new intelligence that promotes social understanding and empathy. They carried out three projects: ▲Urban Heat and Sales, ▲Nature That Heals, Seoul, and ▲Data Sonification.
The first project, 'Urban Heat and Sales,' is a study that analyzes the impact of climate change on urban commercial areas and the small business ecosystem using AI. An AI model was trained on over 300 million data points, including sales and weather for 96 business categories across 426 administrative dong (neighborhoods) in Seoul, to quantify the effect of climatic factors, such as temperature and humidity, on sales by industry type.
The results were visualized into 40,896 'Urban Heat Resilience' indicators, which score how well each region and business category can adapt to and recover from climate change. This allows the level of commercial area resilience to climate risk to be grasped at a glance, showing which areas are strong against temperature risks.
According to the study, for the convenience store sector, 64.7% of the total 426 dong were analyzed as 'climate-neutral areas,' which are relatively stable against climate change, while the remaining 35.3% belong to 'climate-sensitive areas,' which are significantly affected by climate change. This suggests that the operating environment for convenience stores varies significantly by region in terms of climate impact, and the data can be utilized for future location strategy planning from an urban resilience perspective.
< '3D Mesh Structure' that visually represents sales data for 426 regions in Seoul. The height and color of each region indicate the scale of sales. The left shows the distribution of sales in Seoul under actual temperature conditions, and the right shows the sales change predicted by AI when the temperature rises by 5 degrees. >
Visitors to the exhibition could select a region and business type on a real Seoul map and experience a system where the AI predicted sales changes in real-time based on future temperature rise scenarios.
This prediction model is a proprietary technology developed by KAIST, and plans are underway to expand cooperation with other major global cities, such as Boston and London. This research is expected to propose a new direction for establishing opening strategies for small business owners and developing urban climate risk response policies.
< Numerous visitors listening to explanations and experiencing the KAIST-MIT exhibition space >
The second project, 'Nature That Heals, Seoul,' is an extension of MIT's global project 'Feeling Nature' to Seoul. It combines urban environment data (Street View, maps, satellite images, etc.) with citizen survey data to train an AI to estimate the 'psychological green'—the actual psychological experience of green spaces felt by Seoul citizens.
This approach goes beyond simply calculating the area of trees or parks, offering new urban design directions that reflect citizens' emotional resilience and well-being. This research is expected to provide scientific evidence for future Seoul green space policies and locally tailored urban design.
The final project, 'Data Sonification,' is the world's first AI technology that translates over 300 million data points into sounds, like music, to be 'heard.' The AI uses data such as temperature, humidity, and sales to represent information through sound: for example, the pitch rises when the temperature goes up, and the sound lowers when sales decrease. This provides a new sensory experience of 'listening' to urban data through sound instead of sight.
This technology is a prime example of 'Barrier-Free AI' (AI for All), an inclusive AI technology that helps people with visual impairments or children—who may have difficulty accessing visual information—to intuitively understand data.
< A visitor experiencing Data Sonification, the world's first AI technology that converts data into sound >
Man-ki Kim, Chairman of the Seoul AI Hub (Seoul AI Foundation), which sponsored this research, stated, "We have achieved meaningful results by analyzing the urban environment and citizens' lives with artificial intelligence through collaboration with world-class research institutions like KAIST and MIT," adding, "This research has laid the groundwork for understanding urban change from the perspective of citizens and connecting it to policy and daily life."
Director Yoonjin Yoon remarked, "This exhibition demonstrated that artificial intelligence can evolve beyond a technology that merely calculates the city to an intelligence that understands and empathizes with people and the city," and concluded, "We will create data and experiences together with citizens, and collaborate with various cities worldwide to open a more inclusive and sustainable urban future."
This achievement is a global collaborative research project in the AI sector involving the KAIST Urban AI Research Institute and the MIT Senseable City Lab, and was conducted with sponsorship from the Seoul AI Hub.
※Research Results Images/Videos: https://05970c0c.slw-6vy.pages.dev/
2025.10.29 View 1533 -
Robot-Operated Space Station Construction Goal... 'In-space Servicing and Manufacturing Research Center' Launched
<Plaque Handover Ceremony. (From left) Jae-Hung Han, Director of the Space Research Institute, Ju-won Kang, Head of Engineering Group at the National Research Foundation of Korea Basic Research Headquarters>
KAIST's Space Research Institute announced on the 24th of October that it officially launched the 'Innovative Research Center for the Development of Core Technologies in In-space Servicing and Manufacturing (ISMRC)' at the KAIST Academic Cultural Center on Friday, October 24. About 150 officials from major organizations, including the Korea Aerospace Administration, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and Daejeon Metropolitan City, as well as domestic and foreign space experts, attended the opening ceremony to discuss future cooperation measures. The 'KAIST In-space Servicing and Manufacturing Research Center (ISMRC)' is a large-scale research hub selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT's 2025 Basic Research Project, with a total of 71.2 billion KRW long-term project planned over the next 10 years, including 50 billion KRW in national funding. Daejeon City will also provide a total of 3.6 billion KRW, with 400 million KRW annually starting from 2026. The research goals are to secure core technologies for next-generation space exploration, including: ▲ Construction of Unmanned Space Stations, ▲ Robotics-based In-space Manufacturing, and ▲ Resource Recovery Technology. A team of 14 KAIST professors, led by Director Jae-Hung Han, will spearhead the research, with major domestic and foreign space companies and research institutions participating in joint research. As the 'New Space' era fully commences globally, the In-space Servicing and Manufacturing industry is projected to grow to tens of trillions of Korean won by 2030, driven by the reduction of launch costs and the expansion of private sector participation. This field is evaluated as a core area that will fundamentally change the way humanity engages in space activities, including extending satellite lifespan, on-orbit maintenance and operation, and securing and manufacturing resources in space. Meanwhile, an international symposium was held for two days on October 23-24 at the KAIST Academic Cultural Center and KI Building, coinciding with the opening ceremony.
