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Adsorbent That Can Selectively Remove Water Contaminants
Professor Cafer T. Yavuz and his team at the Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Water, and Sustainability (EEWS) have developed an adsorbent that can selectively capture soluble organic contaminants in water.
This water treatment adsorbent is a fluorine-based nanoporous polymer that can selectively remove water-soluble micromolecules. It has the added advantage of being cheap and easily synthesized, while also being renewable.
The results of this research have been published online in Nature Communication on November 10, 2016. The research paper is titled “Charge-specific Size-dependent Separation of Water-soluble Organic Molecules by Fluorinated Nanoporous Networks.” (DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13377)
Water pollution is accelerating as a result of global industrial development and warming. As new materials are produced and applied in the agricultural and industrial sectors, the types of contaminants expelled as sewage and waste water are also becoming diverse.
Chemicals such as dyes and pesticides can be especially harmful because they are made up of small and highly soluble organic particles that cannot be completely removed during the water treatment process, ultimately ending up in our drinking water.
The current conventional water treatment systems utilize processes such as activated carbon, ozonolysis, and reverse osmosis membrane. These processes, however, are designed to remove larger organic molecules with lower solubility, thus removal of very small molecules with high solubility is difficult. In addition, these micromolecules tend to be charged, therefore are less easily separated in aqueous form.
The research team aimed to remove these small molecules using a new adsorbent technology.
In order to remove aqueous organic molecular contaminants, the team needed an adsorbent that can adsorb micro-sized molecules. It also needed to introduce a chemical function that would allow it to selectively adsorb molecules, and lastly, the adsorbent needed to be structurally stable as it would be used underwater.
The team subsequently developed an adsorbent of fluorine-based porous organic polymer that met all the conditions listed above. By controlling the size of the pores, this adsorbent is able to selectively adsorb aqueous micromolecules of less than 1-2 nm in size.
In addition, in order to separate specific contaminants, there should be a chemical functionality, such as the ability to strongly interact with the target material. Fluorine, the most electronegative atom, interacts strongly with charged soluble organic molecules.
The research team incorporated fluorine into an adsorbent, enabling it to separate charged organic molecules up to 8 times faster than neutral molecules.
The adsorbent developed by Professor Yavuz’s team has wide industrial applications. It can be used in batch-adsorption tests, as well as in column separation for size- and charge-specific adsorption.
Professor Yavuz stated that “the charge-selective properties displayed by fluorine has the potential to be applied in desalination or water treatment processes using membranes."
This paper was first-authored by Dr. Jeehye Byun, and the research was funded by KAIST’s High Risk High Return Program and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning of Korea’s Mid-Career Researcher Program, as well as its Technology Development Program to Solve Climate Change.
Figure 1. Diagram conceptualizing the process of charge- and size-specific separation by the fluorine-based porous polymer adsorbent
Figure 2. Difference in absorbance before and after using a porous fluorine polymer column to separate organic molecules
Figure 3. Adsorption properties of a fluorine polymer according to the charge and size of organic molecules
2017.01.17 View 9376 -
KAIST to Participate in the 2017 Davos Forum
(President Sung-Mo Kang and Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee)
KAIST representatives will join high profile, multi-stakeholder dialogues with global leaders across the world to discuss higher education, science, and technological innovation.
KAIST President Sung-Mo Kang and Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department will participate in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual Meeting on January 17-20, 2017, in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
To be held under the theme “Responsive and Responsible Leadership,” the Annual Meeting will offer global leaders from government, business, academia, and civil society a highly interactive platform to address some of the most pressing issues facing the world today, from climate change, economic inequality, to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on future employment.
On January 18, President Kang will participate in the Global University Leaders Forum, a community of top 26 universities invited from around the world, and will discuss the relevance of higher education in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He will also share KAIST’s experiences in developing innovative initiatives to bring future-oriented and creative values into its educational and research programs.
On January 19, at the Global Future Council on Production, President Kang will speak about new technologies taking place in traditional production and distribution systems as introduced by the emergence of rapidly evolving technological advancements, and present KAIST’s endeavors to transform those changes into opportunities.
