KAIST
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KAIST Cultural Festival - the 2nd rocklassic
KAIST Cultural Festival - the 2nd rocklassic
- Unique music festival by KAIST students mixed with creation, performance, and science
- Result of creative classes - All activities from performance planning to strings manufacturing will be carried out by students themselves
- At the outdoor theater in KAIST, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, September 10
Crossover music festival pursuing balanced mixture of Rock and Classic will be held by KAIST students.
KAIST (President Nam-Pyo Suh) will open ‘KAIST Cultural Festival - the 2nd rocKlassic’ at the outdoor theater, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, September 10.
This performance can be considered as a new attempt that provides opportunities of experiencing the vital topic of industry in the 21st century - fusion of culture and technology. Performance planning, arrangement, and playing are all carried out by students themselves, and musical instruments manufactured by students during classes will be used for the performance. This performance is the result of creative classes such as chamber music, strings manufacturing, performance planning, and business management, which have been newly attempted in KAIST since 2002.
In the performance subtitled as ‘Einstein’s Violin’, KAIST-graduated bandoneonist Sangji Ko will play the bandoneon (musical instrument which is composed of rectangular side faces and wrinkled box, and played by pushing buttons) as a special guest, and total 40 players including members of KAIST student music club ‘Adlib’, ‘KAIST orchestra’, and ‘MUSIKA’, which is making active performances outside KAIST, will attend to make the concert the biggest music project of KAIST.
General director Jeongjin Kim (Professor of KAIST Graduate School of Culture and Technology) said, “In order to enjoy the concert with neighborhood, the outdoor theater capable of 3,000 people will be fully opened, and there is no charge for it. I am sure the passion and talent toward music emitting from KAIST students will startle the audience.”
■ Program
<1st stage>
- The song of life - Adlib, KAIST orchestra
- Flying - Adlib, KAIST orchestra
- From between calm and passion - Chulho Kim, KAIST orchestra
- Propose - Yeoseotjul
- As my wish - Yeoseotjul, Adlib
- I lay my love on you - Yeoseotjul
- Rachmaninov/ Rhapsody on Theme of Paganini Op. 43: Var. 18 Piano - Chulho Kim, KAIST orchestra
- Chaser - Adlib
- Walk this way - Adlib
- Girl’s period - Adlib
- Sweep away - Adlib, KAIST orchestra
<2nd stage>
- Beethoven Virus - Adlib, KAIST orchestra
- Simple symphony - KAIST orchestra
- Cinema paradiso - KAIST orchestra
- Piano trio by Mendelssohn - Daehyun Wie (Piano), Wontae Song (Violin), Hongje Chang (Cello)
- Tango Pugata - Sangji Ko (Bandoneonist), etc.
- Vuelvo al sur - Youngsan Lee, etc.
- La Cumparsita - Sangji Ko, etc.
- Libertango - Sangji Ko, etc.
- Dramatic Funk - Wontae Song, Adlib
- Cavalleria rusticana intermezzo - Sangji Ko, KAIST orchestra
- Hurricane 2000 - Adlib, KAIST orchestra, Yeoseotjul
2006.09.11 View 14754 -
First collection of students for undergraduate courses 2007
If you want to be a global leader, come to KAIST!
640 students to be selected in the first collection
KAIST is an institute of science and technology belonging to the Ministry of Science and Technology, not to the Ministry of Education. KAIST, having executed student selection without examination since 1992, selects students with great talent in science and mathematics by early admission, not by the scores of the nationwide college entrance examination, which is the prototype of on-demand collection executed by ordinary universities.
As such, though similar to on-demand collection in fall semester by the other universities in its characteristics, KAIST’s first collection of students for undergraduate courses 2007 is considerably different in that the number of students to be selected is 640, 90% of its entrance quota (700 students). High school graduates and high school students to graduate in February 2007 are eligible for admission, and second year high school students also can apply for admission under the condition of specific examination.
The process of the first collection is composed of two steps. The first step is the examination of submitted documents. A certified score of English by one of TEPS, TOEFL, and TOEIC must be submitted, and those students having no certified score must express their intention to take a special TEPS test through internet application. In the examination of submitted documents, in-depth examination on high school record, certified score of English, cover letter, teacher’s letter of recommendation, evidence on student’s excellence, etc. is carried out.
