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2014 Davos Forum: KAIST-EPFL Connection
The Korean-American Science and Technology News (KASTN), a biweekly global electronic newsletter carrying news and analyses in science and technology, as well as social, economic, and cultural issues related to the general interest of the Korean-American professional community, published an article on the partnership agreement made by KAIST and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne (EPFL) during the 2014 World Economic Forum held at Davos, Switzerland, from January 22nd to 25th.
For the article, please click the link below: KASTN Issue 14-05, February 26, 2014
http://www.phy.duke.edu/~myhan/b_14-05.pdf
2014.02.04 View 7995 -
Is it possible to identify rumors on SNS?
Rumors
sporadically spread with people with fewer followers in the centerResearched
over 100 rumors in the US from 2006 to 2009 Is it
possible to filter information on SNS such as Twitter and Facebook? A research
team led by Professor Mee-Young Cha from the Department of Cultural Technology
Graduate School at KAIST, Professor Kyo-Min Jung of Seoul National University,
Doctor Wei Chen and Yajun Wang of Microsoft Asia, has developed a technology
that can accurately filter out information on Twitter to 90% accuracy. The
research not only deduced a new mathematical model, network structure, and
linguistic characteristics on rumors from SNS data, but is also expected to
enhance the effort to make secure technology to regulate Internet rumors. The team
analysed the characteristics of rumors in over 100 widespread cases in the US
from 2006 to 2009 on Twitter. The team gathered data, which included a range of
areas such as politics, IT, health and celebrity gossips, and their analysis
could identify rumors to 90% accuracy. The filtering was more accurate in
rumors that included slanders or insults. The
research team identified three characteristics of the spread of rumors. Firstly,
rumors spread continuously. Normal news spreads widely once and is mentioned
rarely again on media, but rumors tend to continue for years. Secondly,
rumors spread through sporadic participation of random users with no
connections. Rumors start from people with fewer followers and spread to the
more popular. This phenomenon is often observed in rumors concerning
celebrities or politicians. Lastly,
rumors have unique linguistic characteristics. Rumors frequently include words
(such as “it may be true,” “although not certain, I think,” “although I cannot
fully remember”) related to psychological processes that question, deny, or
infer the reliability of the information. Professor
Cha said, “This research deduced not only a statistical and mathematical model
but also is an integrated research on social psychological theory on the
characteristics of rumors that attract great attention from the society based
on ample data.” The results
were made public in IEEE International Conference on Data Mining last December
in Texas, USA.
2014.02.03 View 9487 -
Man-Gi Paik Appointed as New President of KAIST Alumni Association
The KAIST Alumni Association selected Man-Gi Paik, a patent lawyer at the prestigious law firm of Kim & Chang in Korea, as its 22nd president. President Paik will hold the post from January 2014 to December 2015. After receiving a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering at KAIST in 1976, President Paik attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States and obtained a Masters of Business Administration. He served as the president of the Korean Association of Intellectual Property Service and a board member of KAIST. He is currently an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Intellectual Property, KAIST. President Paik said, “I’m honored to lead the KAIST alumni and look forward to creating many opportunities to work for the development of our alma mater.”
2014.02.03 View 8639 -
KAIST-Saudi Nuclear Workforce Training
Nuclear Engineering Intensive Course Program Held in Saudi Arabia from January 5th to 23rd
KUSTAR (The Khalifa University of Science and Technology Studies)-KAIST Institute of Education began its Nuclear Engineering Intensive Course Program on 5th January with researchers from K.A.CARE (King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy) of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This program, which was lasted until 23rd January, provided education to students on the basic technologies in the field of nuclear power.
The course involves a wide range of lectures, such as basic nuclear physics, applications using radiation, nuclear reactor design and safety, as well as nuclear power engineering.
In order to utilize the nuclear power and renewable energy, K.A.CARE was established in April 2010. The institution is also involved in the construction of nuclear infrastructure, including the site investigations, the establishment of regulatory bodies and state-owned nuclear companies, along with the newly launched workforce-training program.
The Director of the KUSTAR-KAIST Education Research Institute, Professor Soong-Heung Jang said, “This program is the beginning of long-term cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Our experience can be the basis for the construction of an extensive training program that involves many areas of nuclear engineering field.”