With an eminent group of scientists, including the Director of the US National Science Foundation France A. Córdova and the Editor-in-Chief Philip Campbell of Nature at the Global Science Outlook session, on January 20, President Kang will discuss key challenges for the global science agenda in the year ahead and examine the role of science in formulating public discussions and polices that will have great impact on society and the lives of people.
Currently, Professor Lee is the founding Co-Chair of the WEF’s Global Future Council, an interdisciplinary knowledge network dedicated to promoting innovative thinking on the future. On January 20, he will share his insights at an independent session entitled “World Changing Technology: Biotech and Neurotech,” briefing the audience on the current state of research, development, and commercialization in these fields, as well as explaining how they will contribute to coping with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Professor Lee said, “In recent years, we have seen the world become ever more complex, interconnected, and realigned as it is deeply affected by this unprecedented technological innovations, collectively driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution. One pillar of such innovation will take place in biotechnology and neuroscience, which will help us design solutions to many of global problems such as environment, pandemic diseases, aging, healthcare, and previously intractable illnesses.”
President Kang added, “This year’s Davos meeting will focus on the need to foster leadership at the national, regional, and global level to respond collectively with credible actions to issues of major concern for the sustainable and equitable growth, social inclusion, and human development. KAIST has always been a crucial player in these collaborative efforts, and I am happy to share our insights at the upcoming event.”
2017.01.17 View 8545 -
KAIST Alumni of the Year
(From left Chul-Hwan Kim, president and CEO of Orange Power, Hooshik Kim, president & CEO of Vieworks, Chilhee Chung, presient of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, KAIST President Sung-Mo Kang, KAIST Alumni Association President Jung-Sik Ko, Won-Pil Baek, senior vice president for R&D program at Korea Atomic Energy Research Insitute, Hyonho Jung, CEO of Medytox, Jaehwa Kim on behalf of Han-Oh Park, president & CEO of Bioneer Corporation)
The KAIST Alumni Association presented the Alumni of the Year award to six of its most accomplished alumni at the New Year dinner held at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on January 14.
KAIST alumni community, which numbers over 500,000, has made a significant impact around the globe in science and technology, industry, education, and the public sector. Each year, the KAIST Alumni Association honors individuals who have made a significant contribution with outstanding leadership through the Alumni of the Year awards.
KAIST Alumni Association President Jung-Sik Ko awarded the recipients at the dinner. About 200 alumni, faculty, and students, including KAIST President Sung-Mo Kang, joined the celebration.
The 2016 awardees are Dr. Chilhee Chung, president of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology(SAIT); Dr.Won-Pil Baek, senior vice president for R&D program at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI); Dr.Han-Oh Park, president & CEO of Bioneer Corporation; Dr.Hyonho Jung, CEO of Medytox; Hooshik Kim, president & CEO of Vieworks; and Dr.Chul-Hwan Kim, president & CEO of Orange Power.
Dr. Chung of SAIT (MS in physics ’79) played a leading role in developing top-notch system semiconductors and memory device technology while serving as president of the Samsung Electronic Semiconductor R&D Center. He has focused on the development of cutting-edge future technology, the Quantum Dot, by incorporating eco-friendly materials with the highest efficiency and color purity which is cadmium-free.
Working at KAERI since 2001, Dr. Baek (Ph.D. in nuclear and quantum engineering ’87) has made contributions to help Korea emerge as a nuclear technology powerhouse. He played a critical role in developing and facilitating a global nuclear safety verification facility dubbed ‘ATLAS.’ Such nuclear technological prowess led the Korean government to advance into the foreign markets, such as exporting nuclear power plants to United Arab Emirates.
The CEO of Bioneer, Dr. Park (Ph.D. in chemistry ’87) started a bio-venture in Korea. His company has developed hundreds of reagents, diagnostic kits, and advanced equipment for gene research over two decades. Bioneer has paved the way for establishing a world-class level of infrastructure in genomic technology. By developing the innovative technology "SAMiRNA ™ (Self-Assembled-Micelle-inhibitory-RNA)" that overcomes the problems in drug development, Bioneer presented a new solution for the treatment of incurable diseases. In collaboration with global pharmaceutical companies and research groups, Dr. Park has successfully led joint development in the licensing of new therapeutic medicine candidates for various incurable diseases.
