KAIST

Hello everyone.

I am very glad to be here with you at the International Conference on Nuclear Non-proliferation 2020. On behalf of KAIST, I sincerely welcome all of you who are joining us today.

I am deeply grateful to those of you who are making the special effort to attend this conference offline or online around the world. Your participation in these challenging times is truly appreciated. Especially, I would like to thank former UN Secretary General Ban Gi-Moon for his support for this conference.

This year’s conference is being co-hosted by the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy. It is indeed a great privilege to work with such a prestigious organisation.

I would also like to thank and congratulate Professor Man-Sung Yim and his team for making this conference possible.

NEREC (Nuclear Non-proliferation Education and Research Center) at KAIST has played a unique leadership role in both nuclear technology research and education for students from around the world, as a university-based center since 2014.

I am happy to see that this conference has grown steadily not only in the number of participants but also in terms of its influence. The conference has become an important international platform for discussing nuclear non-proliferation issues in relation to the global use of nuclear power technology and the nuclear security issues of the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia.

One of the distinguished Chinese scholars attending this conference once said, “NEREC represents the soft power of the Republic of Korea in nuclear matters. I wish we had the same in China.”

This statement deeply resonated with me and I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the achievements and leadership of NEREC up to this point.

Dear participants,

This global pandemic has reminded us what matters most is to ensure our safety and health. This crisis gives us a new opportunity to reflect upon ways to ensure a healthy and green recovery from COVID-19.

Nuclear technology is more than a just technology. It is the fruit of the most advanced science and technology. It also requires a high standard of policymaking and global cooperation to work alongside the technology.

I look forward to NEREC and this conference playing an important role in presenting very productive ideas on energy development and nuclear security given the concerns of global climate change and the threat of nuclear proliferation.

KAIST has been a hub for fostering scientists who are committed to creating technological breakthroughs over the past half century and KAIST has been the economic growth engine that made Korea what it is today.

KAIST has paved the way for advanced education and engineering of nuclear technology in Korea. Our graduates have made significant contributions to the global nuclear energy industry and will continue to do so.

KAIST is constantly envisioning ways to better serve the world by creating new knowledge and value that will benefit humanity, especially in celebration our 50th anniversary in 2021.

NEREC’s relentless efforts toward world peace and prosperity through advocating sustainable nuclear technology development perfectly align with KAIST’s new vision to better serve the world.

We will continue to make every effort to help the world become a better place. I wish you a very fruitful and successful conference over the next three days.

Thank you very much.

August 4, 2020

Sung-Chul Shin
President of KAIST