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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 13476 -
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 19651
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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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KAIST Develops Thinking, Feeling Human-Like Robot
By Kim Tae-gyu / Staff ReporterTHE KOREA TIMES 2005.1.31(page 1)
South Korean scientists created the world"s first artificial species, a software robot with ``genes"" and ``chromosomes.""
Kim Jong-hwan, professor at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, said Sunday his team had developed a robot with 14 chromosomes, which gives the machine a ``personality.""
``This robot is a software-based one, sometimes called a sobot. It has a unique synthetic character determined by its specific combination of 14 chromosomes,"" the 47-year-old Kim said.
When Kim"s team gave a stimulus to the chromosome-equipped sobots, they showed totally different responses even under the same environment due to their distinctive personalities.
Several cognitive sensors enable the prototype models to identify 47 differing outside stimuli. The virtual robots also have 77 behavior patterns.
``Because a sobot is basically a software system, it can easily travel to other robots and multiply. In the middle of such processes, it can evolve through crossover and mutation,"" Kim said.
With the development of associated technologies, Kim expected the number of chromosomes would be augmented as sobots evolve to a more sophisticated species in the future.
The capacity to load large volumes of data is related to the evolution of sobots. Currently, 14 chromosomes consist of roughly 2,000 bytes of data.
The effort to incorporate the sobot into a platform, robot hardware, is now underway and Kim"s team looks to unveil the new-concept species as soon as next month.
``Diverse behavior patterns driven by sobots" specific personalities will be precisely translated into action just like the soul rules the body,"" Kim said.
Kim did not think the robotic evolution would lead to the human race being threatened; the concept of the recent blockbuster ``I, Robot.""
``If we design the chromosomes safely, the self-reproducing robot will not post a threat back to us,"" Kim said.
Kim first revealed the robotic breakthrough at a keynote speech of the International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents, held in New Zealand last December.
Kim is also known as pioneer in the field of robot football and has headed the Federation of International Robot-soccer Association (FIRA) since its foundation in 1999.
voc200@koreatimes.co.kr
2005.02.02 View 14858
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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 18807
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KAIST-Tsinghua High-Tech EXPO 2004
THE KAIST Herald 2004.5.12
By Jong-kyoung KimThe KAIST Herald Staff Reporter
KAIST and Tsinghua University are holding KAIST-Tsinghua Korea-China High Tech EXPO 2004 from July 12 to 14, at the Beijing International Convention Center. The Expo seeks to contribute to economic development through promoting exchanges between exceptional Korean and Chinese start-up companies, and to promote cooperation between high-tech industries and academic institutions through academic and technological exchanges between each nation"s best technology institutions.
The Expo is a big international affair held by a university from Korea and one from China. The Expo is also a means to implement the agreement between KAIST and Tsinghua in 2002 to promote exchanges between the two universities and to conduct international co-research. It is sponsored by various technology institutions of both nations.
The Expo is different from other expos in that it is a specialized expo where Tsinghua-related companies, experts, and buyers participate to discuss the transfer of technologies and to deal in trades. Also, to insure that the Expo is beneficial to participating Korean companies, the Expo plans to offer business talks with at least ten Chinese companies per company. From Korea, thirteen companies from enterprise-incubation center and graduate start-ups with high-tech start-ups in areas of IT, BT, NT and mechatronics that are possible in exporting related products or transferring related technologies are participating. From China, Tsinghua-related companies, China Telecom, China Unicom, and other companies under China Telecommunication Association with other famous Chinese companies are expected to participate.
In addition to exhibitions, co-work between KAIST and Tsinghua"s research centers and KAIST"s Technology Transfer & Exchange Center"s explanation on public technology transfer are taking place during the Expo.
And, after three days of the Expo, about ten companies will move to Chungking, a city in western China to hold a product and technology explanation session.
2004.05.21 View 17361
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Personal data found on many used hard drives
JoongAng Daily / 2004.03.09
(photo : Professor Song-chun MoonKAIST Graduate School of Management)
Many secondhand computer hard drives that are being sold through the Internet formerly belonged to businesses and are therefore full of business records containing personal information, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a leading local science and technology school, said yesterday.
