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Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2014
The QS
World University Rankings are annual university rankings published by
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) which provides the overall rankings of top global
universities as well as the rankings for individual subjects. The 2014 QS World
University Rankings by Subject is a comprehensive guide to the world’s best universities
in 30 popular subjects of 5 academic disciplines: arts & humanities,
engineering & technology, life sciences & medicine, natural sciences,
and social sciences.
According
to the 2014 subject rankings, released on February 26, KAIST made the list of top
50 universities in 9 subjects: physics & astronomy; materials sciences;
chemistry; chemical engineering; mechanical, aeronautical & manufacturing
engineering; electrical & electronic engineering; civil & structural engineering;
computer science & information systems; and biological sciences.
Among
them, KAIST was ranked number one in Korea for 5 subjects: materials sciences
(16th); mechanical, aeronautical & manufacturing engineering (21st);
civil & structural engineering (32nd); computer science &
information systems (36th), and biological sciences (43rd).
For basic sciences, KAIST has made good progress as well. For example, in
mathematics, KAIST took first place in Korea and was ranked in the 51st-100th
of the world’s top universities. Another notable result was that its business college
in Seoul campus, a relatively new addition to KAIST, made the rankings list of
51st-100th in accounting & finance.
The 2014
QS subject rankings used the following criteria for its evaluation of
university performance: a survey of academic and employer reputation, citations
per paper, inclusion of specialists, and the h-index, known as the Hirsch index or Hirsch number, which was
suggested by Jorge E. Hirsch, a physicist at the University of California in
San Diego, as a tool for determining theoretical physicists’ relative quality.
Today, the h-index is used to measure
both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or
scholar.
2014.02.28 View 10370 -
KAIST held its 2014 Commencement Ceremony
The KAIST Commencement Ceremony for 2014 was held on Friday, 21st February, at Sports Complex, KAIST.
On this day, a total of 2,619 students
received their degrees. This included 499 doctorates, 1,220 masters, and 900 students with bachelor’s degrees. Since its establishment in 1971,
KAIST has produced 9,881 Ph.D., 25,161 MA and 13,693 BA,
which amounts to 48,735 scientific and engineering personnel.
The former Minister for Science and Technology
of the Republic of Korea, Dr. KunMo Chung, received an honorary doctorate for his effort in establishing the Korea Advanced Institute of Science (KAIS) to foster talented scientists and engineers, thus contributing to the significant growth
of Korea that has led it to stand as a scientifically advanced nation today.
The student graduating with summa cum laude was Jang-Geun
Kim from the Department of Biological Sciences. Mr. Kim received the Minister of Science, ICT and
Future Planning Award.
Mr. Kim said, “I am honored to receive the
award from the minister. I hope a lot of talented students will go onto science and
engineering field, so that Korea can earn a place among the technologically
elite countries.” Jang-Geun Kim will continue his
study of genomic medicine at KAIST graduate school.
President Steve Kang spoke
to the graduates:
“The whole nation has given their wholehearted support to KAIST so that students can study in a good environment. Please have
great aspirations and hopes, and continue to
broaden your knowledge and solve the challenges that humanity is facing today,
so our country and the world can advance.”
2014.02.27 View 8484 -
Professor Yong-Tak Im of Mechanical Engineering Appointed as President of Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials
Yong-Tak Im, Professor of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at KAIST, was sworn in on February 25, 2014 as
the 16th president of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials
(KIMM), a leading government-funded research institution in Korea. KIMM was
established in 1976 to contribute to the development of
Korea through the invention of source technology and technology transfer in
mechanical engineering.
President Im graduated from Seoul National
University, obtaining degrees of Bachelor of Science and Master’s in mechanical
engineering. He later studied at the University of California in Berkeley and
received a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering.
After working as an assistant professor of
the Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Ohio State University,
President Im joined KAIST as a professor of mechanical engineering in 1989.
President Im took many important posts at
KAIST, including Dean of Planning Office, Dean of External Affairs and Public
Relations Office, and Associate Vice President of Special Projects and
Institutional Relations, making a great addition to the university’s endeavors for
globalization.
