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Three Generations of ‘Giving DNA’ Meets ‘KAIST DNA’
KAIST announced on February 26th that it has received 5.06 billion KRW in development funds, embodying the noble spirit of sharing from a single family. This donation is particularly meaningful as it was completed across three generations: rooted in a grandmother’s legacy, the father decided on the donation, and the daughter put that intention into action.
The donor stated, “I hope the research achievements of KAIST’s young scientists shine brighter than the donor’s name,” and declined all appointment ceremonies or honorary events where their name would be revealed. In accordance with the donor’s wishes, all procedures were conducted simply, and their identity will remain private.
The donor, a Seoul resident in their 70s, achieved success by building a business based on the legacy of their mother, who practiced sharing throughout her life. Recently, they decided to return a portion of their mother’s legacy to society. Having grown up watching their mother practice benevolence, donating was a natural choice. This decision was finalized through the daughter’s concrete execution. The donor’s daughter played a leading role in the entire donation process, serving as a bridge to pass the family’s spirit of sharing down to the next generation.
The donor remarked, “The sharing my mother practiced her whole life was our family’s greatest asset. Now, together with my daughter, I wish to pass that precious value to the leading figures of Korean science.” They added, “If this fund can provide practical help to young scholars, that alone is a sufficiently rewarding thing.”
Our university has decided to establish the ‘Cho Gi-yeop Next-Generation Research Leader Fellowship,’ named after the donor’s mother. The ‘Cho Gi-yeop Fellowship’ is designed as a principal-preserved fund, where the 5 billion KRW principal is maintained and the program is operated using the investment returns. Additionally, expressing the wish to “support young scientists as soon as possible,” the donor contributed an extra 60 million KRW for the first year of the program’s implementation.
Accordingly, starting this year, three ‘Cho Gi-yeop Fellows’ will be selected annually and supported with 20 million KRW each in academic activity expenses for three years. The fellowship is aimed at junior faculty members, specifically assistant and associate professors before tenure. This period is a ‘golden time’ when research capabilities grow explosively and innovative achievements are concentrated, but it is also a time when securing stable research funding is desperately needed. The support funds will be used to enhance research autonomy and scalability, such as for challenging research planning, international academic activities, and the expansion of research infrastructure. KAIST expects this fellowship to serve as a practical foundation for young researchers to make a global leap forward.
2026.02.26 View 315 -
Lotte Group Chairman Dong-Bin Shin Awarded Honorary Doctorate
< Chairman Dong-Bin Shin (left) receives the degree certificate from KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee (right). >
KAIST announced on the 26th that it awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration to Lotte Group Chairman Dong-Bin Shin at its main campus in Daejeon on the 25th.
Chairman Dong-Bin Shin, who received the Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration, is a leading South Korean business figure who has led sustainable corporate growth amidst a rapidly changing global business environment. As Chairman of Lotte Group, Chairman Shin has stably sophisticated the group's traditional business foundations centered on retail and consumer goods, while concentrating strategic capabilities on core areas that will determine future competitiveness, such as chemicals/materials, eco-friendly energy, and digital transformation.
KAIST stated, “Chairman Dong-Bin Shin has practiced responsible management by taking Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) as a core pillar of management under the recognition that corporate performance cannot be separated from society,” and added, “We awarded the honorary doctorate in high evaluation of his efforts in materializing industrial transformation and social value creation based on science and technology through systems and execution.” Furthermore, the importance of the process in which the results of technological innovation are practically diffused to society and users, which has been reflected in his management strategy, was also cited as a background for this conferment decision.
Chairman Dong-Bin Shin has contributed to the creation of science and technology research infrastructure and the establishment of a foundation for convergence research through industry-academia cooperation with KAIST. Lotte Group donated 14 billion KRW in development funds to KAIST to establish the ‘LOTTE–KAIST R&D Center’ and the ‘LOTTE–KAIST Design Center,’ thereby laying the groundwork for multidisciplinary convergence research in core areas required by future society, such as carbon neutrality technology, bio-sustainability, energy/materials, and healthcare.
In particular, this cooperation was evaluated as an execution-oriented industry-academia cooperation model that links research infrastructure construction, medium-to-long-term research agenda setting, and the diffusion of research results into industry and society. Along with technical research centered on the R&D Center, the Design Center has played a role in expanding the social usability of technological research by focusing on the process through which research results are delivered to society and users. This has contributed to strengthening KAIST’s research competitiveness and establishing a virtuous cycle in which research results spread as social values.