KAIST has been working in close cooperation with various institutions around the world, which also includes the establishment of KUSTAR-KAIST Institute of Education and Research in July 2010. KAIST is also actively cooperating with UAE Khalifa University in Middle East, sharing faculty, holding joint research programs and exchanging students.
2014.02.03 View 9820 -
A Molecular Switch Controlling Self-Assembly of Protein Nanotubes Discovered
International collaborative research among South Korea, United States, and Israel research institutionsThe key to the treatment of cancer and brain disease mechanism The molecular switch that controls the self-assembly structure of the protein nanotubes, which plays crucial role in cell division and intracellular transport of materials, has been discovered. KAIST Bio and Brain Engineering Department’s Professor Myeong-Cheol Choi and Professor Chae-Yeon Song conducted the research, in collaboration with the University of California in Santa Barbara, U.S., and Hebrew University in Israel. The findings of the research were published in Nature Materials on the 19th. Microtubules are tube shaped and composed of protein that plays a key role in cell division, cytoskeleton, and intercellular material transport and is only 25nm in diameter (1/100,000 thickness of a human hair). Conventionally, cancer treatment focused on disrupting the formation of microtubules to suppress the division of cancer cells. In addition Alzheimer’s is known to be caused by the diminishing of structural integrity of microtubules responsible for intercellular material transport which leads to failure in signal transfer. The research team utilized synchrotron x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscope to analyze the self assemble structure of protein nanotubes to subnanometer accuracy. As a result, the microtubules were found to assemble into 25nm thickness tubules by stacking protein blocks 4 x 5 x 8nm in dimension. In the process, the research team discovered the molecular switch that controls the shape of these protein blocks. In addition the research team was successful in creating a new protein tube structure. Professor Choi commented that they were successful in introducing a new paradigm that suggests the possibility of controlling the complex biological functions of human’s biological system with the simple use of physical principles. He commented further that it is anticipated that the findings will allow for the application of bio nanotubes in engineering and that this is a small step in finding the mechanism behind cancer treatment and neural diseases.
2014.02.03 View 9805 -
"Modeling and Simulation of Discrete Event Systems" by Professor Byoung-Kyu Choi, Selected as Textbook by UC Berkeley
The book, "Modeling and Simulation of Discrete Event Systems," written by Professor Byoung-Kyu Choi from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at KAIST, was selected as a textbook for the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of California in Berkeley (UC Berkeley).It was published based on professor Choi’s lecture notes and has been used as a textbook for both undergraduate and graduate students at KAIST.Professor Lee W. Schruben from the Department of Industrial Engineering at UC Berkeley said, “It was selected as a textbook for the discrete event simulation course since it shows outstanding educational methodology as well as academic values.”Professor Choi said, “This is the first case of an American university choosing a Korean industrial engineering publication as a textbook. We should be proud of the high evaluation of KAIST’s Industrial and Systems Engineering Department.” The School of Engineering in UC Berkeley was ranked third in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2013.
2014.01.29 View 7673 -
Hyun-Sik Kim, KAIST doctoral student, receives Predoctoral Achievement Award from IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society
Hyun-Sik Kim, a Ph.D. student from the Department of Electrical Engineering, is scheduled to receive the “Predoctoral Achievement Award” from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Solid-State Circuit Society (SSCS) at its 2014 annual conference to be held on February 9-13 in San Francisco, USA. Kim, the first Korean student receiving the award, will also be given a 1,000 USD honorarium.
Established in 1983, the Predoctoral Achievement Award has been given to a small number of promising graduate students, which is made on the basis of academic record and potential, quality of publications, and a graduate study program well matched to the charter of SSCS. Among the previous recipients were Professor Bernhard Boser of the University of California in Berkeley and Professor Michael Flynn of Michigan University.
Kim published 15 research papers in international journals and conferences, applied for 35 domestic and international patents, and received the best paper award in human technology from Samsun Electronics for three consecutive years.
Professor Kyu-Hyung Cho of Electrical Engineering is Kim's principal advisor.
2014.01.27 View 9697 -
Collaborated Performance and Talk Battle Event Held by Graduate School of Culture Technology, KAIST
A unique event consisting of a new media performance and talk battle was held for middle school, high school, and college students during the winter break.
