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Gene Protecting Brain Nerves Discovered
THE KOREA TIMES 2005.1.31By Kim Tae-gyu / Staff Reporter
South Korean scientists have for the first time discovered genes tasked with protecting brain nerves.
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology professor Kim Jae-seob said Sunday the new genes, named pyrexia, shield brain nerves from outside stimuli, including high temperatures.
``The channel gene of pyrexia will open the door to developing new-concept medicines for brain damage in patients of high fever or drug addicts,’’ he said.
The channel gene refers to transport proteins, which provide a static passageway for a variety of essential substances to enter into cells.
``Up until now, a lot of channel genes activated by temperatures have been identified. But among them, pyrexia is first that guards brain nerves from external stresses,’’ Kim said.
Kim’s team learned pyrexia plays a pivotal role in the body through experiments with genetically engineered flies that did not have any pyrexia.
Up to 60 percent of the pyrexia-depleted mutants were paralyzed within three minutes of exposure to a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius.
In comparison, just 9 percent of normal flies were paralyzed with the same stimulus, indicating pyrexia is responsible for protecting animals from high-temperature stress.
``Our next goal is to develop pyrexia-embedded drugs, which can be expected to commercially debut in about five years,’’ Kim said.
Kim has already applied for international patents for his medical breakthrough, which will be printed in the March edition of Nature Genetics, a science journal.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
2005.02.02 View 13996 -
Nobel Laureate Heads KAIST
Nobel Laureate Heads KAIST
By Kim Tae-gyu / Staff Reporter
THE KOREA TIMES 05-29-2004
A Nobel laureate will lead the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), winning a stiff race with a pair of strong Korean candidates.
The KAIST on Friday said the state-financed institute appointed Robert Laughlin as its 12th president instead of two local hopefuls, professors Shin Seong-cheol and Park Seong-ju.
This is the first time that foreigners take charge of the KAIST since it was established in 1971 and Laughlin also is noted in the history as the first Nobel Prize winner to head Korea"s educational institute.
After receiving approval of Science-Technology Minister Oh Myung, Laughlin will be inaugurated as early as next month, according to a KAIST official.
Laughlin, a Stanford professor, made his name after being co-awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics with Horst Stoermer and Daniel Tsui for the discovery of a new form of quantum fluid.
The findings, which explained the fractional quantum hall effect for the first time, have been recognized as a significant breakthrough in understanding quantum physics.
The American physicist had also sustained a special connection with Korea even before he garnered the prestigious prize and has visited Korea several times.
Early last month, Laughlin was named to head the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP) in recognition of his notable interest in Korea.
The APCTP is an international research institute headquartered inside Pohang University of Science and Technology in North Kyongsang Province.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
2004.05.31 View 17102
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Nobel Laureate Applies for KAIST President
Korea Times / 2004.5.17By Kim Tae-gyu / Staff Reporter
A Nobel laureate has applied to become president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), with the final decision scheduled for late this month.
The state-financed institute said on Sunday Robert Laughlin had thrown in his hat for the candidacy of the 15th president, along with a couple of Korean competitors.
Laughlin, who was born in California in 1950, made his name after being co-awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics with Horst Stoermer and Daniel Tsui for the discovery of a new form of quantum fluid.
The findings, which explained the fractional quantum hall effect for the first time, have been recognized as a significant breakthrough in the understanding of quantum physics.
The American physicist had maintained a special connection with Korea even before he received the prestigious prize and has visited Korea several times.
Early last month, he was appointed to head the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), the international research institute headquartered inside Pohang University of Science and Technology in North Kyongsang Province.
According to a KAIST official, Laughlin said during his latest visit to Korea this month that he would develop the KAIST as a research-oriented model and would limit involvement in management to encourage scientists to focus on creating value.
The KAIST board will select the next president May 28. Among other candidates are KAIST professors Shin Seong-cheol and Park Seong-ju.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
2004.05.21 View 14388
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Professor Kim Donates W5 Bil. to KAIST
Korea Times 2004.5.21
By Kim Tae-gyu / Staff Reporter
A professor from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has donated his inherited wealth of 5 billion won to the state-owned institute.