Dr. Jung (Ph.D. in biological sciences ’88) founded the bio-pharmaceutical company Medytox in 2000. Medytox is the first company in Korea that commercialized botulinum toxin formulation. Medytox developed the non-animal liquid botulinum toxin formulation for the first time in the world. It successfully localized botulinum preparation that can treat various neurological diseases. Medytox’s new toxin formulation resulted in improving public health care as well as relieving the heavy dependence on importing bio-pharmaceutical products.
As the CEO of Vieworks, Kim (MS in physics ’95) succeeded in commercializing of digital X-ray. Especially, it is leading the design of optical and image systems that affect the quality of digital X-ray image. Kim’s company established related technology base, contributing to human health promotion and national industrial development.
President Kim of Orange Power (Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering ’93) is also the founder of the KITE Entrepreneurship Foundation. He launched Biogenix Co., Ltd. and Image and Materials Co. in 2005. In order to nurture an entrepreneurship and start-ups eco-system, he invested 10 billion KRW from the proceeds of the sale of one of his start-ups. In addition, he started Orange Power Co., Ltd. in 2012 to solve the secondary battery heat problem and established a global partnership with Hydro Quebec in Canada, Nexion in UK, Volkswagen of Germany, and Tesla of the US.
2017.01.16 View 10757 -
KAISTian of the Year 2016: Professor Hee-Sung Park
Professor Hee-Sung Park of the Department of Chemistry has been named the KAISTian of 2016. President Sung-Mo Kang awarded him at the New Year ceremony on January 2, 2017.
The KAISTian of the Year recognizes the most outstanding professor whose research and scholarship made significant achievements for the year. The Selection Committee announced that Professor Park was chosen as the 16th awardee in recognition of his developing new methods to incorporate unnatural amino acids into proteins.
Earning his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at KAIST in 2000, Professor Park has been a professor at KAIST since 2009. His research focuses on the production of synthetic proteins and the generation of diverse protein functions as well as the designing and engineering of new translation machinery for genetic code expansion, and the application of synthetic biology techniques for basic cell biology and applied medical science.
He developed a tool to engineer designer proteins via diverse chemical modifications, providing a novel platform for investigating numerous diseases such as cancer and dementia. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are constantly taking place during or after protein biosynthesis. PTMs play a vital role in expanding protein functional diversity and, as a result, critically affect numerous biological processes. Abnormal PTMs have been known to trigger various diseases including cancer and dementia. Therefore, this technology, that enables proteins to reproduce with specific modifications at selected residues, will significantly help establish experimental strategies to investigate fundamental biological mechanisms including the development of targeted cancer therapies.
Professor Park’s research results appeared in the September 28, 2016 edition of Science. For more on Professor Park's research, please visit:
http://kaistcompass.kaist.ac.kr/?issues=fall-2016&magazine=a-chemical-biology-route-to-site-specific-authentic-protein-modifications
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2016/09/28/science.aah4428
http://www.kaist.ac.kr/html/en/news/podcast.html (Podcast: Season 6 Episode 7: When good proteins go bad )
2017.01.10 View 7398 -
Science, IT & Culture Volunteering Team at Cambodia
The Science, IT and Culture Volunteering Team, which is composed of 17 undergraduates, is visiting Cambodia January 1 to 16. Based at Hosanna High School in Phnom Penh, the KAIST volunteering team will participate in diverse science and IT classes as well as cultural events for Cambodian high school students.
The KAIST volunteering service is designed to improve Cambodian students’ science education including the areas of physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, as well as an increased exposure to IT technologies. For this service, the volunteering team has prepared for three months, making syllabi for the science classes in addition to planning Arduino IT classes and cultural performances, including K-pop dances and Korean traditional games.