Chairman Dong-Bin Shin said, "The convergence of technology and management through industry-academia cooperation is no longer a choice but a survival strategy," and added, "I hope that the journey of Lotte and KAIST, as innovation partners designing the future together, will lead to innovations that change the world for the better."
< Chairman Dong-Bin Shin delivering a speech after receiving his Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration. >
President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, “Chairman Dong-Bin Shin is a person who has presented a new role for companies through responsible management that connects science and technology, industry, and social value,” and added, “We awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration in high recognition of his contribution to expanding research infrastructure and building a foundation for convergence research through industry-academia cooperation with KAIST.”
2026.02.26 View 327 -
2026 KAIST Commencement: Shining Their Own Light on Their Respective Stages
KAIST (President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced that it held its 2026 Commencement Ceremony at 2 p.m. on February 20th at the Sports Complex on its Main Campus in Daejeon.
At this year’s ceremony, a total of 3,334 graduates received degrees, including 817 doctoral, 1,792 master’s, and 725 bachelor’s degrees. Since its founding in 1971, KAIST has now produced a total of 84,490 highly qualified science and technology professionals, including 18,130 Ph.D. recipients, 43,358 master’s graduates, and 23,002 bachelor’s graduates.
KAIST selected three representative graduates who embody the university’s vision of talent. They are Seunghyun Ryu (Department of Bio and Brain Engineering), the doctoral representative known as the “pianist neuroscientist” for his interdisciplinary research bridging brain science and piano performance; Jeanne Choi (School of Computing), the master’s representative who has pursued warm and inclusive technologies for socially vulnerable groups under the themes of accessibility and inclusion; and Mert Yakup Baykan (Department of Aerospace Engineering), the bachelor’s representative from Cyprus holding Turkish nationality, who became the first international recipient of the KAIST Presidential Scholarship.
Seunghyun Ryu, selected as both the doctoral representative and one of the notable graduates, spent 14 years at KAIST completing his undergraduate through doctoral studies while balancing research and music. He organized and managed performances through the campus piano club “PIAST,” expanding artistic activities within the campus community. His research explored the inverse relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, revealing how disease-related proteins and anticancer drugs act in neurons and offering new perspectives on inter-disease connections.
Jeanne Choi, the master’s representative and another notable graduate, presented research at AAATE 2023 in Paris, analyzing the experiences of visually impaired users engaging with the metaverse and artificial intelligence. Accompanying a visually impaired professor during the conference, Choi gained firsthand insight into mobility and safety challenges, which further expanded the scope of her research. Choi has since continued field-based research, including serving as a teaching assistant at AI and coding camps for visually impaired youth, and plans to pursue a doctoral degree while continuing research for socially vulnerable communities.
Bachelor’s representative Mert Yakup Baykan actively participated in research during his undergraduate studies, publishing four SCI-indexed papers and delivering five conference presentations. He was also selected as a visiting student researcher at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, gaining international collaborative research experience. As the first international KAIST Presidential Scholar, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. at Stanford University and grow into a leading researcher in space propulsion and combustion.
Awards for outstanding graduates were also presented. Seohyeon Kang (B.S., Brain and Cognitive Sciences) received the Minister of Science and ICT Award (Deputy Prime Minister’s Award). The Chairman of the Board Award was presented to Thai international student Punn Lertjaturaphat (B.S., Industrial Design). The President’s Award went to Kyeongmin Yeo (B.S., School of Computing), while the Alumni Association President’s Award and the KAIST Development Foundation Chairman’s Award were presented to Wonwoo Yoo (B.S., Aerospace Engineering) and Sungbeen Park (B.S., Nuclear and Quantum Engineering), respectively. Hyuk-chae Koo, 1st Vice Minister of Science and ICT, presented the awards on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT.
Seohyeon Kang developed a technology to measure key proteins related to Parkinson’s disease without surgery or tissue damage, opening new possibilities in brain disease research, and was recognized as a model graduate who combined academic excellence with community service. Punn Lertjaturaphat gained recognition at prestigious international conferences such as ACM CHI and co-founded a startup addressing rural elderly care issues, demonstrating creativity in solving social problems through technology and design.
Kyeongmin Yeo published six research papers at leading AI conferences including NeurIPS, ICLR, and CVPR, proposing new theoretical approaches to image generation and demonstrating outstanding academic achievement as a young researcher.
Wonwoo Yoo led the overseas volunteer corps and served as student representative, combining leadership with academic excellence, including winning a grand prize in a rocket launch competition. Sungbeen Park proposed a next-generation beta battery concept, linking it to patents and entrepreneurship, while contributing to public communication and outreach in nuclear technology as student council president and university ambassador.
