KAIST

No wires. No actuators. Shine light on the metal surface, and it rises like a button. KAIST researchers have developed a metal structure that changes shape using light, without any light-absorbing coating. This technology could open new possibilities for tactile interfaces with physical pop-up buttons, shape displays, next-generation wearable devices, and soft robots. KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on the 20th of July that a research team led by Professor Il-Kwon Oh from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a technology that transforms a flat NiTi shape-memory alloy (SMA) sheet into a “photothermally driven meta-morphing structure” that rises from a flat surface into a three-dimensional form when exposed to light, using only a single UV-laser process. Next-generation wearable devices and soft robots require technologies that are thin and lightweight while also being capable of changing into desired shapes when needed. Such technologies are attracting attention as a foundation for shape displays, adaptive surfaces, wearable interfaces, and soft robots. The research team designed precise cutting and folding patterns in a flat metal sheet so that it would transform into a predetermined three-dimensional shape. The design principle is based on kirigami, the art of creating three-dimensional structures by cutting paper. Shape-memory alloys are special metals that return to a pre-programmed shape when heated to a specific temperature, even after being deformed. Because they are lightweight and can generate large forces, they are widely used as key materials for soft robots and wearable actuators. However, conventional photothermal shape-memory alloy actuators have faced a limitation: nickel-titanium alloy (NiTi) surfaces do not absorb near-infrared light efficiently. To compensate for this, separate light-absorbing coatings such as graphene oxide, polymer composites, or titanium nitride (TiN) thin films have typically been applied. These external coatings can peel off during repeated operation and require additional processing. They can also increase heat capacity, which may slow the response, creating limitations in both manufacturability and actuation performance. To address this problem, the research team used UV laser micromachining. Through this process, they formed kirigami structures on thin shape-memory alloy (SMA) sheets while simultaneously generating a micro-nano porous titanium oxide (TiOₓ) layer on the surface through laser-induced oxidation. As a result, they were able to significantly increase the absorption of near-infrared light without any separate external coating. The team also implemented a platform that can precisely control the height of three-dimensional deformation and the resulting force output by adjusting structural parameters such as hinge width and slit width. In other words, the core of this research lies in simultaneously programming both how the structure mechanically deforms and how efficiently it absorbs light within a single metal structure. Furthermore, the team applied a patterning technique that spatially controls the degree of laser-induced oxidation. This made it possible for different regions to deform sequentially at different speeds, even when exposed uniformly to light of the same intensity. The researchers describe this as “spatiotemporal actuation control.” This means that the order and timing of deformation are encoded directly into the material itself through light-absorption properties, without any separate electrical control. It can be seen as a form of photonic logic. The research team further expanded the photothermal SMA metastructure into three-dimensional shape displays and haptic interfaces by integrating it with a multi-channel near-infrared (NIR) LED array. Each SMA kirigami unit moves independently in response to selectively applied light. Based on this, the team successfully displayed the letter sequence K→A→I→S→T and implemented tactile navigation signals that indicate direction. Professor Il-Kwon Oh said, “The laser programming technology developed in this study is a manufacturing-friendly platform that encodes both mechanical deformation and optical properties into a single metallic structure without any separate coating process,” adding, “It can be widely applied to next-generation intelligent morphing interfaces controlled by light, including adaptive surfaces, interactive haptics, and photothermal soft robots.” Hyunsoo Kim, a master’s student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, served as the first author, while Professor Il-Kwon Oh was the corresponding author. The results were published in the international journal Advanced Science, and the work was also selected for the Inside Back Cover of Advanced Science, Vol. 13, No. 31, published on June 4, 2026. Paper title: Monolithic UV-Laser Programming of Photothermally Meta-Morphing SMA Structures: Dual-Encoded Kirigami Mechanics and Photonic Absorbance DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.74930 Related Video: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16Q9C1D6EMjoM2ypNmtDGU9ruMBdZeUFs This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (RS-2024-00345241 and RS-2023-00302525). This research was supported by the Nano & Material Technology Development Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (RS-2025-25441263). This research was supported by the InnoCORE program of the Ministry of Science and ICT (N10250154).