The team will present various science experiments including smart electric fan and mini vehicles using Arduino. Before departing, the students made great efforts to ensure this service would be a success by taking a basic Khmer language class and studying safety education.
Se-Woong Oh, the head of the team said, "All our members are very excited to have the chance to share our knowledge with Cambodian students and help them learn science and IT technology. We hope this service will serve as an opportunity to understand a different culture as well. We made every effort to prepare for an activity we believe in."
(KAIST volunteer team with Hosanna High School students in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.)
2017.01.10 View 4390 -
Controlling DNA Orientation Using a Brush
Professor Dong Ki Yoon’s research team in the Graduate School of Nanoscience and Technology has developed a technique for producing periodic DNA zigzag structures using a common make-up brush.
The results of the research, first-authored by Ph.D. student Yun Jeong Cha and published in Advanced Materials (online, November 15, 2016), has been highlighted in the hot topics of “Liquid Crystals.”
There exist various methods for synthesizing DNA-based nanostructures, but they commonly involved complex design processes and required expensive DNA samples with regulated base sequences.
Using DNA materials extracted from salmon, the research team was able to produce a nanostructure with a well-aligned zigzag pattern at one-thousandth of the usual cost.
The team used a commercial make-up brush bought at a cosmetics store, and with it, applied the salmon DNA in one direction onto a plate, in the same way paint is brushed onto paper. Using a brush with a width of several centimeters, the team aligned DNA molecules of 2 nanometers in diameter along the direction of the brush strokes.
As the thin and dense film of DNA came into contact with air, it lost moisture. An expansive force was created between the dried film and the plate. This force interacted with the elastic force of DNA and caused undulations in the uni-directionally aligned DNA molecules, which resulted in a regular zigzag pattern.
The zigzag DNA’s base sequences could not be controlled because it was extracted from biological sources. However, it has the advantage of being cheap and readily available without compromising its structural integrity and provides a very regular and intricate structure.
This kind of well-ordered DNA structure can be used as template because it can guide or control versatile guest functional materials that are applied to its surface. For example, it can align liquid crystals used in displays, as well as metallic particles and semi-conductors. It is expected that this capacity can be extended to optoelectric devices in the future.
Professor Yoon remarked that “these findings have special implications, as they have demonstrated that various materials in nature aside from DNA, such as proteins, muscle cells, and components of bones can be applied to optoelectric devices.”
This research has been carried out with the support of the Korea National Research Foundation’s Nanomaterials Fundamental Technology Development Program and the Pioneer Research Center under the High-tech Convergence Technology Development Program.
Source: "Control of Periodic Zigzag Structures of DNA by a Simple Shearing Method" by Yun Jeong Cha and Dong Ki Yoon (Advanced Materials, November 15, 2016, DOI: 10.1002/adma.201604247)
Figure 1. Diagram showing the well-ordered zigzag structure of DNA, and the internal molecular orientation
Figure 2. (Left) Unaligned DNA (Right) Aligned DNA after being brushed and dried
Figure 3. Control of the periodicity of the DNA zigzag patterns using micro-channel plates
Figure 4. Diagram representing the control of orientation of liquid crystal materials applied on a zigzag DNA template, and a polarized optical microscope image
2017.01.10 View 6488 -
Nobel Laureate Dr. John Michael Kosterlitz Speaks at KAIST
KAIST’s Department of Physics will invite one of three co-recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2016, Professor John Michael Kosterlitz of Brown University, on January 9, 2017, to speak about the exotic states of matter, which is entitled “Topological Defects and Phase Transitions.”
Professor Kosterlitz shares the Nobel award with two other researchers, David Thouless and Duncan Haldane. He is considered one of the pioneers in the field of topological phases. In the early 1970s, along with Thouless, he demonstrated that superconductivity could occur at low temperatures and explained the mechanism behind, phase transition, that makes superconductivity disappear at higher temperatures.