To determine whether personal information had been properly deleted, the business database research team at KAIST"s business school conducted an experiment in which it randomly bought 41 hard drives through Internet auction sites beginning in April 2003 and analyzed their contents.
It said 26 hard drives out of the total, or 65 percent, had not even been reformatted to remove data. On those drives were business records containing the names, birth dates, home and company addresses, telephone numbers and health examination records of 1,349 people. Also, the team found 568 resident identification numbers on the drives.
"Secondhand hard disks are an open storehouse of personal information [from business records]," said the team"s head, Moon Young-chul. "We found such personal data for an average of 60 people per used disk."
Mr. Moon said that reformatting hard drives alone will not delete all information recorded on them. He said special software designed to completely delete data should be used or such disks should be destroyed.
by Ko Ran / 2004.03.09
2004.04.22 View 12758
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133 Diplomats Worldwide Visit KAIST
THE KAIST Herald April 8, 2004by jong-kyoung Kim
On March 12, diplomatic corps in Korea visited Daedeok Valley"s KAIST after taking a trial run on the Korea Train eXpress(KTX). Composed of ambassadors from 79 nations and 54 international organizations, the 133 diplomatic corps went on board KTX at 10:30 AM in Seoul and arrived in Daejeon at 11:20 AM.
Shortly after arrival, the diplomatic corps attended a luncheon hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade(MOFAT) before paying visits to the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute(ETRI) and KAIST. After being introduced to the current issues at KAIST, the diplomatic corps returned back to Seoul at 4:00 PM.
Seventy-nine embassy representatives out of eighty-seven currently stationed in Korea participated in this event, with fifty-four representatives from three international organizations. In addition, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, a commercial relations director, and a regional representative accompanied them.
The trial rides on April 1 were organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to publicize Korea as being the fifth country (after Japan, France, Germany, and Spain) in the world to own an express train and to introduce the growth of Korea"s IT industry through visits to ETRI and KAIST.
Events such as this are held annually to improve the understandings of the diplomatic corps about Korea"s science, technology, culture and art and to further enhance bilateral relations.
2004.04.20 View 16213
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Foreign R&D Centers Cropping Up Here
Korea Times / 2004. 03. 26 By Kim Tae-gyu
Staff ReporterThe world"s top companies and research institutes are rushing to Korea to set up research and development (R&D) centers.
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) on Thursday said it isunder negotiation with several world-renowned firms or foundations,including University of Cambridge Cavendish Laboratory, Novartis, DuPont and EMC.The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) is also lookingto attract five to six multinational companies to establish R&D centers here this year.
Korea has already become a home for R&D institutes from top-tier foreign outfits like the world"s No.1 computer-chip maker Intel Corp. and Paris-based medical foundation Institut Pasteur as well as Germany"s Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
The MOST said Cavendish will exchange a memorandum of understandingto set up a joint research center here together with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) as early as this May.
The two entities will join hands to accelerate knowledge in the fields of nanotechnology, optical technology and physics to name a few,a MOST official said.It also seeks to invite Swiss-based pharmaceutical group Norvatis toestablish an R&D center here on occasion of the medical symposium that will take place here from March 31.
The Fortune 500 company is expected to dispatch dozens of high-ranking staff to the two-day neuroscience convention.
The Korea Foundation for International Cooperation of Science and Technology (KICOS), an affiliate of MOST, expects a few American companies, including DuPont, to open shop here.``DuPont is likely to make a decision, and we are currently under negotiations with several big companies like EMC,"" KICOS official KimKey-hyup said.
EMC is the world"s third-largest maker of data-storage devices.Seoul seeks to host six high-tech information-technology (IT) research centers this year.
Up to now, Intel and Fraunhofer committed themselves to setting up research centers here, and IBM will likely open an R&D center as soonas its affiliate IBM Korea"s bribe scandal regarding a government contract is settled.