The second step is an interview. Around 900 candidates, 1.4 times larger than the number of final selectors (640 students), are selected as candidates for interview through the first step (examination of submitted documents), and among them, top 70% of the candidates (around 450 candidates) will take an interview for personality examination and the other 30% will take an interview for specialty examination.
The interview for specialty examination will test on two subjects - Mathematics and Science. Mathematics is a compulsory subject and Science is tested by one subject among Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. The preparation time for each subject is 30 minutes and the interview time is 20 minutes. The coverage of the interview for specialty examination is Math I, II, and infinitesimal calculus for Mathematics, and Science I and II for Science with priority given to the 7th step of education.
<Interview with Dongsu Kwon, Manager of KAIST Admission Team>
Q> What do you think of the features of KAIST entrance exam?
A> A fact that students do not have to make a separate preparation for the admission to KAIST. Just studying what they are interested in and exhibiting the consequence itself will do. It is possible to tell those students who’ve studied with interests with mere documents and interview. KAIST entrance exam is a designed system to carry out regular education faithfully, not a system to select a small number of well-prepared students.
Q> What type of students does KAIST want?
A> Students having evident fields of interest, students having authentic passion, and students studying voluntarily. I think KAIST is the best place for students who have passion in Math and Science and eager to be a great scholar to pave their way for the further during the college period of four years.
Q> The degree of importance of the certified score of English (one of TEPS, TOEFL, and TOEIC) for the admission to KAIST
A> In KAIST, many classes use English textbooks, therefore, students are required to possess specific level of English abilities. However, since English can be improved in the campus, English score is not an absolute criterion and can be supplemented by other merits of candidates. However, it’s evident that candidates having high English score take priority in the exam.
Q> Is it true that the number of graduates of non-science high school is increasing?
A> Their rate hits about 30%. This results from considerably improved level of graduates from non-science high school, compared to their previous. Particularly, as KAIST has been widely known through TV drama and so on, a great number of top-class students from non-science high school apply for KAIST. These factors are considered to raise the current rate of graduates from non-science high school in KAIST, and there is no disparity in examination between graduates from science high school and non-science high school.
Click here to apply for KAIST first collection of students for undergraduate courses 2007
(September 8 (Fri.) - 11 (Mon.) 17:00, 2006)
2006.09.11 View 12015
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CJIS donates development fund of two hundreds million won to KAIST
CJIS donates development fund of two hundreds million won to KAIST
CJ Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. (CJIS/ CEO Hong-Chang Kim) donated a development fund of two hundreds million won to KAIST (President Nam-Pyo Suh) on Monday, August 30 to contribute to the development of KAIST and its fostering of science genius.
At the donation ceremony held at the main conference room in KAIST main administration building, CJIS CEO Hong-Chang Kim said, “I am very pleased to contribute to the development of KAIST, which is developing into a world-class research university.” In response to this, KAIST president Nam-Pyo Suh said, “I am very grateful for CJIS’s support. I will do my best to make KAIST one of the world-class research universities to be the hub of the world as well as Korea in the field of the cutting-edge science and technology.”
2006.09.06 View 13081
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KAIST tech-clinic center opens
- Consists of total 124 staffs including KAIST professors, experts from state-run institutes in Daedeok Innopolis, etc.
- Introduce the patient treatment system of general hospitals and provide the services of diagnosis, treatment, and later management of small and medium-sized venture enterprises
A tech-clinic center is opened in KAIST to solve technical problems of enterprises in Daedeok Innopolis.
KAIST (President Nam Pyo Suh) and Daedeok Innopolis (President&CEO In Chul Park) held the opening ceremony of ‘Daedeok Innopolis-designated KAIST tech-clinic center’ at the High-tech Venture Hall in KAIST, 5:00 p.m. Monday, August 28.
KAIST tech-clinic center consists of total 124 staffs including KAIST professors and researchers, experts from state-run institutes in Daedeok Innopolis, etc.
The staffs will take charge of general diagnosis and treatment in the fields of Information Communication, BioTechnologies, Nano-Technologies, Environmental Engineering, Management, Design, and so on.
The tech-clinic center, upon the request by small and medium-sized enterprises, will dispatch the staffs in the corresponding field to check the state of the enterprises and provide assistance to solve problems in technology development and researches.
The center plans to transfer technologies that enterprises need and solve long-term tasks through joint/ entrusted researches.