Over the last decade, topological materials and their applications have been widely studied with the hope of using them in new generations of electronics and superconductors, or in future quantum computers. Details of the lecture follow below:
Distinguished Lecture Series by KAIST’s Physics Department
· Speaker: Professor John Michael Kosterlitz of the Physics Department,
Brown University
· Topic: “Topological Defects and Phase Transitions”
· Date: January 9, 2017, 4:00 PM
· Place: Lecture Hall (#1501), College of Natural Sciences (E6-2)
2017.01.06 View 6353 -
KAIST Undergraduates Win the Innovative Design Contest 2016
A team of KAIST students, consisting of five undergraduates (Do-Hoon Kwon, Tae-Hyun Kim, Hak-Gi Do, Hyun-Joo Lee, and Jong-Ho Jeong) from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, won the grand prize at the Innovative Design Contest held at Osaka University in Japan on December 12-13, 2016. The event took place during the 16th Asia Design Engineering Workshop (A-DEWS).
For this year’s contest, a total of ten student teams from such countries as Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia participated, and Team KAIST earned the highest scores. The five KAIST students, all taking the course entitled “Production of Creative Systems,” developed a manual wheelchair accessory called “Safe Attachable Wheelchair Assistive Device in Capstone Design (SAWADiCap).
SAWADiCap is a detachable auxiliary power device that increases the range and mobility of manual wheelchairs. The device can easily be installed and removed, compared to existing add-on attachments for wheelchairs. Users can also enjoy similar advantages offered by powered wheelchairs at a lower cost. In their presentation on the device, the KAIST students introduced their design to improve the power of manual wheelchairs employing the magnetic reinforcement effect and to include the safety features necessary for users to install or operate the device.
Do-Hoon Kwon said, “Our team had a great experience participating in the contest—we met people with diverse backgrounds and expanded our understanding in the field.”
Professor Seibum B. Choi of the Mechanical Engineering Department, who advises the KAIST team, added, “I hope our technology can help the spread of affordable wheelchairs and increase mobility for the disabled.”
Established in 2000, A-DEWS is held annually by the Asian branch of the Design Engineering Workshop to provide an international forum for researchers and practitioners in the field of design engineering by facilitating the exchange of recent research results and sharing knowledge about design strategies and methods. This year’s theme for the workshop was “Innovation of Life.”
A-DEWS hosts the Innovative Design Contest to encourage young engineers, researchers, and students who are creating innovative products, services, and product-services and to show appreciation for their efforts.
Pictured below from left to right are Hyun-Joo Lee, Do-Hoon Kwon, Jong-Ho Jeong, and Hak-Gi Do.
2017.01.03 View 8200 -
President Kang Welcomes the New Year with an Upbeat Message
KAIST held a kick-off ceremony on January 2 at the Auditorium on campus to officially welcome the beginning of 2017.
In his New Year’s speech, President Sung-Mo Kang, who is slated to complete his term in February, recalled some of the major achievements accomplished under his leadership in the past four years.
Upon his inauguration in 2013, President Kang set a goal for KAIST to become a global top 10 university and established Quantum Jump Strategies for qualitative growth through innovative education and research programs. Such initiatives have laid the foundation for KAIST to emerge as one of the world’s best “student-centered, faculty-driven, and innovative research universities.” In 2016, Thomson Reuters named KAIST the world’s sixth most innovative university.
President Kang promoted a campus culture that cherishes creativity and a challenging spirit and encouraged university members to increase their interest in entrepreneurship and social responsibility. He reorganized academic structures to offer interdisciplinary education and revamped administrative organizations to streamline university management. On a softer note, he created various channels of communication within the university community to make the campus “happier and united,” which included the establishment of the Customer Satisfaction Center, the Center for Ethics and Human Rights, and coffee meetups.
He promised that KAIST would remain committed to leading the frontier of higher education and research, nationally and globally. The university will establish the Graduate School for Interdisciplinary Medical Science, continue to provide university members with opportunities to learn entrepreneurship, extend its efforts to upgrade campus infrastructures, and strive to globalize and diversify the campus.
Finally, President Kang praised the tremendous support KAIST has received from across Korea and the globe, including the members of KAIST and its alumni, noting that there were more than 26,000 donations made to the university during his presidency.