Among the awards President Im received was the
William Johnson Award in 2007 presented by the Advances in Materials and
Processing Technologies, the Research Achievement Award in 2010 by the Global
Congress on Manufacturing and Management, and the Presidential Award in 2012 by
the Republic of Korea. He was also elected as the vice president of the Korean
Society of Mechanical Engineers, the largest association of professionals in
the mechanical engineering field in Korea.
President Im is currently a professor at
POSCO, an internationally known Korean steel company, and a member of the
Korean Academy of Science and Technology and the National Academy of
Engineering of Korea, respectively.
President Im will serve KIMM for three
years until February 24, 2017.
2014.02.25 View 9354 -
The Huffington Post, January 30th, 2014: The Top Young Universities in the World, According to QS Rankings
KAIST was ranked third among the “QS Top 50 Under 50,” a ranking of the world’s top 50 universities established within the last 50 years, which was based on the highest performing young universities in the 2013/14 QS World University Rankings. For details, please read the news article below:
The Huffington Post, January 30th, 2014: The Top Young Universities in the World, According to QS Rankings: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/30/top-young-universities-in-world-qs-rankings_n_4693918.html
2014.02.03 View 5985 -
First International Conference on Science and Technology for Society
KAIST co-organized the 2013 International Conference on Science and Technology for Society which was held on November 28 at the Grace Hall in Seoul EL-Tower. More than 300 people, including members of the Global Social Technology Advisory Board, domestic social technology experts, private companies, government officials, private citizens, and students joined the conference to discuss the roles and responsibilities of science and technology for society.
R&D policies and technologies for solving social issues were introduced, and discussions were held on desirable directions for technological development.
The first speaker, Yasushi Watanabe, Director of RISTEX (Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) in Japan, introduced the importance of science and technology for society under the title “Change of R&D Paradigm for Society.”
Robert Wimmer, GrAT (Center for Appropriate Technology), Vienna University of Technology in Austria, presented “Need-oriented Design & Solutions for Development.” Kiyoaki Murakami, MRI, Japan, presented “Introduction of Platinum Vision” and Robert Ries, University of Florida, U.S.A., presented “Evaluating the Social Impacts of the Built Environment Using Life Cycle Assessment.”
Case studies on social enterprises and presentations on R&D for solving social problems were introduced by ICISTS (International Conference for the Integration of Science, Technology and Society), which is a student group at KAIST, National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI), and Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT).The conference was hosted by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning and co-organized by NRF, KIMM, KRIBB, KITECH, ETRI and KRICT.
2013.12.11 View 10087 -
Graduate Student at KAIST Awarded Best Prize at the 9th Inside Edge
Sun-Jin Choi, a Ph. D. candidate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST, under the guidance of Professor Il-Doo Kim, won the best prize at the 9th Inside Edge Contest hosted by Samsung Electro-Mechanics.
Choi was awarded prize money totaling fifteen million won at the award ceremony held on November 22 at the Mirae Hall at the headquarters of Samsung Electro-Mechanics in Suwon.
Choi’s research, titled “Exhaled Breath Sensor Arrays for the Non-invasive and Real-time Diagnosis of Diabetes by Detection of Acetone,” was recognized for its creativity and uniqueness.The Inside Edge is an international thesis competition which was started in 2005 to encourage and support creative research and potential technological development among young scientists and engineers.
Sun-Jin Choi (left) and Professor Il-Doo Kim (right).
2013.12.11 View 8693 -
Technology Developed for Flexible, Foldable & Rechargeable Battery
Flexible, Foldable & Rechargeable Battery
The research group of professors Jang-Wook Choi & Jung-Yong Lee from the Graduate School of EEWS and Taek-Soo Kim from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST has developed technology for flexible and foldable batteries which are rechargeable using solar energy. The research result was published in the online issue of Nano Letters on November 5.
Trial versions of flexible and wearable electronics are being developed and introduced in the market such as Galaxy Gear, Apple’s i-Watch, and Google Glass. Research is being conducted to make the batteries softer and more wearable and to compete in the fast-growing market for flexible electronics.