The center will also perform treatments in the fields of management, law, and accounting of enterprises in association with company founding and management consultation project, which is being promoted by Daedeok Innopolis.
Unlike the existing consulting institutes that put a high value on consultation, the center is featured with its distinguished way of running that it will analyze the causes of problems, find fundamental solutions, and perform even later management.
An official from KAIST said, “Considering various circumstances, it’s not easy for individual enterprises to find suitable experts in the corresponding fields and request proper solutions to settle their problems. That’s the reason why KAIST has promoted this project. KAIST hopes many enterprises in Daedeok Innopolis based on the cutting-edge technologies will gain substantial assistance from this center.”
An official from Daedeok Innopolis said, “In order to provide practical supports, the treatment will be carried out in preliminary/ routine/ expert phases. Also, it is planned to strengthen regular omnidirectional support services for enterprises in association with the internet web call center, etc.”
2006.09.05 View 14187
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Former Information and Communication Minister Soonhoon Bae appointed to Vice president of KAIST
“KAIST graduate school of management will be a world-class graduate school of management”
Professor Soonhoon Bae was appointed to the vice president of KAIST in Seoul campus on August 16.
Vice president Bae started his carrier with Daewoo Inc. as the head of the technical H.Q. in Daewoo Heavy Industry in 1976, and took office as the CEO of Daewoo Electronics (1991-95) and Daewoo Inc. (1995-97).
He was also the Minister of Information and Communication in 1998 and the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Northeast Asian Business Hub during 2004-05.
He became an issue by ‘TANKism’, a motto of making strong and core function-convergent electronic goods, when he was the CEO of Daewoo Electronics in 1992. From 1999, he’s made lectures for KAIST graduate school of techno management and Classroom No. 101 in Supex Management Hall where he has made lectures is called ‘tank classroom’.
Vice president Bae expressed his intention of the globalization and level-up of the school by saying, “I will focus on basic researches of management and thus raise the level of KAIST graduate school up to be qualified for Nobel Prize. I’ve taken many high-rank positions such as the CEO of major companies and the minister, however, position doesn’t matter at all. I am fully satisfied with the fact that the organizations that I belonged to have been reborn as world-class communities, and I am planning to lead KAIST graduate school of management in such a direction.”
2006.09.05 View 13475
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President Nam Pyo Suh appreciates Exhibition 'Rounault' with executives
The president of KAIST Nam Pyo Suh appreciated the exhibition ‘Rounault - artist preserving the freedom of sprit’, which was held at Daejeon Museum of Art in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of amity between Korea and France, with all KAIST executives.
About 80 executives of KAIST including President Suh, Inspector Incheol Yeo, Vice president Soonheung Chang, deans, chiefs of office, heads of department, heads of team, etc. enjoyed the exhibition for one hour from 5:20 p.m. August 24, Thursday.
President Suh revealed his intention that KAIST would cooperate with Daejeon City Hall and its community to develop Daejeon into one of the world-class high-tech cities at the press conference, which was held on July 14 in commemoration of his inauguration.
This day’s event was also the expression of an intention that KAIST would be together with Daejeon community.
An official from KAIST revealed that the purports of the event are ▲ KAIST will actively participate in the events happening in the community, which makes Daejeon citizen have affection to KAIST and ▲ KAIST wishes to play a practical role to enhance Daejeon’s image as the city of science and technology, and art and culture.
2006.09.05 View 14131
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Opening of KAIST Youth CT Experience Center
Opening of KAIST Youth CT Experience Center
The Youth Culture Technology Experience Center (or Nada Center) is opened at KAIST to develop youth’s creativeness and foster their dreams of being global leaders via experiences of advanced culture technologies.
KAIST Graduate School of Culture Technology established Nada Center and held its opening ceremony at KAIST auditorium, Monday, January 22, 2007.
Nada Center, having a meaning of ‘I am the core’, is a place to let the youth directly participate in programs of their interests and enjoy the experiences there to raise their dreams. Particularly, all procedures of the programs will be carried out in English, which means the center is a good place for natural learning of English.
Nada Center will organize youth CT experience workshops to provide experiences of ▲cutting-edge musical production ▲ creative musical instrument production ▲ scientific image production four times a year. At the audition for the first youth CT experience workshop on January 16, total 64 candidates were selected. The participants will exhibit their products after one-month workshop of experience from January 23 to February 24.