The KAIST announced professor Kim Dong-won contributed 5 billion won in properties and cash, which he inherited from his father, who passed away late last year.
``Professor Kim has asked us to spend the contribution in the development of Korea’s science in accordance with the late Kim’s will,’’ said Park Jae-wook, a KAIST spokesman.
Park added Kim had tried to remain anonymous, but his identity was revealed by some local newspapers. Kim is currently in the United States as he is out of his post on an interim basis and will come back to Korea in August.
Four billion won of the donation will be used to set up scholarships, which will endow 20 million won each to 10 KAIST students every year. The remaining 1 billion won will help invite illustrious scholars to the institute.
Adding to the good news for KAIST, Lee Chong-moon, chairman of the U.S.-based venture company Ambex, has also donated 2 billion won.
The 76-year-old Lee called for the KAIST to inspire a sprit among students by establishing a management center named after him.
2004.05.21 View 15892
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KAIST-Tsinghua High-Tech EXPO 2004
THE KAIST Herald 2004.5.12
By Jong-kyoung KimThe KAIST Herald Staff Reporter
KAIST and Tsinghua University are holding KAIST-Tsinghua Korea-China High Tech EXPO 2004 from July 12 to 14, at the Beijing International Convention Center. The Expo seeks to contribute to economic development through promoting exchanges between exceptional Korean and Chinese start-up companies, and to promote cooperation between high-tech industries and academic institutions through academic and technological exchanges between each nation"s best technology institutions.
The Expo is a big international affair held by a university from Korea and one from China. The Expo is also a means to implement the agreement between KAIST and Tsinghua in 2002 to promote exchanges between the two universities and to conduct international co-research. It is sponsored by various technology institutions of both nations.
The Expo is different from other expos in that it is a specialized expo where Tsinghua-related companies, experts, and buyers participate to discuss the transfer of technologies and to deal in trades. Also, to insure that the Expo is beneficial to participating Korean companies, the Expo plans to offer business talks with at least ten Chinese companies per company. From Korea, thirteen companies from enterprise-incubation center and graduate start-ups with high-tech start-ups in areas of IT, BT, NT and mechatronics that are possible in exporting related products or transferring related technologies are participating. From China, Tsinghua-related companies, China Telecom, China Unicom, and other companies under China Telecommunication Association with other famous Chinese companies are expected to participate.
In addition to exhibitions, co-work between KAIST and Tsinghua"s research centers and KAIST"s Technology Transfer & Exchange Center"s explanation on public technology transfer are taking place during the Expo.
And, after three days of the Expo, about ten companies will move to Chungking, a city in western China to hold a product and technology explanation session.
2004.05.21 View 17434
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Personal data found on many used hard drives
JoongAng Daily / 2004.03.09
(photo : Professor Song-chun MoonKAIST Graduate School of Management)
Many secondhand computer hard drives that are being sold through the Internet formerly belonged to businesses and are therefore full of business records containing personal information, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a leading local science and technology school, said yesterday.
To determine whether personal information had been properly deleted, the business database research team at KAIST"s business school conducted an experiment in which it randomly bought 41 hard drives through Internet auction sites beginning in April 2003 and analyzed their contents.
It said 26 hard drives out of the total, or 65 percent, had not even been reformatted to remove data. On those drives were business records containing the names, birth dates, home and company addresses, telephone numbers and health examination records of 1,349 people. Also, the team found 568 resident identification numbers on the drives.
"Secondhand hard disks are an open storehouse of personal information [from business records]," said the team"s head, Moon Young-chul. "We found such personal data for an average of 60 people per used disk."
