• Establishment
In the late 1960s, as Korea shifted its focus from light industry to heavy industry, the lack of highly educated scientists and engineers emerged as a serious problem. Korea, then heavily depended on foreign products and technologies imported from abroad, had difficulty conducting its own research and development (R&D). Under such circumstances, new products or innovative technologies were hard to develop, let alone the growth of manufacturing base in the nation.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) was established in 1971 as the nation’s first graduate school specializing in science and engineering education and research. In 1986, KAIST started offering undergraduate degree programs in science and technology. In 1989, the university’s campus was relocated from Seoul, the capital of South Korea, to Daejeon, which is about 50 minutes away by high speed train from Seoul. In 2009, KAIST was merged with the Information and Communications University that had been established in 1997 as the nation’s only information technology research university.
Unlike other universities subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Education, KAIST, founded under a special law with government funding, is supervised by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning. This encourages KAIST to build a close cooperation with industry and create a distinctive entrepreneurial culture for R&D.
Initially staffed with a number of Korean engineering and science faculty educated in the United States, over the past 40 years, KAIST has recruited distinguished professors, installed the latest equipment, and provided many benefits, including scholarships, research expenses, living allowances, and exemption from military service (the Korean government exempted its graduate school students from military service to devote themselves to studying and research without interruption).
KAIST has set itself a new model of research intensive university in Korea and has evolved into a global research university. The university’s strong faculty conducts internationally recognized research in cooperation with academic institutions and industries all over the world. The Times Higher Education (THE) published in June 2013 the list of best 100 universities whose histories are less than 50 years, and KAIST was ranked 3rd in the list.
• Current Status
KAIST has three campuses, one in Seoul, and two in Daejeon. The Seoul campus has the College of Business. The main and ICT campuses in Daejeon are located in the center of the Daedeok Innopolis, the largest scientific and technological R&D cluster in Korea, comprising more than 1,399 government and private research institutes and startups.
The university has six colleges (Natural Sciences, Life Science & Bioengineering, Engineering, Information Science & Technology, Cultural Science, and Business), two schools (Innovation and Mechanical Engineering & Aerospace System), and eleven graduate schools (Nanoscience & Technology, Medical Science & Engineering, EEWS, Green Transportation, Innovation & Technology Management, Science and Technology Policy, Culture Technology, Management, Finance, Information & Media Management, and Information Security).
The number of tenure track faculty in 2013 is 604, and there are 402 staff members. KAIST has placed a strong emphasis on recruiting best international and female faculty. In 2012, the numbers of international faculty and female faculty are 45 and 43, respectively. The university continues to make its utmost efforts to increase international and female faculty.
The total budget for the fiscal year 2013 is USD 765 million; 22.4% of the budget (USD 171 million) is endowed by the Korean government, and a large portion of the budget (approximately 60%) is secured through research grants.
• Education System
KAIST has a student-centered, autonomous academic system. The Open-Major System allows undergraduate students to take classes for three terms before choosing a major discipline that suits best their aptitude and interest. Almost all classes are conducted in English.
The Education 3.0, implemented since 2012, is a teaching method development program aimed to raise the quality and effectiveness of education by encouraging discussions and active learning with application of the advanced information technology. Under the program, students are able to study whenever and wherever they choose and can have more personalized learning experiences. For instance, calculus and chemistry courses are offered to freshmen in combination of online course materials and discussion-based classes led by professors.
With its test-free admission system, first in Korea, KAIST recruits students on the basis of their overall high-school grades, math and science grades, teacher recommendations, study plan, personal statements, and other data that demonstrate their excellence and potential. KAIST also puts special emphasis on personality, responsibility, and creativity. This multi-pronged admission procedure enables KAIST to recruit excellent students with well-rounded personality.
KAIST has produced many young Ph.D.s in their 20s through the Integrated Master’s and Doctoral Program and the Early Completion System. KAIST requires doctoral candidates to publish their papers in globally renowned academic journals to ensure high quality of their dissertation.
Currently (in March 2013), 10,249 students are enrolled at KAIST: 4,047 undergraduates; 2,704 master’s candidates; 1,187 in programs combining the M.S. and Ph.D.; and 2,311 Ph.D. candidates. Since its inception, KAIST has maintained a larger population of graduate students than undergraduates, positioning itself as a research-oriented university.