This new technology is expected to be applied to the development of wearable computers as well as winter outdoor clothing since it is flexible and light. The research group expects that the new technology can be applied to current battery production lines without additional investment.
Professor Choi said, “It can be used as a core-source technology in the rechargeable battery industry in the future. Various wearable mobile electronic products can be developed through cooperation and collaboration within the industry.”
2013.11.21 View 10450 -
Final Results of the 2013 Intelligent SoC Robot War
KAIST hosted the 2013 Intelligent System on Chip (SoC) Robot War, the largest intelligent robot contest in Korea, from Oct. 24 to 27 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Korea.
Professor Hoi-Jun Yoo, from the Department of Electrical Engineering at KAIST, started the contest in 2003 to promote Taekwondo, a Korean martial art, and Korean semiconductor technology to the world.
The winning team was awarded an honorary certificate from Kookiwon, the world headquarters of Taekwondo.
Competitions were held in two different categories: Taekwon Robot and Huro Competition.
In the Taekwon Robot contest, intelligent robots loaded with cameras and semiconductor chips competed in Taekwondo skills.
In the Huro Competition, intelligent humanoid robots competed in detecting and passing huddles.
Approximately 550 participants from 107 groups applied for the 12th Intelligent SoC Robot War and 22 groups were selected for the final tournament. The best teams in each category received an award from the president and prime minister of the Republic of Korea, respectively.
Professor Yoo, the operating chair of the contest, said, “The contest was organized to introduce both technology and tradition by presenting robots with Taekwondo skills. The experiences from this contest could be the foundation for future robot technology and the growth engine for the next generation.”
Professor Yoo is a leading researcher in the field of object recognition chip, and his papers were often presented at the International Solid State Circuits Conference.Details of the contest can be found at http://www.socrobotwar.org.
2013.11.15 View 8265 -
KAIST's Partnership Agreement with the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, UK
KAIST signed an agreement on academic and research cooperation with the Imperial College of Science, Technology (Imperial College London) and Medicine in the United Kingdom (UK) on November 6th, 2013 in London.
The two universities have been implementing collaboration programs at the department level in the areas of plastic electronics since September 2012 and systems engineering and molecular simulation since February 2013, but have never had a formal partnership agreement.
President Steve Kang from KAIST and Provost James Stirling from Imperial College London signed the comprehensive cooperation agreement which will not only strengthen the existing collaborations between the two institutions but also explore areas of mutual interest in the interdisciplinary study of big data, as well as in the fields of mechanical engineering, synthetic biology, and quantum physics.
Workshops, seminars, lectures, and conferences will be jointly organized and held to facilitate the exchange of research staff and faculty and to promote collaborations in research assignments. The universities will also look into the possibility of exchange programs for undergraduate and graduate students.
The partnership agreement will be effective for five years.
Minister Moon-Gi Choi from the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Science, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) & Future Planning attended the signing ceremony as well and congratulated the establishment of the partnership, saying:
“We are living in the age of highly advanced science and technology that requires us to have a new economic development paradigm for sustainable growth. Through convergence research based on the application of ICT and technology innovation, we will have new opportunities for development. I hope KAIST and the Imperial College London will be at the forefront of such endeavors in coming years.”With its history spanning over 100 years, the Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, UK, specializing in science, engineering, medicine, and business. The university is regarded as being one of the most prestigious universities in the world, having eminent alumni such as Thomas Henry Huxley (biologist), H.G. Wells (author), and Sir Alexander Fleming (pharmacologist).
From left to right: Provost James Stirling, Minister Moon-Gi Choi, and President Steve Kang
2013.11.12 View 8457 -
Observation of a water strider led to a new method of measuring properties of Nano films
Even the mechanical properties of Nano films of a few nanometers thick can be measured
Posted online Nature Communications on the 3rd of October
The joint research team of KAIST’s Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Professor Taek-Soo Kim and Doctor Seung-Min Hyun of the Nano mechanics laboratory of Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials has developed a new method to evaluate mechanical properties of Nano films using the characteristics of water surfaces.