2006.02.02 View 11820
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National NanoFab Center Established
NNFC Emerges with Cutting-edge Nanotech
On March 16, a dedication ceremony was held at KAIST to mark the completion of the National NanoFab Center(NNFC). The opening was graced with the presence of several prominent figures, namely, President Robert B. Laughlin, Daejeon City Mayor Hong-chul Yum, and Myung Oh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technology.Celebrations of the opening were attended by roughly 300 related personnel. After a welcoming speech given by Hee-Chul Lee, President of NNFC, the event proceeded with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a grand tour of the cleanroom.
The newly completed NNFC on campus boasts a total area of 17,035 square meters which consists of a four-storey research building, a cleanroom and a central utility building.
Still at the first stage of its equipment supplementation, the center has currently achieved an immense 140 in gear variety, worth approximately 80 billion won. At its final stage, a total of 206 equipment arrangements are to be available for various research purposes.
Implementing the use of state-of-the-art facilities, NNFC’s devices include an electron beam capable of critical measurements as small as ten nanometers and an ion beam structure for the analysis of nano-scale materials. These equipments are to be used in numerous areas - fundamental physics, biotechnology and nanoscience
Until the year 2011, a sum of 290 billion won is to be invested in the NNFC by the government and other private organizations. The center, along with Daedeok Techno Valley, aspires to play an integral role in maturing towards a new age of nanotechnology.
President Lee of the NNFC stated that the center is essential for Korea’s nanotechnology skills to achieve higher standards and compete with countries such as the U.S. and Japan. President Lee is also a professor of KAIST at the Division of Electrical Engineering.
By Kyoung-lee Park / Staff ReporterApril, 2005 / The KAIST Herald
2005.04.12 View 19649
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KAIST president R. Laughlin speaks during a news conference
KAIST president Robert Laughlin speaks during a news conference
at the Government Complex in Kwachon, south of Seoul, Tuesday. / Korea Times 2005-02-01
THE KOREA TIMES
By Kim Tae-gyuStaff Reporter
Robert Laughlin, president of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), takes a step backward from his hardline push for KAIST reform in the face of strong opposition.
The 1998 Nobel laureate in physics, who took the helm of the nation’s top technology university last July, made the point Tuesday at a press conference at the Kwachon Government Complex in southern Seoul.
``Privatization of KAIST is not on the table. We are only discussing securing money for the advancement of KAIST as a world-class institution,’’ the 54-year-old president said.
Laughlin also denied the swirling suspicions that he plans to transform KAIST to a general-purpose, undergraduate-focused college from the current research-oriented graduate school.
``The issue we are discussing is moving the business model of KAIST toward the one used by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, not changing KAIST’s structure,’’ he said.
This is a retreat from his original plan to fundamentally overhaul the state-funded KAIST to a market-oriented institute by several aggressive measures.
In a new investment strategy for KAIST in December, roughly five months after his tenure began, Laughlin said KAIST is trapped in a funding squeeze from which there appears to be no exit.
He then suggested revamping its traditional emphasis on graduate education because this type of system has come to be out of tune with the market.
He even proposed expanding the enrollment of KAIST to 20,000 from the current total of 7,500 and charging tuition fees of 3 million won per semester from the current fee of under 850,000 won.
The surprise reform plan created a backlash from KAIST faculty, students and government officials, who regarded the scheme as a privatization attempt.
In the process, professor Park O-ok, dean of the school’s planning office, resigned from his position in early December and asked Laughlin to abandon the reform.
In response, Laughlin said the miscommunication resulted from the secret process of KAIST reform discussion. He expected policy announcement in early March to clear up misconceptions.
Regarding Park’s protests, he said: ``I had a personality problem with him but that has now been fixed.’’
Yesterday, Laughlin appointed Chang Soon-heung, professor in the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, to fill Park’s position.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
2005.02.02 View 14082
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Bently Pressurized Bearing Company donates 1 million dollars to KAIST to establish a new chair professorship
KAIST has announced that it recently received an endowment of 1 million US dollars from an American company, Bently Pressurized Bearing Co., earmarked to establish a chair professorship, and appointed Professor Jong Hyun Kim of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering Department as Donald E. Bently and Agnes Muszynska Endowed Chair Professor.