Commencement addresses were delivered by Dongjae Kang (B.S., Industrial and Systems Engineering) and Gul Osman (Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering), an international student from Türkiye. Kang reflected on how he learned science not merely as an avenue for problem-solving but as a process for exploring the deeper meaning behind phenomena, pledging to remain attentive to unseen challenges faced by others. Osman shared his journey of nurturing his passion for science while working in a factory under difficult economic circumstances, emphasizing that opportunities open to those who persist without giving up. He began his academic journey in Korea through the Korean Government Scholarship Program.
This year, KAIST also spotlighted three notable graduates who forged their own paths encompassing research, the arts, and social value: Seunghyun Ryu, Jeanne Choi, and Daehui Kim (B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering). Kim led campus environmental organizations and community-based environmental campaigns, earning an Environmental Contribution Award. He plans to pursue a master’s degree focusing on carbon dioxide geological storage research. He also performs as the vocalist of the KAIST metal band “INFINITE,” continuing to balance music and research.
During the ceremony, an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration was conferred upon uey-Yu Wang, Executive Management Committee Member of Formosa Group and Chairman of Formosa Biomedical Technology Corporation.
President Kwang Hyung Lee encouraged the graduates, saying, “Cherish your dreams, seize opportunities, do not fear failure, and continue to challenge yourselves. I hope you will shine in your own way on your own stage and contribute to society as proud members of the KAIST community.”
2026.02.21 View 1167 -
Professor Kyung-Jin Lee of the Department of Physics Selected for the KAISTian of the Year’ Award
< Professor Kyung-Jin Lee at the ceremony >
KAIST announced on February 12th that it has selected Professor Kyung-Jin Lee from the Department of Physics as the recipient of the ‘KAISTian of the Year’ award in celebration of the university's 55th anniversary. Established in 2001, the ‘KAISTian of the Year’ award is the university’s highest honor, presented to members who have significantly enhanced KAIST's global prestige through exceptional academic and research milestones.
As the 25th recipient of this award, Professor Kyung-Jin Lee was recognized for his groundbreaking work in identifying the phenomenon of ‘Quantum Spin Pumping,’ effectively overturning 30-year-old conventional assumptions in spin transfer theory. While existing theories treated spin as a classical physical quantity, Professor Lee focused on the fact that spins within materials possess intrinsic quantum properties, much like electrons. To verify this, he researched Iron-Rhodium (FeRh), a magnetic material where spin magnitude changes abruptly under specific conditions. He became the first to observe a quantum transition in which the spin magnitude of Rhodium (Rh) atoms increased suddenly rather than gradually, theorizing that this very change serves as a new mechanism for inducing electron movement. Experimental data showed that this effect is more than 10 times greater than what previous theories had predicted. This achievement is hailed as a major breakthrough that redefines the core premises of spin transfer theory and provides a vital theoretical foundation for next-generation ultra-low-power magnetic memory and quantum information devices. The study gained worldwide acclaim following its publication in the journal ‘Nature’ last year.
The anniversary ceremony also honored 58 faculty members for their excellence in education, research, and international cooperation. Professor Wonho Choe of the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering received the ‘Academic Achievement Grand Prize’ for his world-first identification of physical phenomena in low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma and his contributions to medical and space technologies. The ‘Creative Teaching Grand Prize’ went to Professor Hyung-soo Kim of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for his innovative sports fluid mechanics curriculum. Professor Park Bum-soon of the Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy was awarded the ‘Outstanding Teaching Grand Prize’ for his interdisciplinary ‘Anthropocene Humanities’ courses that bridge science, art, and policy.
Furthermore, Professor Hyeon-Min Bae of the School of Electrical Engineering received the ‘Distinguished Service Grand Prize’ for his leadership in accelerating deep-tech prototyping and fostering a robust startup ecosystem. Professor Shin-Hyun Kim of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering was honored with the ‘International Cooperation Grand Prize’ for establishing the T2KN consortium between Korea, Japan, China, and ASEAN, facilitating global academic exchange for over 120 students.
KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee stated, “The true spirit of KAIST lies in the dedication of our members who venture into uncharted territories and strive to transcend existing limits. I hope today serves as a moment for all our members to share in the joy and celebrate the remarkable achievements of our awardees.”