The full text of President Kang’s New Year message follows below:
President Kang's New Year Message
Dear Members of KAIST,
It is 2017, and the year of the rooster has dawned on us. May you and your family enjoy good health and happiness in the new year, and I hope that you will all fulfill your dreams. In return for the love and trust of the nation’s citizens, KAIST will continue to do its best.
Following my inauguration in 2013, I established Quantum Jump Strategies in the first half of my term (2013 to 2014), and I also created a united KAIST during this period. In the second half (2015 to 2016), I promoted innovation through qualitative growth. KAIST has seen astonishing growth in the past four years, and this has laid the foundation to emerge as one of the world’s best Student-Centered, Faculty-Driven, and Innovative Research Universities.
Creativity and challenge are the key words serving as the driving force behind national progress. KAIST’s qualitative growth has been achieved through continuous innovation of education and research, promotion of an entrepreneurial spirit, and exercising of social responsibility.
KAIST’s education is constantly improving. It has developed a future-oriented educational platform, commensurate with its reputation as a world-class university, after several rounds of reorganization. The interdisciplinary education system at KAIST, based on a harmony of academic excellence and creativity, facilitates efficient operation of its broad undergraduate education and interdisciplinary graduate curriculum. Through a π-shaped education system, the students solidify their foundation at the undergraduate level, and go on to graduate school to gain more wisdom and knowledge through interdisciplinary education and research. Upon graduation, they are recognized as irreplaceable, talented members of society.
The newly introduced capstone design curriculum has shifted the paradigm of Korea’s engineering education, placing greater emphasis on real-world applications. With the opportunity to plan realistic projects and identify problems, the students will acquire creativity, practical skills, teamwork, and leadership.
Under Education 3.0, KAIST has implemented a student-centered education system. Students participate in self-directed learning using online contents provided before lectures, and gain knowledge and problem-solving skills through collaborative learning with team members during classes. In addition, KAIST is fulfilling its social responsibility by making its lectures available to the public through KAIST’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
KAIST is among the world’s top universities in terms of research capacity. The university has been highly ranked by QS and THE for its innovative education and research, and it was recently named by Thomson Reuters as the world’s sixth most innovative university. To ensure continuous developments, KAIST must perform sustainable research for the long run. Ideas aimed at improving humanity must be continuously produced, and the university must acquire the necessary resources to support such research. KAIST should promote a research culture that assesses researchers based on their diligence and conscientiousness rather than how successful they are. The KAIST Grand Challenge 30 Project was launched for KAIST to resolve major issues faced by humanity and to spread its culture of innovation to all.
To acquire global competitiveness in the field of biological sciences, KAIST is planning to establish the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Medical Science in Sejong. From 2018, the government will allocate a budget for the graduate school, which fared well in the preliminary feasibility study. Beginning with the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Medical Science, KAIST will establish a system for innovative education and research in Sejong, and further strengthen its capacities.
KAIST has worked hard to instill an entrepreneurial spirit in its students. It has provided students with many opportunities to learn entrepreneurship, so as to enhance the economic and social value of its activities in education and research. Through the Institute for Startup KAIST (ISK), the university supports students in all stages of entrepreneurship, from ideation to commercialization. The Master of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the K-School is jointly operated by several departments. Thanks to its active efforts in promoting entrepreneurship such as the opening of ISK Pangyo and the offering of the Social Entrepreneurship MBA (SEMBA), KAIST has produced the highest number of student entrepreneurs in Korea.
KAIST’s innovative pursuits in its administration have been highly regarded by organizations around the world. The tenure system, introduced for the first time in Korea, has now stabilized. Its English-only lecture policy and tuition subsidy by GPA have been improved based on feedback from students and experts.
KAIST went through a major administrative reorganization in 2013. The reorganization, introduced to integrate similar functions and simplify the decision-making process, enabled KAIST’s administration to adapt flexibly to changes, become function-oriented, assume roles more rationally, and to be more responsive to the needs of customers. With the opening of the Administration Development Education Center, KAIST has improved the quality of administrative services by providing staff in administrative positions with more opportunities for self-development and to attend lectures that improve the efficiency of administrative operations.
