APRI hosts 2017 Summer School for Lasers and Laser Applications (SSOLLA 2017)

□ The Advanced Photonics Research Institute (APRI, Director Byeong Ha Lee) at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST, President Seung Hyeon Lee) will be hosting the 2017 Summer School for Lasers and Laster Applications (SSOLLA 2017) for one week beginning on July 3, 2017.

□ APRI has hosted SSOLLA for graduate students and young researchers from developing countries in Asia for the past seven years beginning in 2010, and SSOLLA has now grown to become an epicenter for photonics education by providing training for about 130 people.

∘ This year is the 8th time SSOLLA has been held, and 20 researchers from 11 countries have been invited to participate in this unique educational research program. In particular, SSOLLA is not limited to just researchers from Asia, but participants also include researchers from Germany and the Czech Republic, both of which are advanced countries regarding laser resarch.

□ 2017 SSOLLA is conducted with the  assistance of 14 professors from GIST and APRI who will cover a wide range of topics from the basic foundation of lasers to advanced applications, including laser safety, optics, spectroscopy, optoelectronics, and laser microfabrication. Participants will work with APRI researchers to conduct experiments in five areas, including interferometers and solid state lasers.

□ Since its establishment in 2001, APRI has developed the world's first ultra-high power laser with a power of 20 femtoseconds and 4.2 petawatts, and APRI researchers have published numerous quality papers in authoritative journals, such as those controlled by Nature Publishing Group. APRI has also been the leading optical research institute in Korea by providing technical assistance and technology transfers to large domestic corporations.

□ APRI Director Byeong Ha Lee, who hosted the event, said, "In the future, we will expand SSOLLA's participating countries to also include advanced countries, such as the US and Japan. We will further strengthen APRI's global position by closely cooperating with universities and research institutes in Europe, such as in Germany and Switzerland."