The research findings have been posted on the online edition of Nature Communications on the 3rd of October. The technology can obtain accurate results by directly measuring the mechanical properties such as the strength and elasticity of Nano films. Academia and the industry expect the simplicity of the technology to present a new paradigm in the evaluation of mechanical properties of Nano films.
Evaluation of the mechanical properties of Nano films is essential not only in predicting the reliability of semiconductors and displays, but also in finding new phenomena in the Nano world. However, mechanical strength was difficult to test since the test demands the falling of objects to the ground to measure their strength, and nano films can easily break in the process.
The research team observed insects such as water striders freely floating on the surface of the water. The team used the properties of water, large surface tension and low viscosity, to float a 55 nanometers (nm) gold Nano film to successfully measure its mechanical properties without damaging it. The technology could be used to measure the mechanical properties of not only various types of Nano films but also films only a few nm thick.
Professor Taek-Soo Kim said, “We effectively performed an evaluation of the mechanical characteristics of Nano films, which was difficult in the past, by developing a new strength test using the properties of water.” He continued to say, “The team plans to discover the mechanical properties of 2D Nano films such as graphene that could not have been measured with the existing strength test methods.”
The research by KAIST’s Department of Mechanical Engineering’s graduate student Jae-Han Kim (lead author) under the supervision of Professor Taek-Soo Kim and Doctor Seung-Min Hyun of Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials was sponsored by the National Research Foundation of Korea.
Evaluation process of mechanical properties of Nano films by using the characteristics of water surfaces
Dr Seung-Min Hyun, Jae-Han Kim, and Professor Taek-Soo Kim from left to right
2013.11.11 View 8029 -
Collaboration with Korea Institute of Energy Research
KAIST and the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) agreed on September 4th to further collaboration on energy research such as the development of nano-based hybrid solar cells, bio-fuels, artificial photosynthesis, and carbon dioxide reduction.
The two institutions will select 11 research projects to focus on their cooperation. President Steve Kang (in the right) stood with Jooho Whang, the president of KIER (in the left), holding the signed memorandum of understanding.
2013.11.04 View 7277 -
Prof. Song Chong received the IEEE William R. Bennett Prize Paper Award
The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Communications Society (ComSoc), a renowned global network of professionals with a common interest in advancing communications technologies, has announced the winner of the 2013 William R. Bennett Prize in the field of communications networking. The prize was given to a Korean research team led by Song Chong, Professor of Electrical Engineering at KAIST and Injong Rhee, Professor of Computer Science at North Carolina State University. In addition, Dr. Minsu Shin, Dr. Seongik Hong, and Dr. Seong Joon Kim of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. as well as Professor Kyunghan Lee from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology were recognized for their contribution.
The William R. Bennett Prize for communications networking has been awarded each year since 1994 in recognition of the best paper published in any journal financially sponsored or co-sponsored by ComSoc in the previous three calendar years. Only one paper per year is selected based on its quality, originality, scientific citation index, and peer reviews. Among the previous award winners are Robert Gallager of MIT, and Steven Low of the California Institute of Technology, and Kang G. Shin of the University of Michigan.
The Korean research team’s paper, On the Levy-Walk Nature of Human Mobility, was published in the June 2011 issue of IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, a bimonthly journal co-sponsored by the IEEE ComSoc, the IEEE Computer Society, and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) with its Special Interest Group on Data Communications (SIGCOMM).
In the paper, the research team proposed a new statistical model to effectively analyze the pattern of individual human mobility in daily life. The team handed out GPS (global positioning system) devices to 100 participants residing in five different university campuses in Korea and the US and collected data on their movements for 226 days. The mobility pattern obtained from the experiment predicted accurately how the participants actually moved around during their routines. Since publication, the paper has been cited by other papers approximately 350 times.
The team’s research results will apply to many fields such as the prevention and control of epidemics, the design of efficient communications networks, and the development of urban and transportation system.
The research team received the award on June 10th at the 2013 IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) held in Budapest, Hungary, from June 9-13, 2013.
Professor Song Chong
2013.07.06 View 12093