The university is actively reflecting the opinions of its members through various channels of communication. The school marked a first in Korea when it implemented an ombudsman to mediate between parties in case of conflict. The Customer Satisfaction Center was opened to improve the quality of services on campus, and the Center for Ethics and Human Rights to prevent the infringement of human rights. I have tried to make myself more available to all members of KAIST, so as to freely interact with them without having to arrange separate meetings. The opening of the office of the president, coffee meetups, forums with undergraduate and graduate students, and e-mail exchanges have been tremendously helpful in gaining valuable feedback and improving university operations.
KAIST is strongly supported by the citizens of Daejeon. The university has strengthened its ties with Daejeon Metropolitan City, Yuseong District Office, and Chungnam National University. Its efforts have paid off with the opening of a new path connecting Chungnam National University and KAIST, and the KAIST Bridge in front of the main gate. KAIST has encouraged students to reach out to society by serving as tutors for the socially neglected and helping out in making kimchi.
By improving its infrastructure in the past four years, KAIST has now established high-quality infrastructure to support its education and research. The Chung Moon Soul Building 2 is now complete, the Academic Cultural Creative Building is underway, and the Main Library is being upgraded. New constructions or remodeling on campus include the opening of Startup KAIST Studio 2, opening of the Biomedical Research Center (Pharmacy), remodeling of International Village C, remodeling of the Semiconductor Building, remodeling of the Auditorium, remodeling of the Mechanical Engineering Building, remodeling of the Startup Village, remodeling of Haejeong Hall and Buildings No. 8 and 9, remodeling of the Outdoor Theater, remodeling of Hwaam Dormitory (tentative), establishment of an eco campus (planting of pine trees), establishment of a safe campus (improvements to roads and pedestrian roads). Besides expanding its infrastructure, KAIST has exerted efforts to make efficient use of existing space by relocating IBS and the Graduate School for Green Growth to Munji Campus.
KAIST strives to create a more accommodating atmosphere for international members and to embrace diversity. It has reached its goal of having international faculty, international students, and female faculty account for 10% each of the total school population. Now, it is time to improve this 10:10:10 initiative to a 20:20:20 initiative. In addition, it must continue to improve the common kitchen at Nanum Hall, communicate with international members through regular podcasts, open a Halal Food Cafeteria, establish a bilingual campus, offer joint degrees with outstanding universities, expand overseas internship opportunities, enhance gender equality, and improve the women’s lounge and childcare facilities.
In the near future, I believe that KAIST will be a center of attention both at home and abroad. It has attracted an increasing number of undergraduate applicants in the past four years, and admits highly qualified freshmen each year. Students of all levels, including freshmen, have shown great pride in studying at KAIST. Recently, the university has received a high number of donations from students, alumni, and parents. There were more than 26,000 donations in the past four years, amounting to a total of 70.8 billion won. KAIST is also serving as a benchmark institute for similar organizations in and outside of Korea. Some authorities have even requested KAIST to open branch campuses in their countries. These results would not have been possible without your efforts to create a happy campus.
Dear Members of KAIST,
This New Year’s greetings will be my last as the president of KAIST. The Board of Trustees is selecting a new president, whose inauguration shall fall on February 23, 2017. I will look back fondly on my past four years at KAIST.
During the remainder of my term as the president, I will concentrate my efforts to create a happy campus for each and every member. It was a great pleasure and honor to serve as President for the past four years. I am sincerely grateful to all members for playing their part in nurturing KAIST into the world’s best university and in creating a happy campus.
You are the future of KAIST, and the driving force behind Korea. I believe you have what it takes to lead developments in the country, and I encourage you to dream bigger.
May 2017 be a year in which all members of KAIST fulfill their dreams. Let us work towards our goal of becoming the hub of the fourth industrial revolution and one of the world’s best Student-Centered, Faculty-Driven Research Universities.