The Graduate School of Culture Technology at KAIST and the Korea Art Conservatory co-organized the 3rd Young Leaders Forum under the title “Collaboration of the Current and the New Culture” on January 18th at the Seoul Namsan Traditional Theater.
The Young Leaders Forum was founded to share knowledge and wisdom among different fields and generations and to foster creative lifestyles through the collaboration of wisdom.
The collaborated performance, “The Garden of Western Heaven”, was performed using new media technology by students from the Graduate School of Culture Technology and actors from the Korea Art Conservatory.
Three panels participated in the “Talk Battle” and held a discussion on “The New Culture from Performance and Collaboration”.
Woong-Rae Cho, CEO of The Mackiss Company, who sponsored the clay road in Gyejok Mountain and the Concert in the Forest, Professor Sung-Kuk Kim from School of Korean Music at Chung-Ang University, and Je-Ho Oh, a graduate student from the Graduate School of Culture Technology at KAIST participated in the discussion and shared their opinions with the audience.
2014.01.27 View 5995 -
KAIST Participates in the 2014 Davos Forum on January 22-25 in Switzerland
Through the sessions of the Global University Leaders Forum, IdeasLab, and Global Agenda Councils on Biotechnology, KAIST participants will actively engage with global leaders in the discussion of issues on education innovation and technological breakthroughs.
The 2014 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), known as the Davos Forum, will kick off on January 22-25 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme of "The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics, and Business." Each year, the Forum attracts about 2,500 distinguished leaders from all around the world and provides an open platform to identify the current and emerging challenges facing the global community and to develop ideas and actions necessary to respond to such challenges.
President Sung-Mo Steve Kang and Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, KAIST, will attend the Forum and engage in a series of dialogues on such issues as Massive Open Online Courses, new paradigms for universities and researchers, the transformation of higher education, the role and value of scientific discoveries, and the impact of biotechnology on the future of society and business.
At the session entitled "New Paradigms for Universities of the Future" hosted by the Global University Leaders Forum (GULF), President Kang will introduce KAIST"s ongoing online education program, Education 3.0. GULF was created in 2006 by WEF, which is a small community of the presidents and senior representatives of the top universities in the world.
Implemented in 2012, Education 3.0 incorporates advanced information and communications technology (ICT) to offer students and teachers a learner-based, team-oriented learning and teaching environment. Under Education 3.0, students study online and meet in groups with a professor for in-depth discussions, collaboration, and problem-solving. KAIST plans to expand the program to embrace the global community in earnest by establishing Education 3.0 Global in order to have interactive real-time classes for students and researchers across regions and cultures.
President Kang will also present a paper entitled "Toward Socially Responsible Technology: KAIST"s Approach to Integrating Social and Behavioral Perspectives into Technology Development" at another session of GULF called "Seeking New Approaches to Critical Global Challenges." In the paper, President Kang points out that notwithstanding the many benefits we enjoy from the increasingly interconnected world, digital media may pose a threat to become a new outlet for social problems, for example, Internet or digital addiction.
Experts say that early exposure to digital devices harms the healthy development of cognitive functions, emotions, and social behavior. President Kang will introduce KAIST"s recent endeavor to develop a non-intrusive technology to help prevent digital addiction, which will ultimately be embedded in the form of a virtual coach or mentor that helps and guides people under risk to make constructive use of digital devices. President Kang stresses the fundamental shift in the science and technology development paradigm from research and development (R&D) to a research and solution development (R&SD), taking serious consideration of societal needs, quality of life, and social impacts when conducting research.
Professor Sang Yup Lee will moderate the IdeasLab session at the Davos Forum entitled "From Lab to Life with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)." Together with scientists from Caltech, he will discuss scientific breakthroughs that transform institutions, industries, and individuals in the near future, such as the development of damage-tolerant lightweight materials with nanotechnology, the ability to read and write genomes, and wireless lab-in-the-body monitors. In addition, he will meet global business leaders at the session of "Sustainability, Innovation, and Growth" and speak about how emerging technologies, biotechnology in particular, will transform future societies, business, and industries.