2026.02.12 View 520 -
KAIST NYU Host AI Governance Summit in New York
< KAIST Professor Kyung Ryul Park delivering a keynote speech >
KAIST announced on February 9th that the KAIST-NYU AI and Digital Governance Summit, co-hosted with New York University (NYU), was held at NYU in New York from February 6 to 7 (local time). Amid the rapidly expanding impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across society, this summit was designed to combine private consensus meetings with public discussions to seek practical AI governance solutions that harmonize technological innovation with safety and ethical responsibility.
The summit was attended by 60 global AI governance leaders representing academia, industry, and civil society, including NYU professors Matthew Liao and David Chalmers, Victoria Nash (Director of the Oxford Internet Institute), Professor Vincent Conitzer (Carnegie Mellon University), Iason Gabriel (Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind), and Philip Goldberg (former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea). In particular, the public discussion on the second day drew high interest, with approximately 450 audience members in attendance.
< Brad Carson, U.S. Representative for Responsible Innovation and former U.S. Congressman, delivering a keynote speech >
This event garnered attention as an 'experimental consensus model' aimed at deriving an actionable AI governance framework beyond a simple forum. KAIST’s Global Center for Open Development with Evidence-based Strategies (G-CODEs) and the NYU Center for Bioethics had formed three working groups—Governance Requirements, Institutional Architecture, and Implementation Pathways—since last December to conduct preliminary discussions. At the New York site, practice-oriented recommendations were derived through intensive consensus-style discussions and voting.
In the Governance Requirements session, the need for enhanced oversight and monitoring of high-risk AI systems was discussed. In the ‘Institutional Architecture’ session, principles for designing AI oversight bodies were reviewed, referencing existing high-risk technology oversight models such as the FDA, IRB, and FAA. In the Implementation Pathways session, short-term governance tools and corporate responsibility standards that could be applied even during the current gap in international regulation were addressed as key issues.
Major global Big Tech experts from Meta, Google DeepMind, IBM, Amazon, Anthropic, TikTok and Hugging Face participated in the summit. From KAIST, researchers including Prof. So Young Kim , Prof. Kyung Ryul Park, and Prof. Hyungjun Kim shared Korea’s research achievements in AI governance.his event was conducted with support from the Korea Foundation’s (KF) international collaborative research program.
Professor Kyung Ryul Park of KAIST stated, “This summit was a meaningful attempt to expand AI governance beyond technical regulation into a matter of international cooperation and institutional design. Through the cooperation between KAIST and NYU, we will build a foundation for Korea to lead global AI governance discussions.”
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee remarked, “The importance of governance discussions for responsible AI innovation is growing. KAIST will continue to lead interdisciplinary research and policy discussions in the field of AI governance through international partnerships.”
< Sebastien Krier, AI Policy Lead at Google DeepMind, speaking >
2026.02.09 View 814 -
World-Renowned Masters Rodin and Chagall Meet at KAIST Museum
KAIST announced that its museum has received a donation of works by world-renowned masters Auguste Rodin and Marc Chagall from an anonymous donor, and has opened a permanent exhibition starting on the 29th. This donation is expected to not only cultivate the cultural and artistic sensibilities of the KAIST community but also contribute to the qualitative expansion of the museum's permanent collection.
The donation was made possible through the wishes of a donor who chose to remain anonymous. The donor expressed, "I hope that the members of KAIST will expand their sensibilities and imagination through art, beyond their scientific and technological research. I want the KAIST Museum to become a cultural landmark on campus and a space that provides inspiration to students."
The donated pieces consist of one bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, often called the "Saint of Sculpture," and one lithograph by Marc Chagall, a master of 20th-century modern art.
Rodin’s <Study for Adam Near a Column> is a preparatory piece created while conceiving "Adam," a figure featured in his immortal masterpiece, The Gates of Hell. Based on a plaster mold created around 1912 during Rodin's lifetime, this is the fourth (4/12) of twelve official casts produced posthumously by the Musée Rodin in France. It captures the essence of Rodin’s sculptural art, delicately expressing inner human agony through muscular detail and a twisted posture.
<Rodin’s Study for Adam Near a Column (45-degree side view, post-installation)]
Chagall’s <Circus with a Yellow Clown> is a lithograph produced in 1967 at the Mourlot lithography studio in France. Throughout his life, Chagall used the theme of the "circus" to express the joys and sorrows of humanity and a surreal world of dreams. This work combines the dynamism of circus performers with a fantastical atmosphere through vibrant colors and a free-form composition, capturing a unique worldview akin to a piece of poetry. It is the 104th piece of a total of 150 (104/150) and is regarded as a masterpiece that maximizes Chagall's signature lyrical imagination.