Mr. Moon said that reformatting hard drives alone will not delete all information recorded on them. He said special software designed to completely delete data should be used or such disks should be destroyed.
by Ko Ran / 2004.03.09
2004.04.22 View 12799
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133 Diplomats Worldwide Visit KAIST
THE KAIST Herald April 8, 2004by jong-kyoung Kim
On March 12, diplomatic corps in Korea visited Daedeok Valley"s KAIST after taking a trial run on the Korea Train eXpress(KTX). Composed of ambassadors from 79 nations and 54 international organizations, the 133 diplomatic corps went on board KTX at 10:30 AM in Seoul and arrived in Daejeon at 11:20 AM.
Shortly after arrival, the diplomatic corps attended a luncheon hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade(MOFAT) before paying visits to the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI) and KAIST. After being introduced to the current issues at KAIST, the diplomatic corps returned back to Seoul at 4:00 PM.
Seventy-nine embassy representatives out of eighty-seven currently stationed in Korea participated in this event, with fifty-four representatives from three international organizations. In addition, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, a commercial relations director, and a regional representative accompanied them.
The trial rides on April 1 were organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to publicize Korea as being the fifth country (after Japan, France, Germany, and Spain) in the world to own an express train and to introduce the growth of Korea"s IT industry through visits to ETRI and KAIST.
Events such as this are held annually to improve the understandings of the diplomatic corps about Korea"s science, technology, culture and art and to further enhance bilateral relations.
2004.04.20 View 16272
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Foreign R&D Centers Cropping Up Here
Korea Times / 2004. 03. 26 By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff ReporterThe world"s top companies and research institutes are rushing to Korea to set up research and development (R&D) centers.
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) on Thursday said it isunder negotiation with several world-renowned firms or foundations,including University of Cambridge Cavendish Laboratory, Novartis, DuPont and EMC.The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) is also lookingto attract five to six multinational companies to establish R&D centers here this year.
Korea has already become a home for R&D institutes from top-tier foreign outfits like the world"s No.1 computer-chip maker Intel Corp. and Paris-based medical foundation Institut Pasteur as well as Germany"s Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
The MOST said Cavendish will exchange a memorandum of understandingto set up a joint research center here together with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) as early as this May.
The two entities will join hands to accelerate knowledge in the fields of nanotechnology, optical technology and physics to name a few,a MOST official said.It also seeks to invite Swiss-based pharmaceutical group Norvatis toestablish an R&D center here on occasion of the medical symposium that will take place here from March 31.
The Fortune 500 company is expected to dispatch dozens of high-ranking staff to the two-day neuroscience convention.
The Korea Foundation for International Cooperation of Science and Technology (KICOS), an affiliate of MOST, expects a few American companies, including DuPont, to open shop here.``DuPont is likely to make a decision, and we are currently under negotiations with several big companies like EMC,"" KICOS official KimKey-hyup said.
EMC is the world"s third-largest maker of data-storage devices.Seoul seeks to host six high-tech information-technology (IT) research centers this year.
Up to now, Intel and Fraunhofer committed themselves to setting up research centers here, and IBM will likely open an R&D center as soonas its affiliate IBM Korea"s bribe scandal regarding a government contract is settled.
Such high-profile companies as Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and Qualcomm are welcome to open R&D centers in Korea, an MIC official said. The government is willing to provide financial incentives to foreignR&D centers.
2004.03.26 View 17028
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SK Telecom Names 28-Year-Old Female Executive
By Kim Tae-gyu Korea Times 2004.3.16
Staff ReporterThe 28-year-old Yoon Song-yee became the youngest-ever executive member of SK Telecom, the Korea"s biggest cell-phone service company said on Monday.
Yoon, the former executive of mobile solution developer WiderThan.com, was recruited by SK Telecom and appointed as vice president. Shewill lead the company"s communication and intelligence task force team.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) graduate obtained her Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologyand once worked for McKinsey & Company.The unprecedented recruitment was conducted as part of the company"slarge-scale restructuring efforts, including 21-case promotions of executive members.