As a current special adviser of the World Economic Forum"s (WEF) Chemicals Industry Community, Professor Lee will meet global chairs and chief executive officers of chemical companies and discuss ways to advance the industry to become more bio-based and environmentally friendly. He served as a founding chairman of WEF"s Global Agenda Councils on Biotechnology in 2013.
President Sung-Mo Steve Kang Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee
2014.01.17 View 10076 -
Materials Developed for Sodium Rechargeable Battery by EEWS
The research group of Professor William Goddard III, You-Sung Jung, and Jang-Wook Choi from the Graduate School of Energy, Environment, Water, and Sustainability (EEWS) at KAIST has developed a new sodium-ion rechargeable battery which operates at a high voltage, can be charged, and stably discharges over 10,000 cycles. The research results were published in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) on December 30, 2013.
Since the material costs of sodium rechargeable batteries is 30 to 40 times lower than lithium batteries, it has received attention as an energy saving tool for smart grids and as the next generation of lithium rechargeable batteries. Until now, sodium-ion rechargeable batteries have had issues with stability when charging and discharging. The research group developed a vanadium-based electrode to solve these problems.
The group said follow-up research will be continued to develop advanced technology on sodium rechargeable batteries as it is still currently in the beginning stages.
The research team: From left to right is Professors William Goddard, You-Sung Jung, and Jang-Wook Choi
2014.01.13 View 9922 -
KAIST receives $20 million donation for futures studies
A retired businessman, Moon-Soul Chung, the former chief executive officer of Mirae, Inc., a semiconductor equipment company in Korea, today donated USD 20 million to the Graduate School of Future Strategy at KAIST.
It was Chung's second contribution to KAIST—his first donation of USD 28 million in 2001 supported the construction of the Bio and Brain Engineering building, a major research center on campus where biotechnology and information technology converge.
Established in 2013, the KAIST Graduate School of Future Strategy consists of three interdisciplinary graduate programs on future strategy, intellectual property, and science journalism. The Research Center for Future Strategy is an affiliate of the graduate school. KAIST is the first Korean university that offers an academic program granting a degree in futures studies.
The rapid advancement in science and technology today affects, profoundly and extensively, all corners of global society from education, politics, economy, and environment to resources, sustainability, and inequality. As we live in a highly interconnected, digitalized, and unpredictable world, analyzing the events, trends, patterns, and changes of the past and present, developing foresight, and mapping preferred futures have become more relevant than ever.
KAIST utilizes its strong tech-knowledge base in science and engineering to offer students a high quality education and training in futures thinking, skills, and methodologies to develop foresight and to plan future strategies for international relations, business and industry, national defense, science and technology, and new media. KAIST also anticipates helping government, business, public service, and non-profit organizations identify important issues and develop long-range implementation strategies to prepare for probable and preferred futures.
Moon-Soul Chung (left), the former CEO of Mirae Inc., and President Steve Kang (right), holding together the donation agreement in Seoul, January 10th, 2014
2014.01.13 View 7858 -
Professor Sang-Min received an award for scholar of the year from the KAISTian of the Year 2013
KAIST nominates a “Scholar of the Year” each year and presents the award to the recipient at a New Year’s opening ceremony. For the year 2013, Professor Sang-Min Bae of the Industrial Design Department at KAIST was named “KAIST Scholar of 2013” and received the award on January 2, 2014.
Professor Bae has been recognized for his design achievement in 2013: D’Light, a kinetic lighting that employs a transformable lampshade using flexible honeycomb structure, became one of the finalists in the living room and bedroom category of the International Design Excellence Award 2013 and was selected one of the best 100 for the 2013 Good Design Award. Users can easily change the shape and light intensity of the lamp by simply pivoting the lampshade with its small handle.
Professor Bae has also actively pursued his own philanthrophic projects through design: he has given the profits from the sales of his designs including D’Light directly toward a scholarship for needy children.
The Scholar of the Year award is presented to a faculty member or researcher at KAIST who has contributed to the advancement of science and technology such as publication of articles with influential research outcomes, invention of breakthrough technology, implementation of outstanding research projects, and improvement of public life. Professor Bae is the 13 th winner of the KAIST award.
The Korea Times, a leading English language newspaper in Korea, published an article on this award. For the article, please visit http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/people/2014/01/178_149117.html .
2014.01.09 View 9812