<Chagall’s Circus with a Yellow Clown (unframed)>
KAIST President Kwang-Hyung Lee stated, "It is very meaningful to acquire masterpieces of such high value in global art history. Through these works, which contain diverse perspectives on humanity and the world, I look forward to the KAIST Museum establishing itself as a cultural space where intelligence and emotion coexist."
The donated works by Rodin and Chagall will be on permanent display at the KAIST Museum starting today. While currently open to students and the general public, the museum plans to expand its public accessibility through special exhibitions and educational programs starting in April.
2026.01.30 View 413 -
Playground for Future Quantum Technology: KAIST-MIT Quantum Information Winter School Successfully Concluded
< Group photo of the KAIST-MIT Quantum Information Winter School >
“Through the KAIST-MIT Quantum Information Winter School, I was able to view research from a broader perspective. The experience of collaborating with students from various universities and majors to complete a project was very refreshing,” said Jun-hyeong Cho, a student at the KAIST School of Electrical Engineering.
KAIST announced on the 16th that the Graduate School of Quantum Science and Technology successfully concluded the ‘KAIST-MIT Quantum Information Winter School,’ held jointly with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from January 5th to 16th at the KAIST main campus in Daejeon.
For this year’s Winter School, 50 junior and senior undergraduate students from Korea and abroad were selected to receive intensive training to grow into next-generation quantum talent. Eight world-renowned scholars from KAIST and MIT participated in the program, providing a multi-dimensional curriculum that spanned theory and practice—ranging from theoretical lectures and introductions to cutting-edge quantum experiments to visits to government-funded research institutes and student poster presentations.
Celebrating its third anniversary since its inception in 2024, the Winter School is now evaluated as a premier quantum information education program in Korea. Alongside KAIST faculty, world-class scholars from MIT participated directly in lectures and field training, operating an intensive curriculum that covered the entirety of quantum information science.
The lecturing faculty included world authorities in quantum computing, quantum devices, quantum machine learning, and quantum simulation, such as MIT professors Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, Seth Lloyd, Kevin P. O’Brien, and William D. Oliver, as well as KAIST scholars Jaewook Ahn, Joonwoo Bae, Gil-Young Cho, and Jae-yoon Choi.
Going beyond theoretical lectures, participants gained a broad understanding of research trends, technical limitations, and future development directions of state-of-the-art quantum technology through experimental training in core areas such as quantum computing, communication, sensing, and simulation.
< Scene from a Winter School lecture >
Furthermore, students visited the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) to experience actual research sites, engaging in field-oriented education that bridges quantum theory and practice. The poster presentation session, where students shared their own research ideas, received enthusiastic responses as a forum for deep academic exchange, allowing students to receive direct feedback from MIT faculty.
Tae-hee Kim, a student from Pusan National University, remarked, “I was greatly inspired by the passion of the MIT faculty and the high level of questions from the students. It served as a motivation for me to pursue deeper studies independently.” Byung-jin Hwang, a student from Yonsei University, added, “I expected lectures from world-class scholars to be difficult, but I was impressed by the explanations tailored to the undergraduate level. The poster presentation session was particularly memorable.”
Eun-seong Kim, Dean of the KAIST Graduate School of Quantum Science and Technology, stated, “The KAIST-MIT Quantum Information Winter School is a special educational program where students can learn directly from world-renowned quantum researchers and experience cutting-edge research. We look forward to the active participation of future talents who will lead the quantum industry.”
Participants for this Winter School were selected through a document review process, and the program was operated entirely free of charge. KAIST covered all educational expenses and provided dormitory accommodations and lunch. Detailed information about the event can be found on the KAIST Graduate School of Quantum Science and Technology website (https://quantumschool.kaist.ac.kr/).
< Poster for the KAIST-MIT Quantum Information Winter School >
2026.01.16 View 1083 -
Vieworks CEO Hu-sik Kim Appointed as 28th KAIST Alumni Association President
< Hu-sik Kim, 28th President of KAIST Alumni Association (CEO of Vieworks) >
KAIST announced on December 23rd that Hu-sik Kim, CEO of Vieworks—a company specializing in medical and industrial imaging solutions—has been appointed as the 28th President of the KAIST Alumni Association.
President-elect Hu-sik Kim, an alumnus with a Master’s degree in Physics (Class of ’95) from KAIST, is a technology-driven leader who has dedicated 26 years to the field of imaging solutions. He is recognized as a "field-oriented innovator" who has pioneered global niche markets with world-first technologies and driven long-term growth by prioritizing people and organizational culture as core competencies.