Former senior vice presidents Rhee Noh-jong and Kim Young-jin were advanced to vice presidents. Rhee, who worked as a public relations man for 30 years, will take charge of SK Academy, an educational institute for SK Group, the country"s third-largest conglomerate.
The personnel shift also features the new president Kim Shin-bae, who took the realm of the mobile giant after getting an approval fromshareholders" meeting on March 12.
2004.03.18 View 15685
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18th Student Council Elected
The KAIST Herald December 3, 2003
The votes were cast and counted on November 27. Donggodongrak won the election of the 18th Undergraduage Student Council of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Of the 2,340 eligible voters for the 18th student council election, 1,304 votes, or about 56 percent of the total, were amassed after a full day of election on November 27.
The two candidate teams, waiting to hear the result with much anxiety, were juniors Hye-min Kim and Jung-mo Kim running for the president and vice president positions, respectively, of the team "Donggodongrak" and juniors Dong-geun Kim and Yong-jae Yoon running for the same positions, respectively under the name "Woorung Chonggak."
Donggodongrak secured over 58 percent of the votes, with 760 supporting ballots, while Woorung Chongak polled 503 votes, or about 39 percent of the votes. Forty-one votes, or three percent of the votes cast were spoiled votes. With more than half the voters having participated, the election was valid, and Donggodongrak was declared the new student council of KAIST.
The election platform of the Donggodongrak team largely consist of four themes, composed of several smaller goals. First, they assert the "togetherness" of the student government and plan to achieve it by publishing monthly newsletters, hosting an open outdoor student council every other week, and creating various committees.
Secondly, they assert under the theme of an "improving" student government that they will promote festivals and events among the sixteen departments, form an official "class" of the freshmen, and broaden the association of the student representatives.
Third, Donggodongrak declares it wants to create an "open and just environment" by holding periodic meetings with the school for direct discussions of school policies; and by taking care of the welfare of the students in detail.
Finally, they advocate "a student government that communicates with society"; they will support opportunities to become more aware of various issues of society.
President Hye-min Kim, a graduate of Pusan Science High School, has participated in various intramural, socially active groups, and is majoring in applied mathematics. Vice-president Jung-mo Kim is a graduate of Mokpo High School and studies mechanical engineering.
2004.03.15 View 17851
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Professor Yang Receives Academic Award
By Ki-beom Lee / Reporter
The KAIST Herald December 3, 2003
The Professor Dong-yol Yang of the Department of Mechanical Engineering received the Sang-woo Academic Award last month. Unlike other awards of similar nature, this award is given to one of many leading scientists who has written six to seven papers in the previous year. This award is special in that Professor Yang retired as chairman of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity in December 2002. Professor Yang received a prize on the research of the anisotropic pressing out process. He has also written papers based on the twenty-five years of research at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and has researched high-speed modeling for the first time in Korea.
2004.03.15 View 15829
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[Unknown] Wins Program Competition
By Taeg-sang Cho
The KAIST Herald December 3, 2003
The 3rd Korean Collegiate Programming Competition took place on November 7 at Sky-city Convention Center, Seoul. This competition is organized by the Ministry of Telecommunication and is sponsored by KAIST, ACM, and Korean Information Science Institution. This year"s preliminary competition consisted of 112 teams from 50 domestic universities, and 53 teams were selected from the preliminaries. In total, sixty teams, including foreign teams, participated in the main competition that took place at the Sky-city Convention Center.
This year"s competition was won by "Unknown" from KAIST; this team is composed of three students: Min-sang Noh, Gih-moon Song, and Joong-geun Lee. Last year"s competition was also won by a team from KAIST.
In this year"s competition, five teams solved all the problems, but "Unknown" was the best in organizing the programs and in employing various concepts into the program. Another team from KAIST, "KIN~" won 4th Prize.
The winner of this competition automatically becomes an Asian representative at the ACM- International Collegiate Programming Competition (ACM-ICPC) along with the winners of collegiate competitions from Japan, China, India, and Iran. The 28th ACM-ICPC is to be held in March 2004.
2004.03.15 View 19010