About 60% of admitted undergraduate students are the graduates of science magnet high schools in Korea, while the rest comes from general high schools in Korea or from abroad. Scholarships are given to all students in the bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate programs. On-campus dormitories are provided for all students who wish to reside in them.
• Research Institutes
Research in both theoretical and applied studies has been emphasized from the beginning. KAIST continues to be Korea’s foremost institution for mid- to long-term strategic R&D projects of national and international significance. Research at KAIST focuses on basic science and technological innovation that will have the greatest impact on humanity and industrial society.
Major research programs include the HRHR (high risk high return) Program, Undergraduate Research Program (URP), EEWS (Energy, Environment, Water, and Sustainability), and convergence research. The HRHR Program is implemented to conduct basic research and technology innovation. The URP provides undergraduate students with ample opportunities to obtain research skills and in-depth knowledge in science and engineering by participating in over 120 research projects.
The EEWS Graduate School, established in 2009, addresses critical issues that need to be solved for the sustainable future of humanity, namely energy, environment, water, and sustainability. The graduate school adopts multi-disciplinary research programs to explore new research areas and develop disruptive technologies in collaboration with leading research institutions and industrial corporations worldwide. In 2013, KAIST and Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, joined forces to establish the CO2 Management Research Center.
The KAIST Institute (KI), consisted of five research centers, has been set up to concentrate the university’s convergence research capabilities in advanced fields: BioCentury, IT Convergence, Design of Complex Systems, NanoCentury, and Optical Science and Technology. Each center is operated as an independent research unit at the level of a college, receiving financial and facility supports from the Korean government and industry.
A total of 109 research facilities including NanoFab Center, the Satellite Technology Research Center, the Humanoid Robot Research Center, and the Metabolic & Biomolecular Engineering National Research Laboratory are situated on the KAIST campus.
The KAIST research projects commissioned by the government and private businesses with research grants totaled 300 billion Korean won (US$268 million) in 2012. In terms of ownership of intellectual property rights, from Year 2006 to 2012, KAIST holds 6,149 domestic patents and 1,377 international patents.
• International Exchanges
KAIST has a wide range of international exchange and cooperation programs; hosts international academic conferences, workshops and symposia; exchanges professors, research personnel and students with overseas universities; and conducts international joint research projects.
KAIST has hosted annually the International Presidential Forum on Global Research Universities (IPFGRU) since 2008. The global forum attracts a significant number of leaders from research universities around the world to discuss issues related to higher education and explore solutions and development strategies that benefit the world’s university community in general. In 2012, 83 presidents and vice presidents of 60 research universities in 27 nations attended IPFGRU for presentations and panel discussions on the topic of “Effective Education and Innovative Learning.”
KAIST is gaining prominence in the world’s academic society with notable research accomplishments produced by highly qualified faculty and researchers. KAIST is recognized as a global research university, appearing annually since 2008 in the top 100 world universities as ranked by the Times Higher Education (68th in 2012) and Quacquarelli Symonds (63rd in 2012). In domestic rankings compiled by JoongAng Ilbo, a leading daily newspaper in Korea, KAIST topped the list of best 10 universities in four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012.
KAIST offers generous grants and fellowships to international students, creating an environment that promotes a commitment to diversity and global citizenship. As of 2013 spring semester, 672 international students from 75 different countries are studying at KAIST. The university operates exchange and cooperation programs with 419 partner universities in 87 countries. Among them are the University of Oxford, University of California, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Technical University of Denmark, University of Melbourne (Australia), and INSA de Lyon (France).
• Graduates
The total number of graduates as of March 2013 is 46,117 (B.S., 12,793; M.S., 23,941; and Ph.D., 9,383). KAIST graduates have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the fields of research, academia, business, and public service.
KAIST graduates teach and conduct research at MIT, UCLA, Harvard, Pennsylvania State, GIT and other universities. Major business establishments, including Samsung, SK Telecom, LG, Hyundai and NHN, employ large numbers of KAIST graduates. Among Korea’s government-run research organizations, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) and many others are staffed by many KAIST graduates.
KAIST has a job placement rate of nearly 100 percent. KAIST graduates account for 20 percent of all engineering doctorates in Korea and make up 10 percent of all engineering professorships in Korea. Nearly 25 percent of the R&D personnel at Samsung Electronics are KAIST graduates. Graduates have set up about 360 venture businesses that deal with modern technologies. A recent employer satisfaction survey conducted at companies hiring KAIST graduates showed that 91 percent were satisfied, while 93 percent showed interest in employing KAIST graduates.