While working professionally, he enrolled in the KAIST Master’s program to strengthen his theoretical and practical expertise in optics. Later, he played a leading role in co-founding a venture company with fellow alumni, successfully growing Vieworks into a prominent global mid-sized enterprise.
In his inauguration remarks, President Kim stated, “I feel a profound sense of responsibility to give back to the nation and the community for the benefits I have received. I will do my best to ensure that the values of innovation and entrepreneurship are realized through our alumni network, and that the alumni association and our alma mater can prosper together.”
President Kim’s term will span two years starting from January 2026. The inauguration ceremony will be held during the "2026 New Year’s Greeting Ceremony" on January 16, 2026, at the El Tower in Seoul.
2025.12.23 View 1048 -
KAIST-KakaoBank Speeds Up 'Explainable AI' by 11 Times: "Boosts Financial AI Reliability
< (From left) Professor Jaesik Choi of the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, Ph.D candidate Chanwoo Lee, Ph.D candidate Youngjin Park >
The research team led by Professor Jaesik Choi of KAIST's Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, in collaboration with KakaoBank Corp, announced that they have developed an accelerated explanation technology that can explain the basis of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model's judgment in real-time. This research achievement significantly increases the practical applicability of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (hereinafter XAI) technology in fields requiring real-time decision-making, such as financial services, by achieving an average processing speed 8.5 times faster, and up to 11 times faster, than existing explanation algorithms for AI model predictions.
In the financial sector, a clear explanation for decisions made by AI systems is essential. Especially in services directly related to customer rights, such as loan screening and anomaly detection, regulatory demands to transparently present the basis for the AI model's judgment are increasingly stringent. However, conventional Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) technologies required the repeated calculation of hundreds to thousands of baselines to generate accurate explanations, resulting in massive computational costs. This was a major factor limiting the application of XAI technology in real-time service environments.
To address this issue, Professor Choi's research team developed the 'ABSQR (Amortized Baseline Selection via Rank-Revealing QR)' framework for accelerating explanation algorithms. ABSQR noticed that the value function matrix generated during the AI model explanation process has a low-rank structure. It introduced a method to select only a critical few baselines from the hundreds available. This drastically reduced the computation complexity, which was previously proportional to the number of baselines, to be proportional only to the number of selected critical baselines, thereby maximizing computational efficiency while maintaining explanatory accuracy.
Specifically, ABSQR operates in two stages. The first stage systematically selects important baselines using Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Rank-Revealing QR decomposition techniques. Unlike existing random sampling methods, this is a deterministic selection method aimed at preserving information recovery, which guarantees the accuracy of the explanation while significantly reducing computation. The second stage introduces an amortized inference mechanism, which reuses the pre-calculated weights of the baselines through cluster-based search, allowing the system to provide an explanation for the model's prediction result in real-time service environments without repeatedly evaluating the model. The research team verified the superiority of ABSQR through experiments on various real-world datasets. Tests on standard datasets across five sectors—finance, marketing, and demographics—showed that ABSQR achieved an average processing speed 8.5 times faster than existing explanation algorithms that use all baselines, with a maximum speed improvement of over 11 times. Furthermore, the degradation of explanatory accuracy due to speed acceleration was minimized, maintaining up to 93.5% of the explanation accuracy compared to the baseline algorithm. This level is sufficient to meet the explanation quality required in real-world applications.
< ABSQR Framework Overview. (1) The baseline selection stage utilizes the low-rank structure of the value function matrix to select only a small number of key baselines, and (2) the accelerated search stage reuses the pre-calculated baseline weight coefficients based on clusters. This dramatically reduces the computation complexity, which was proportional to the number of baselines, to be proportional only to the number of selected key baselines. >
A KakaoBank official stated, "We will continue relentless research and development to enhance the reliability and convenience of financial services and introduce innovative financial technologies that customers can experience." Chanwoo Lee and Youngjin Park, co-first authors from KAIST, explained the significance of the research: "This methodology solves the crucial acceleration problem for real-time application in the financial sector, proving that it is possible to provide users with the reasons behind a learning model's decision in real-time." They added, "This research provides new insights into what constitutes unnecessary computation and the selection of important baselines in explanation algorithms, practically contributing to the improvement of explanation technology efficiency." This research, co-authored by PhD candidates Chanwoo Lee and Youngjin Park from the KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, and researchers Hyeongeun Lee and Yeeun Yoo from the KakaoBank Financial Technology Research Institute, was presented on November 12 at the 'CIKM 2025 (ACM International Conference on Information and Knowledge Management)', the world's highest-authority academic conference in the field of information and knowledge management. ※ Paper Title: Amortized Baseline Selection via Rank-Revealing QR for Efficient Model Explanation
※ Author Information:
※ Author Information: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3746252.3761036
Co-First Authors: Chanwoo Lee (KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI), Youngjin Park (KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI), Hyeogeun Lee (KakaoBank), Yeeun Yoo (KakaoBank)
Co-Authors: Daehee Han (KakaoBank), Junho Choi (KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI), Kunhyung Kim (KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI)
Corresponding Authors: Nari Kim (KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI), Jaesik Choi (KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI)
Meanwhile, this research achievement was conducted through KakaoBank's industry-academia research project 'Advanced Research on Explainable Artificial Intelligence Algorithms in the Financial Sector' and the Ministry of Science and ICT/Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP) supported project 'Development of Explainable Artificial Intelligence Technology Providing Explainability in a Plug-and-Play Manner and Verification of Explanation Provision for AI Systems.'