Such high-profile companies as Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and Qualcomm are welcome to open R&D centers in Korea, an MIC official said. The government is willing to provide financial incentives to foreignR&D centers.
2004.03.26 View 16948
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SK Telecom Names 28-Year-Old Female Executive
By Kim Tae-gyu Korea Times 2004.3.16
Staff ReporterThe 28-year-old Yoon Song-yee became the youngest-ever executive member of SK Telecom, the Korea"s biggest cell-phone service company said on Monday.
Yoon, the former executive of mobile solution developer WiderThan.com, was recruited by SK Telecom and appointed as vice president. Shewill lead the company"s communication and intelligence task force team.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) graduate obtained her Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologyand once worked for McKinsey & Company.The unprecedented recruitment was conducted as part of the company"slarge-scale restructuring efforts, including 21-case promotions of executive members.
Former senior vice presidents Rhee Noh-jong and Kim Young-jin were advanced to vice presidents. Rhee, who worked as a public relations man for 30 years, will take charge of SK Academy, an educational institute for SK Group, the country"s third-largest conglomerate.
The personnel shift also features the new president Kim Shin-bae, who took the realm of the mobile giant after getting an approval fromshareholders" meeting on March 12.
2004.03.18 View 15629
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18th Student Council Elected
The KAIST Herald December 3, 2003
The votes were cast and counted on November 27. Donggodongrak won the election of the 18th Undergraduage Student Council of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Of the 2,340 eligible voters for the 18th student council election, 1,304 votes, or about 56 percent of the total, were amassed after a full day of election on November 27.
The two candidate teams, waiting to hear the result with much anxiety, were juniors Hye-min Kim and Jung-mo Kim running for the president and vice president positions, respectively, of the team "Donggodongrak" and juniors Dong-geun Kim and Yong-jae Yoon running for the same positions, respectively under the name "Woorung Chonggak."
Donggodongrak secured over 58 percent of the votes, with 760 supporting ballots, while Woorung Chongak polled 503 votes, or about 39 percent of the votes. Forty-one votes, or three percent of the votes cast were spoiled votes. With more than half the voters having participated, the election was valid, and Donggodongrak was declared the new student council of KAIST.
The election platform of the Donggodongrak team largely consist of four themes, composed of several smaller goals. First, they assert the "togetherness" of the student government and plan to achieve it by publishing monthly newsletters, hosting an open outdoor student council every other week, and creating various committees.
Secondly, they assert under the theme of an "improving" student government that they will promote festivals and events among the sixteen departments, form an official "class" of the freshmen, and broaden the association of the student representatives.
Third, Donggodongrak declares it wants to create an "open and just environment" by holding periodic meetings with the school for direct discussions of school policies; and by taking care of the welfare of the students in detail.
Finally, they advocate "a student government that communicates with society"; they will support opportunities to become more aware of various issues of society.
President Hye-min Kim, a graduate of Pusan Science High School, has participated in various intramural, socially active groups, and is majoring in applied mathematics. Vice-president Jung-mo Kim is a graduate of Mokpo High School and studies mechanical engineering.
2004.03.15 View 17775
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Personal data found on many used hard drives
JoongAng Daily2004.3.9
Many secondhand computer hard drives that are being sold through the Internet formerly belonged to businesses and are therefore full of business records containing personal information, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a leading local science and technology school, said yesterday.
To determine whether personal information had been properly deleted, the business database research team at KAIST"s business school conducted an experiment in which it randomly bought 41 hard drives through Internet auction sites beginning in April 2003 and analyzed their contents.
It said 26 hard drives out of the total, or 65 percent, had not even been reformatted to remove data. On those drives were business records containing the names, birth dates, home and company addresses, telephone numbers and health examination records of 1,349 people. Also, the team found 568 resident identification numbers on the drives.
"Secondhand hard disks are an open storehouse of personal information [from business records]," said the team"s head, Moon Young-chul. "We found such personal data for an average of 60 people per used disk."
Mr. Moon said that reformatting hard drives alone will not delete all information recorded on them. He said special software designed to completely delete data should be used or such disks should be destroyed.
2004.03.15 View 12143