KAIST Reinvents Higher Education under the Visionary Leadership of Lee Kwang-hyung

President Lee Kwang-hyung of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). (Photos: KAIST)

KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung is a futurologist who pioneered multidisciplinary studies and research at KAIST.

He has advocated that the convergence of information, biology, and nano-technologies would be critical for future industries, playing a crucial role in establishing the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering in 2001 and the Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy in 2013.

Lee is ushering in a so-called “Science Renaissance” era for Korea’s science and technology sector by carrying out a massive innovation in educational culture based on his unique new cultural strategy, “QAIST.”

QAIST stands for Question, Advanced Research, Internationalization, Start-up and Trust.

Since taking office, Lee has boldly broken away from the paradigm of rote-learning education. Instead, he has put holistic education — a fusion of science, technology, humanities and the arts — at the forefront.

Lee’s ideas and efforts have paid off. Therefore, he has been receiving praise for elevating KAIST to the ranks of a world-class university through active global initiatives that transcend territorial limitations.

One of the most solid pillars of the innovation Lee is pursuing is “startup-based entrepreneurial innovation.”

Accordingly, Lee has consistently promoted “One-Lab- Grows-into-One-Promising-Startup” entrepreneurial innovation at KAIST.

He has focused on creating a dynamic startup ecosystem where technology from college labs is directly connected to the market, rather than staying at colleges.

Particularly noteworthy is the unconventional move of establishing the Center for Ambitious Failure on the campus.

It spearheaded a virtual revolution in spreading an enterprising spirit among KAIST students, encouraging viewing failure not as a stigma, but as valuable data for growth.

Thanks to this, KAIST members can shake off the fear of failure and boldly dive into the front lines of more creative and disruptive research and entrepreneurship.

Lee has promoted KAIST’s globalization. By implementing bold internationalization policies that cross borders, such as establishing a joint campus with New York University (NYU), KAIST has expanded the hub of Korea’s science and technology to the entire world.

A whole view of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, located in the Daedeok Research Complex in Daejeon.

At the same time, under the leadership of Lee, KAIST established the Graduate School of AI, a key battleground of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, to cultivate core talents who will lead the world in artificial intelligence.

“AI is now a field where the international community must responsibly shape the direction of its development together, moving beyond technological competition among nations,” Lee said.

“The Global AI Hub in Korea will be a significant opportunity for our country to leap forward not only as a leader in AI technology but as a central nation of trust and cooperation.”

“KAIST will actively contribute to expanding cooperation with the international community based on world-class AI research and talent cultivation,” Lee added.

Another notable point is the construction of a new art museum on the KAIST campus alongside these advanced technology tracks.

This reflects Lee’s firm philosophy of practicing convergent holistic education where technology and culture coexist by infusing warm artistic sensibility and creativity into cold science and technology.

Also noteworthy is Lee’s strategic vision for securing the nation’s future growth engines.

Lee has established a strong foundation for training physician-scientists in preparation for the era of super-aging and the bio era.

By establishing a convergence ecosystem that enables physicians with clinical experience to lead scientific research, Lee has laid the groundwork for preempting future strategic industries.

Lee’s educational experiment to break down the barriers of rote learning and cultivate “questioning talents” who ask questions for themselves is already sending a fresh shockwave through academia and industry.

Such tangible results and a clear vision have formed a strong consensus both internally and externally, which led to the achievement of securing a development fund of an unprecedented scale for KAIST.

Equipped with a solid financial foundation and a strong passion for innovation, KAIST is now growing into a world-class global college that is drawing international recognition.