2025.12.12 View 1564 -
KAIST to Usher in an Era of Nationwide Science Culture: KSOP, OPEN KAIST, and AI Academy
< 2025 OPEN KAIST (Demonstration of the cluster systems and AI drone program conducted in Prof. Il-Chul Moon’s Lab, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering)>
KAIST announced on November 25th that it is operating the 'Science Education Sharing (KSOP),' 'OPEN KAIST,' and 'KAIST-style IT/AI Academy for the General Public, social contribution programs based on science popularization,in line with the government's policy to spread science culture. Through these initiatives, KAIST is nurturing future science and technology talent and contributing to the popularization of science culture.
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, “Under the mission of 'a university that contributes to humanity and society through science and technology,' KAIST is creating a ladder of opportunity through education sharing,” adding, “KSOP and OPEN KAIST are core KAIST programs that help all children dream of becoming scientists, regardless of their economic or regional circumstances. KAIST will continue to actively communicate with the general public and contribute to strengthening national competitiveness in science and technology by pursuing warm science, inclusive education, and a sustainable science culture ecosystem that goes beyond cutting-edge science and technology.”
■ KSOP for Science-Gifted Students from Underprivileged Backgrounds: 8,000 Beneficiaries in 10 Years, 70% Enrollment in STEM Fields
KSOP, operated by the Science Gifted Education Research Institute, is a representative science-sharing program. It selects students with potential in mathematics and science from socially disadvantaged youth and provides direct mentoring by current KAIST undergraduate and graduate students.
Starting with 250 students in 2015, the program expanded to approximately 1,000 participants annually starting in 2022, with a cumulative total of about 8,000 participants by 2025. It has achieved tangible results, with over 70% of graduates advancing into STEM fields, and a knowledge circulation structure has become established where graduates return as mentors.
Creative science education volunteer work has been conducted in underserved areas such as Jeju, Mokpo, and Andong, in addition to Daejeon, Sejong, and Hwaseong, contributing to the alleviation of educational disparities between regions. In particular, the program where mentees teach elementary school students has been cited as a prime example of KAIST's science culture diffusion.
One KSOP graduate who advanced to KAIST and is now been a mentor for five years shared, “Through mentoring, I feel the true value of sharing and service, as well as an inexpressible sense of pride and accomplishment.”
Furthermore, family-unit programs, including parent information sessions, family camps, and counseling support, have strengthened students' emotional and career support. In 2025, the fifth family camp was held, further broadening participation.
'KSOP FRIENDS,' centered on graduates and mentors, has established a virtuous cycle ecosystem connecting scholarships, mentoring, and donations. This initiative has expanded and developed into the 'Daddy-Long-Legs Project,' a representative small-sum regular donation program in which the public can participate.
< KSOP Jeju Island Educational Volunteer Group Photo >
< KSOP Scholarship Award >
■ ‘OPEN KAIST 2025’ to Meet KAIST Laboratories: Record-Breaking Number of Visitors
OPEN KAIST, KAIST's flagship science culture event that opens laboratories and the campus to the public every two years, recorded its highest ever attendance in 2025, with the number of visitors increasing more than fourfold compared to 2023. In particular, the lab tours garnered high interest, with long waiting lists for pre-registration. An elementary school participant commented, “The earthquake research lab tour was so fascinating and very helpful for answering my questions.” Recognizing that some participation was difficult due to the larger-than-expected number of visitors, KAIST announced plans to expand participation opportunities and improve operations in the future.
■ Cultivating Digital Talent through Short-Term Non-Degree IT/Semiconductor Courses for the General Public
The 'KAIST IT Academy' for military personnel is a non-degree program that provides practical, basic training in AI, computer science, and programming, involving KAIST graduate students as instructors. Operated both online and offline, approximately 1,000 trainees participate annually.
