GIST-Caltech Joint Research Workshop and Special Lecture by Nobel prize laureate

 

 

- International academic event during the「Global GIST Week(Sep. 9~13)」

commemorating the 20^th anniversary

- Presentations on the research outcomes of SURF and G-SURF participants

- Cultural performance by vocal jazz group on Sep. 12.

 

 

 

 

In commemoration of the 20^th anniversary, Gwangju Institute of Science Technology (GIST, President   Young Joon Kim) designated the period from September 9^th (Mon.) to 13^th (Fri.) as the「Global GIST Week」and will host an international academic event which includes the “GIST-Caltech Joint Research Workshop” with California Institute of Technology, a world-renowned engineering school which produced 32 Nobel prize winners.

 

In addition to the Joint Research Workshop with Caltech, the「Global GIST Week」will also be featured by the “Special Lecture Series by Nobel Prize Winners” including Dr. Alan J. Heeger (USA), the winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

 

GIST students who participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) of Caltech and G-SURF of GIST during the summer vacation will present the outcomes of research they carried out with sweat and toil during the “G-SURF Research Outcomes Presentation,” thus share their experience as future scientists in the global arena of scientific research.

 

On Sep. 9^th~10^th, the “GIST-Caltech Joint Research Workshop” will be held in Oryong Hall, GIST and 20 professors from both universities, including 8 professors from Caltech, will share the outcomes of their joint research activities through oral presentations and video conference and then announce new research plans.

 

In the afternoon on Sep. 9^th, five Caltech professors who visit GIST in order to attend the “GIST-Caltech Joint Research Workshop” and five GIST professors will make oral presentations on their research outcomes. Nobel laureate Dr. Robert H. Grubbs (Caltech) who participated in the joint research will present his research result via. a video clip.

 

As such, interim presentations on the outcomes of the “GIST-Caltech Joint Research Workshop” will be the key element of this international academic event. The joint research is a new exchange program on science technology research which began last year. Two professors (one from each university) pair up as one research team and conduct research on a topic selected through mutual discussion for 3 years, and the outcome of research will be announced at the end of their joint work. Since late 2012, a total of 8 professors (4 professors from each side) have been engaged in joint research in the areas of new materials, biotechnology and medical technology.

 

On Sep 10^th, professors of GIST and Caltech will make oral presentations in order to select research topics for the 2^nd round of joint research which will kick off this year. In particular, a video conference will take place in the morning and 2 professors in Caltech, the US will participate in the conference making presentations in real-time.

 

At 4 pm on the same day, Dr. Alan J. Heeger the winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry will give a special lecture as part of the “Special Lecture Series by Nobel Prize Winners” which is a program designed to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of GIST.

 

Professor Heeger won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000, in recognition of his contribution to have discovered conducting polymer (plastic) in 1977. He is said to be the trailblazer of ‘plastic electronic engineering’ which uses ‘organic semi-conductor’ and ‘conducting polymer’ called new materials of dream.

 

Professor Heeger is the one who discovered ‘plastic solar cell’ which is a next generation renewable source of energy. Plastic solar cell is easy to produce and price is low. Therefore, it is regarded as a promising next generation solar cell in the renewable solar PV sector.

 

On September 11^th (Wed.), the Poster Session will take place where GIST students who participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) of Caltech and G-SURF of GIST-modeled on the SURF of Caltech-during the summer vacation will present the outcomes of research they conducted under guiding professors.

 

SURF is a representative research program involving undergraduates, which was launched by Caltech in 1979. GIST also holds G-SURF every summer by benchmarking SURF since 2011. Students from GIST and Caltech who participate in G-SURF perform research with guiding professors assigned as their mentors during the 10 week summer vacation.

 

The Poster Session will be attended by 83 GIST students and professors who took part in SURF and G-SURF this summer. In particular, 2 students who participated in SURF of Caltech and 2 students who joined G-SURF of GIST will make oral presentations respectively so as to communicate research culture and test knowhow of the two universities they experienced in person.

 

In the evening of Sep. 12^th (Thu.), a vocal jazz group “Voicetet” will play warm and lyrical music on the theme of “Relaxed Invitation to an Affluent Autumn.’ This cultural event is open to the general public as well as all members of GIST.

 

Dean of Research, Professor Jeong Sung Ho, said “GIST’s strenuous efforts made over the past 20 years reaped the accomplishments of ranking 7^th in citations per faculty the QS World University Rankings 2012 and 1^st in citations per faculty the QS Asian University Rankings 2013. We expect to find an opportunity to make a new leap forward in the area of science technology research through joint research with Caltech, which is the world-renowned science and engineering school.

 

 

< Topics of joint research between GIST and Caltech (the 1^st round in 2012) >

 

① Caltech PI: Professor Robert H. Grubbs and GIST PI: Professor Lee Jae Suk (School of Materials Science and Engineering)

 : Synthesis of Novel Polymers through Combination of Living Anionic Polymerization and Metathesis Polymerization

② Caltech PI: Professor Sarkis K. Mazmanian and GIST PI: Professor Im Sin Hyeog (School of Life Science)

: Development of a Novel Probiotic Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases

③ Caltech PI: Professor Changhuei Yang and GIST PI: Professor Chung Eui Heon (Department of Medical System Engineering)

: Deep Tissue Light Delivery with In Vivo True Technology for Controlled Stroke Model and Optogenetic Neuromodulation

④ Caltech PI: Professor Julie A. Kornfield and GIST PI: Professor Tae Gi Yoong (School of Materials Science and Engineering)

: Nanotechnology for Corneal Tissue Engineering