Advancing Creative Value to Lead the World: KAIST Institutes Opens New Horizons

Dear KAIST Members and Friends of KAIST,

I am Sang Ouk Kim, the 9th Director of the KAIST Institutes (KI). Since its establishment in 2006, the KAIST Institutes has led the paradigm shift in science and technology in Korea and beyond by promoting bold, interdisciplinary research that breaks down the boundaries between academic disciplines. Today, the world is at a turning point in science and technology, where the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) is driving the creative convergence of fundamental science and applied technologies to create new value. Leadership in key fields of the future—including AI, robotics, bio and healthcare, next-generation materials, environment, and energy—will ultimately be determined by creative and challenging research that no one has attempted before and collaboration that transcends boundaries. Accordingly, the KAIST Institutes seeks to take a further leap forward based on the following three key priorities.

Pursuing Creative First-of-a-Kind Research

We will move beyond catch-up research that seeks to achieve excellence in established fields and strengthen a leading research ecosystem capable of giving rise to creative, first-of-a-kind science and technology that creates new academic fields and catalyzes new industries.

Creating Social Value

We will go beyond research and development within the laboratory and provide a foundation for research that can make a tangible difference in our lives and enable the broader sharing of the value created through science and technology.

Advancing Global Research Collaboration and Internationalization

We will expand exchanges with research institutions and researchers around the world and establish a research culture that broadly embraces diversity across race, gender, and culture. Through these efforts, we aim for KAIST's research achievements to become milestones in addressing the common challenges facing humanity.

Ideas for first-of-a-kind research that can change the world may begin with the imagination of a single individual, but great achievements can only be realized when we come together and collaborate.

The KAIST Institutes will serve as a strong foundation and steadfast partner, supporting the bold ideas of our faculty, researchers, and students so that they can grow into significant research achievements.