The 'SW Academy (Jungle),' a KAIST non-degree software education course, has become a successful model for nurturing young SW talent, with a cumulative 308 people completing the course between 2021 and 2024. Major employers include Naver, Krafton, Team Sparta, Nearthlab, and Woowa Brothers. Jungle trains developers who can be immediately deployed in practical work through hands-on programming education, mentoring by active developers, and planning/design feedback.
Based on the excellence of the Jungle program, Krafton launched and has been operating 'Krafton Jungle' since 2022. This is a social contribution activity by a company founded by KAIST alumnus Chairman Byung-Gyu Jang and is regarded as a prime example of KAIST's talent nurturing model spreading to the private sector.
Furthermore, the KAIST IDEC (IC Design Education Center) trains 240 young people annually as semiconductor design experts through the nurturing of semiconductor design talent, facilitating their entry into the industry.
■ Strengthening National Competitiveness by Building a Future Talent Ecosystem
KSOP received international recognition for its excellence in 2024 by winning the Best Program Award and Best Researcher Award at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness (APCG).
KAIST is further expanding its future talent platform by launching 'Junior KAIST' in 2025, a science, mathematics, and AI exploration program for youth. KAIST plans to continue strengthening its role as a public research university that grows with the nation through science and technology-based social contribution and the nurturing of future talent.
2025.11.25 View 1776 -
World-Renowned Conductor Han-Na Chang Appointed as Visiting Distinguished Professor
< (From Left) Professor Joo Han Nam, President Kwang Hyung Lee, President and Vice President Students of KAIST Orchestra, Professor Han-Na Chang, Professor Hyeon-Jeong Suk >
"It is very meaningful to be able to share the joy of music with future science and technology leaders at KAIST and to explore the possibilities of a new field of performing arts hand-in-hand with AI." – Han-Na Chang, KAIST Visiting Distinguished Professor
KAIST announced on the 13th of November that it has appointed Han-Na Chang, a world-renowned conductor and musician who was formerly a cellist, as a Visiting Distinguished Professor at the Graduate School of Culture Technology (GSCT).
This appointment was pursued to expand the base of culture and arts within KAIST by inviting a world-class artist, and to lay the foundation for students to grow into creative and converged talents. Furthermore, it is expected to serve as an opportunity to share Professor Chang's experiences of challenge and achievement on the world stage, thereby delivering dreams and inspiration to the members of KAIST. Professor Han-Na Chang will share her 31 years of research as a musician and her stage experience through the 'Orchestra Master Class' (an open practical class where the conductor directly guides student performers on musical interpretation and collaboration through live performance). She will also conduct leadership special lectures for undergraduate and graduate students, sharing her vision for music and her philosophy on a conductor's leadership.
In particular, Professor Chang will participate in advising on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology necessary for orchestral performance through the Sumi Jo Center for Performing Arts Research at the Graduate School of Culture Technology, thereby suggesting a new research direction that explores the convergence of art and science and technology. The term of appointment is two years, starting from November 2025.
Professor Han-Na Chang stated, "It is very meaningful to be able to share the values of art, leadership, and collaboration with students at KAIST, the center of science and technology," adding, "It is a great joy and honor to contribute to the future science and technology leaders' development of artistic sensibility, creativity, and expressiveness through the joys and sorrows of music.
KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee remarked, "The joining of Professor Han-Na Chang, who possesses both artistic insight and leadership as a world-renowned conductor, will be a great stimulus to the members of KAIST," and "We expect her to breathe new creative inspiration into the convergence of science and art."
Meanwhile, Professor Han-Na Chang garnered global attention at the age of 11 by winning the First Prize at the Fifth International Rostropovich Cello Competition for the youngest ever. After her career as a cellist on the international stage, she transitioned to conducting in 2007. She is currently recognized for her musical leadership and artistic vision by conducting world-leading orchestras such as the Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Philharmonia Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
<Professor Han-Na Chang Conducting an Orchestra>
For the reference, KAIST has two orchestras: the 'KAIST Orchestra', which is centered on undergraduate students, and the 'KAIST Art Orchestra', composed of graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The KAIST Orchestra was founded in 1992 and currently has about 90 members. It holds regular concerts every May and November and has established itself as a representative on-campus arts organization voluntarily planned and operated by students. The KAIST Art Orchestra, founded in 2024, is a project-based performance group with approximately 50 members who perform for specific events or projects.
2025.11.13 View 1160 -
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 2865