2017.01.03 View 7849 -
KAIST Ph.D. Candidate Wins the Next Generation of Engineers Award
Joo-Sung Kim, a doctoral student at the EEWS (Environment, Energy, Water and Sustainability) Graduate School won the inaugural Next Generation of Engineers Award in Leadership on December 14, 2016.
The National Academy of Engineering of Korea hosts this award to support creative and ambitious students who have the potential to become leaders in engineering and who will serve as role models for future Korean engineers. Based on the recommendations of university professors in engineering and members of the academy, seven students are selected for the award in the categories of leadership and entrepreneurship.
With his research focus on the development of high-performance, next-generation secondary cells for wearable devices such as smart watches, health bands, and smart eyewear, Joo-Sung created a startup, Lithium-ion Battery Energy Science and Technology (LiBEST), Inc. He plans to base his company at the Office of University and Industry Cooperation, KAIST, where he can receive assistance for launching the mass-production system for his technology.
His adviser, Professor Jang-Wook Choi of the EEWS Graduate School, noted, “Joo-Sung has been a great student who has a strong sense of curiosity and perseverance. The award is the by-product of his hard work.”
“I have always enjoyed my work and study as a researcher, but eventually would like to expand my career into business based on the results of my research. It would be wonderful if I could become a businessman like Elon Musk, Masayoshi Son, or Ma Yun and create a role model for aspiring engineers in Korea by combining science and technology with business demand to create social values that benefit many people,” Joo-Young said.
2016.12.26 View 8900 -
EEWS Graduate School Team Receives the S-Oil Best Paper Award
Professor Hyungjun Kim and Dr. He-Young Shin from the EEWS (Energy, Environment, Water and Sustainability) Graduate School at KAIST received the Best Paper Award in Chemistry from S-Oil, a Korean petroleum and refinery company, on November 29, 2016.
Established in 2011, the S-Oil Best Paper Awards are bestowed annually upon ten young scientists in the fields of five basic sciences: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science. The scientists are selected at the recommendation of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology and the Association of Korean Universities. The awards grant a total of USD 230,000 for research funding.
Dr. Shin, the lead author of the awarded research paper, said, “My research interest has been catalyst studies based on theoretical chemistry. I am pleased to accept this award that will support my studies, and will continue to research catalyst design that can predict parameters and integrate them into catalytic systems.”
Professor Hyungjun Kim (left) and Dr. He-Young Shin (right)
2016.12.23 View 8370 -
Center for Overseas Development Hosts Dominican Republic Officials
The Center for Overseas Development at KAIST invited a group of government and higher education officials from the Dominican Republic and offered them an opportunity to learn about KAIST and other public institutions in Korea.
The Dominican delegation, consisting of 20 high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCYT), the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), the Pontifical Catholic University (PUCMM), and Santiago University of Technology (UTESA), stayed in Korea for about two weeks, December 4-17, 2016 and visited KAIST, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), universities, research centers, and companies. They also participated in meetings, workshops, and lectures to deepen their understanding of Korea.
The purpose of the Dominican delegation’s visit was to learn about Korea’s knowledge and experiences acquired over the years from establishing and operating what many view now as some of the leading universities, research organizations, and industries in the world.
lácido F. Gomez Ramirez, Deputy Minister of MESCYT, said that their visit would be a good reference when formulating action plans for the growth of science and technology in the Dominican Republic.
He added, “We were able to see how Korea has transformed itself into a high-tech nation. We will share Korea’s success stories with our people in the Dominican Republic, for example, referring to them when creating a system to facilitate cooperation among the government, higher education, and industry. I hope our second visit, slated for some time next year, will allow us to discuss cooperation between the two countries in more concrete terms including opening branch offices of Korean companies in our country.”
Sung-Hyon Myaeng, Director of KAIST’s Center for Overseas Development, said, “We will continue our support to coordinate more visits by the Dominican Republic and expand cooperation, particularly, in higher education.”
The visit was arranged with support from KOICA to offer Dominican senior professionals from higher education and government offices a chance to increase their competency, to promote research activities in science and technology, and to accelerate industry and university collaboration.
2016.12.22 View 5894