<Director Jae-Hung Han of the Space Research Institute presenting>
The symposium was composed of a total of six sessions, including: ▲ Exchange Meeting on Additive Manufacturing Tecnology for Aerospace, ▲ International Workshop on Aerospace Composites, ▲ Workshop on Swarm Satellite Development, and ▲ Workshop on In-space Servicing and Manufacturing Robotics. Major domestic and foreign institutions and experts, including the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), attended to discuss the future direction of next-generation space technology development and international cooperation measures. Cheol-woong Son, Director-General of Future Strategy Industry Office at Daejeon City, said, "We will develop the Innovative Research Center into a Daejeon-type space industry innovation platform with KAIST," and "Daejeon City will concentrate its capabilities to help local businesses grow and establish Daejeon as the central city for the Republic of Korea's space industry." Jae-Hung Han, Director of the KAIST Space Research Institute, said, "We will lead the core technologies for in-space servicing and manufacturing through cooperation between industry, academia, research institutes, and government, and contribute to the establishment of a private sector-focused industrial ecosystem," adding, "KAIST will grow into a comprehensive research hub that encompasses R&D, talent nurturing, and technology commercialization."
<Group Photo of Participants at the Opening Ceremony of the In-space Servicing and Manufacturing Research Center>
Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST, said, "The field of in-space servicing and manufacturing is a core area that will change the paradigm of the future space industry," and "KAIST will lead the Republic of Korea to become the center for opening a new era of the space industry through innovative technology development and global cooperation." KAIST plans to perform the role of breaking down the boundaries between academia and industry, focusing on these technologies, and laying the foundation for next-generation space activities.
2025.10.24 View 2262 -
"KAIST Opens Up! Cutting-Edge Research Sites Revealed... 'OPEN KAIST 2025' to be Held
< 2025 OPEN KAIST Poster >
KAIST announced on the 23rd of October that it will hold the 'OPEN KAIST 2025' event, which publicly opens research labs, experiment rooms, and research centers on campus, for two days starting from October 30th at the main campus in Daejeon.
OPEN KAIST, which began in 2001 and marks its 13th event this year, is a representative research exhibition event operated biennially by the KAIST College of Engineering (Dean Jae Woo Lee), aiming for programs where citizens can directly experience the research environment and encounter science more closely.
This year, 16 departments and the KAIST Satellite Technology Research Center are participating, operating a total of 39 programs across five areas: △Experience/Demonstration △Lab Tour △Lecture △Department Introduction △Achievement Exhibition. In particular, the opportunities to directly observe and learn about core future fields such as AI, drones, brain science, nuclear energy, and semiconductors have been greatly enhanced.
Professor Jun Han's lab in the School of Computing will introduce technology where AI understands 3D space and constructs virtual environments. Participants will confirm the process of objects in a video being rearranged through a demonstration and learn about the role of AI in future society and the direction of development for spatial perception technology.
Professor Hyochoong Bang's lab in the Department of Aerospace Engineering will unveil next-generation drone technologies, including multicopters, unmanned helicopters, and Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft. Participants will understand their characteristics and usage environments, observe the already flight-tested technologies up close, and get a panoramic view of the changes the drone industry will bring.
Professor Minee Choi's lab in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences offers an opportunity to experience the relationship between the brain and behavior. Participants will use an online application to create their own mini-brain, virtually examine the effects of exercise or vitamin intake on the brain, and directly experience research equipment and the experimental environment.
The Department of Mathematical Sciences has prepared two special lectures for youth. The lecture ‘Secrets Hidden in the Growth Data Patterns of Mammals’ will explore universal mathematical rules within the growth data of various mammals, from the American shrew mole weighing barely 10g to the blue whale exceeding 200 tons. The subsequent lecture, ‘Can This Knot Really Be Undone? — A Mathematical Way to Understand Space’, will explain the mathematical thought process for understanding space, using everyday knots like shoelaces as examples, tailored to the youth's level.
The Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering program includes radiation detection practice and a look at the potential utilization of next-generation nuclear technologies such as SMRs and microreactors. The Department of Industrial Design will introduce how design research connects to solving real-life problems through lab tours and exhibitions.
The Semiconductor Research Facility Tour allows participants to directly enter a cleanroom to observe the process equipment and manufacturing stages, experiencing the completion process of ultrafine semiconductors.
In addition, a variety of other programs are prepared, including a lecture by Professor Hyungjun Kim of the Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy titled ‘Meta-Earth: Climate Crisis and Earth's Changes through Data’, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s ‘Centrifuge Modeling Test: Earthquake Research using Centrifugal Force’, and a game development special lecture and exhibition by the School of Computing's game production club 'Haze'.
< OPEN KAIST Event Scene >
Jae Woo Lee, Dean of the College of Engineering, stated, "We prepared this event to open up KAIST's education and research sites and provide visitors with an opportunity to directly experience and communicate about challenging and creative science and technology innovation."
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee said, "OPEN KAIST is a meaningful occasion to share the research environment with the public," and "I hope this event serves as an opportunity for youth and citizens to feel the value of science and foster dreams of future challenges."
For individual visitors, 'OPEN KAIST 2025' can be freely viewed according to the on-site situation by referring to the booklet distributed at the information desk on the day of the event, without prior application. Detailed schedules and programs can be checked on the website (https://openkaist.ac.kr).**
2025.10.23 View 2033