Professor Kim is a world-renowned expert in thermal and fluids sciences applied to energy systems and an authority on their applications to rotating machinery and nuclear safety analysis. He did his research in these areas at EPRI, GE, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Penn State University. He is a Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and of American Nuclear Society, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Transport Phenomena.
Bently Pressurized Bearing Co. (BPB) is pioneering fully lubricated, pressurized bearing to improve energy efficiency in rotating machinery. Mr. Donald E. Bently, Chairman and CEO of BPB, is an international authority on vibration monitoring and diagnostics of rotating machinery, published widely on these topics and holds patents. A philanthropist deeply interested in technology and science education, Mr. Bently made generous donations to a number of universities. He received numerous honors and awards, including those from ASME, the Pacific Center of Thermal-Fluids Engineering, University of Iowa, and received Nevada’s Outstanding Inventor Award. He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree by the University of Nevada and is a Fellow of ASME.
Dr. Agnes Muszynska is a world-renowned scientist in the area of rotating machinery dynamics in which she published 300 papers and a book. She was in responsible charge of research and development at Bently’s companies for many years. She was conferred the prestigious national title of Professor granted by the President of Poland. Dr. Muszynska is a Fellow of ASME.
Professor Kim said, “I am pleased that KAIST received this endowment, which can be interpreted as an international recognition for the research standard of KAIST. The chair named after the two prominent engineers means a lot to me, as they are familiar with my research activities. I feel particularly honored because the endowment came from overseas.”
KAIST has raised its eyesight to become a global leader in technology and science and recently lured a Nobel Laureate from Stanford University, Dr. Robert Laughlin, to head the institute. The school is striving to accelerate the pace for globalizing itself. The establishment of this chair professorship through a foreign endowment is in concert with the KAIST’s grand vision.
Resume for Jong Hyun Kim, Ph.D. Donald E. Bently and Agnes Muszynska Endowed Chair Professor
Education
1966 BS in Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University
1967 MS in Mechanical Engineering, University of Missouri
1971 Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Californian Institute of Technology
Professional Career
2002 - present Professor, Dept. of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, KAIST
2001 - 2002 Distinguished Chair Professor, Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, GyeongSang National University
1980 - 2000 Project Manager, EPRI
1977 - 1980 Senior Engineer, GE
1975 - 1977 Associate Engineer, Brookhaven National Laboratory
1973 - 1975 Research Associate, Applied Research Laboratory, Penn State University
1971 - 1973 Research Fellow, California Institute of Technology
Achievements/Recognitions
Fellow, American Nuclear Society
Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
National Academy of Engineering of Korea: overseas Korean member
Research:
- Total 185 publications: 117 papers, 11 books, 16 symposia volumes, and others
- Professor Kim’s research products helped nuclear industry save a few hundred million dollars
Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Transport Phenomena
Chairman, Thermal Hydraulics Division, American Nuclear Society (2002-2003)
Chairman, Heat Transfer Division. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (2001-2002)
UC Berkeley, Adjunct Professor in Mechanical Engineering (1993-1995)Stanford University, Consulting Professor in Mechanical Engineering (1988-1995)
About Donald E. Bently and Agnes Muszynska
Donald E. Bently, Chairman & CEO of Bently Pressurized Bearing Company, Minden, Nevada, is an engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, agriculturist, environmental conservationist, and visionary who is also a philanthropist.
Entrepreneurial Accomplishments
Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Bently Nevada Corp., the world"s leading supplier of condition monitoring instrumentation and services for rotating machinery until it was sold to GE in 2002
Founder of Bently Rotor Dynamics Research Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bently Nevada, where the basic ideas for his bearing technology were pioneered
Pioneered the first commercially successful eddy current proximity transducer and introduced its use to measure vibration and other critical parameters in rotating machinery. Today, he is actively pioneering fully lubricated, pressurized bearing technology.
His Bently Agrowdynamics practices environmentally sustainable agriculture through the innovative use of renewable resources and conducts research and development of biofuels such as biodiesel, which can be used in conventional diesel engines.
In addition, Donald E. Bently owns a diverse portfolio of other businesses including National Tribology Services, Inc., Gibson Tool & Supply, and Bently Holdings California, LP.
Scientific and Technological Contributions
Mr. Bently is an international authority on rotor dynamics as well as vibration monitoring and diagnostics. He has authored or co-authored more than 140 papers and a book on these subjects, Fundamentals of Rotating Machinery Diagnostics, and is the holder of two patents.
Honors and Awards
2003: Distinguished Service Award, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
2002: Distinguished Nevadan Award, the University of Nevada, Reno. Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
2001: Inducted into the University of Iowa"s Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy
2000: Frederick P. Smarro Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
1999: R. Tom Sawyer Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
1997: N.O. Myklestad Award, ASME Design Engineering Division
1995: ISROMAC Award for his distinguished research achievements in the field of rotating machinery, the Pacific Center of Thermal-Fluids Engineering
1992: Elected a Foreign Member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Engineering in Russia
Visiting Scholar, Tsinghua University, China
The first recipient of the Vibration Institute"s DECADE Award
1983: Nevada"s outstanding inventor award, the Nevada Innovation and Technology Council
1945-1946: Received four battle stars while on an amphibious landing team in the Pacific as a member of the U.S. Navy Seabees during World War II
Educational and Professional Credentials
Registered Professional Engineer in Electrical Engineering, Nevada and California
A senior member of IEEE and a Fellow of ASME
A member of honorary societies Sigma Xi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Tau Beta Pi
B.S. in Electrical Engineering (with Distinction), University of Iowa, 1949
M.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Iowa, 1950
Honorary Doctorate in Engineering, University of Nevada at Reno, 1987
Honorary AA Degree, Western Nevada Community College, 1998
Agnes Muszynska, President, A.M. Consulting Co.
Dr. Agnes Muszynska, a native of Poland, is a world-renowned scientist in the area of rotating machinery dynamics. She worked for 18 years as a Senior Research Scientist and Research Manager at Bently Nevada Corporation and Bently Rotor Dynamics Research Corporation. For more than 40 years, Dr. Muszynska had conducted theoretical and experimental research on rotating machine dynamics. Dr. Muszynska received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Technical University of Warsaw, Poland. She received her Ph.D. from Polish Academy of Sciences and the prestigious title of Professor granted by the President of Poland. She is author or co-author of almost 300 scientific publications including a comprehensive book on rotordynamics. Several of her papers received awards from ASME, NASA, and ASEM. She also received the Distinguished Research Award for research achievements from the Pacific Center of Thermal-Fluids Engineering. Dr. Muszynska is currently the owner and President of A.M. Consulting Company. She is a Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Mr. Donald Bently and Dr. Agnes Muszynska fruitfully collaborated on rotating machinery dynamics and diagnostics for many years.
2004.11.08 View 18804
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U.S. Nobel Laureate to Run Korea's Top Tech University
Robert Laughlin,
President of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
DAEJEON, July 14 (Yonhap) -- Nobel Physics Prize laureate Robert Laughlin was sworn in Wednesday as the first foreign president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea"s top technology university.
Laughlin, in his inauguration speech, pledged to transform the state-run Korean university into a globally competitive educational institution, while also vowing to make it research oriented.
"Many people have asked me how I, as a foreigner, could possibly understand the situation here at KAIST, much less figure out a path forward," he said. "The short answer is that the situation here is not unique. The problems facing the research university are historical in nature and essentially identical all over the world."
He added the same worried discussions are taking place in other universities around the globe such as at Stanford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Heidelberg and Tokyo.
"I have come here not to solve your problems but to solve my own," the 54-year-old American said.
Laughlin said KAIST is a large, well-functioning organization for which few things needed to be changed.
The former Stanford University professor also promised to work hard to lead the university in a novel direction.
"All of us in the technical university have a holy obligation ... we are here for the sole purpose of having big dreams and finding the strength to make them come to pass," Laughlin said.
"As far as I"m concerned, my job comes down to one thing: to make sure that your dreams are big enough, and to help everyone here -- faculty and students -- find the means to make them come to pass. That"s all," he said.
The ceremony was attended by Science and Technology Minister Oh Myung, Daejeon City Mayor Yeom Hong-chul and U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Thomas Hubbard, among others.
On Thursday, Laughlin is scheduled to meet President Roh Moo-hyun in Seoul. Laughlin will start his four-year term from mid-August, KAIST said.
Laughlin won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1998 with Horst Stoermer of Germany and Daniel Tsui of the United States for discovering a new form of quantum fluid that gives more profound insights into the general inner structure and dynamics of matter.
On May 28, he was chosen to run the Korean university at a board meeting. (END)
2004.07.15 View 14349
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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 17013