Researchers have uncovered a clue to why immune checkpoint inhibitors—cancer therapies that release the immune “brakes” exploited by tumors to evade attack—show limited efficacy in some brain tumors. A KAIST research team found that B cell and antibody responses initiated in tumor-draining lymph nodes, rather than T cells alone, are critical to the antitumor effects of anti-CTLA-4 therapy, opening a new avenue for treating intractable brain tumors. KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on the 19th of July that a research team led by Professor Heung Kyu Lee from the Department of Biological Sciences has identified a previously unrecognized immune mechanism through which anti-CTLA-4, a type of immune checkpoint inhibitor, promotes B-cell responses in tumor-draining lymph nodes, thereby helping the immune system attack brain tumors. Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive malignant brain tumors, with frequent recurrence and a poor prognosis even after surgery and radiation therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which restore the ability of immune cells to attack cancer cells, have produced substantial therapeutic benefits in various cancers. However, their effectiveness in glioblastoma has remained limited because of the highly immunosuppressive environment surrounding the tumor. Researchers have traditionally regarded T cells—immune cells that can directly attack cancer cells—as the primary target of immune checkpoint inhibitors. B cells, meanwhile, are well known for producing antibodies following infection or vaccination, but their role in brain tumor immunotherapy has remained largely unexplored. The research team therefore investigated whether anti-CTLA-4 could influence B-cell responses as well as T-cell responses. The findings challenged the prevailing T-cell-centered view. In mouse glioma models, anti-CTLA-4 treatment reduced tumor burden and significantly prolonged survival. However, these therapeutic effects were largely lost in mice lacking B cells, demonstrating that B cells are required for the efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 treatment in these models. The team also identified where B cells played their key role. Rather than being prominent in the brain, where the tumor cells were located, the response increased markedly in the Deep Cervical Lymph Nodes, which are located deep in the neck and receive lymphatic drainage from the brain. In particular, germinal center B cells and T follicular helper cells, both of which are important for antibody formation, increased together in these lymph nodes. This was accompanied by an increase in immunoglobulin G, or IgG, responses. IgG is a major class of antibody that can recognize cancer cells as targets and help immune cells eliminate them. The resulting IgG antibodies bound to the surface of glioma cells, helping macrophages—immune cells that engulf foreign substances and cancer cells—remove the tumor cells more effectively. The research team also examined this process directly in vivo. Using a specialized dual-reporter glioma model expressing the red fluorescent protein mCherry and the green fluorescent protein EGFP, the researchers successfully visualized tumor-infiltrating phagocytes actively engulfing glioma cells following anti-CTLA-4 treatment. The study provides the first functional evidence that B-cell immune responses—previously known mainly for their roles in infection and vaccination—can be a key factor determining the effectiveness of immunotherapy for hard-to-treat brain tumors. It also expands the conventional T-cell-centered framework of cancer immunotherapy by showing that treatment efficacy can be strongly shaped by immune responses originating not only within the tumor, but also in tumor-draining lymph nodes outside it. Yumin Kim, a postdoctoral researcher in the KAIST Department of Biological Sciences, served as the first author of the study, with Professor Heung Kyu Lee serving as the corresponding author. Professor Ji Eun Oh from the KAIST Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering also contributed to the research. The findings were published on July 10 in Science Immunology. Paper title: The efficacy of immunotherapy in glioma requires distal B-cell responses in tumor-draining lymph nodes DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.adz2494 Authors: Yumin Kim, In Kang, Byeong Hoon Kang, Won Hyung Park, Chae Won Kim, Hyun-Jin Kim, Jeongwoo La, Myoung Seung Kwon, Sang Hee Park, Seo Hyeon Im, Hyeon Cheol Kim, Keun Bon Ku, Minji Kim, and Ji Eun Oh from KAIST, with Heung Kyu Lee from KAIST as the corresponding author. This research was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea grants RS-2023-NR077244 (to H.K.L.), RS-2024-00439735 (to H.K.L.), RS-2024-00411928 (to Y.K.), RS-2025-00517107 (to J.E.O.), and RS-2026-25509011 (to H.K.L.). This study was also supported by Samsung Science and Technology Foundation grants SSTF-BA1902-05 (to H.K.L.) and SSTF-BA2201-11 (to J.E.O.).

A KAIST design that produces clean drinking water using only sunlight, without electricity or fuel, has won one of the world’s most prestigious design awards. The design received high international recognition not only for its technical completeness, but also for its sustainable approach, which enables residents in regions affected by water scarcity and water pollution to produce and manage clean water on their own. KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on the 17th of July that “Solarstill Box,” a solar-powered water purification and desalination device developed by a research team led by Professor Sangmin Bae from the Department of Industrial Design, has won the “Red Dot: Best of the Best” award in the Social Impact category at the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2026, a globally renowned design competition. The Red Dot Design Award is considered one of the world’s three major design awards, along with Germany’s iF Design Award and the United States’ IDEA (International Design Excellence Awards). Among them, the “Best of the Best” is the highest distinction, awarded to works that demonstrate the greatest innovation and completeness in each category. This award is significant because it goes beyond recognition of product design excellence. It represents international acknowledgment that design can help address the shared human challenge of clean water access and create sustainable social value. Solarstill Box is a low-cost water purification and desalination device that converts seawater or water containing salt and pollutants into drinking water through solar distillation. It was developed for coastal areas, saline regions, and off-grid communities that rely on contaminated water sources. The device is designed to produce clean water using only solar energy, without electricity, fuel, or separate filters. The stepped trays inside the device increase the surface area for evaporation, improving the efficiency of solar distillation. As evaporated water vapor condenses on the transparent cover, contaminants such as salt, heavy metals, and bacteria are naturally separated, allowing only clean water to be collected. Solarstill Box is also made of flat components based on Plaveneer sheets, allowing it to be produced and transported in a flat-pack format. Anyone can assemble it locally in about 20 minutes, and maintenance costs are reduced because only damaged parts need to be replaced. Another key feature is that it moves beyond the one-time delivery of relief supplies and instead creates a sustainable drinking water system that local residents can install and manage themselves. Solarstill Box was developed as part of the “SEED Project,” a social contribution design research project by ID+IM Design Lab, led by Professor Sangmin Bae of the Department of Industrial Design, in collaboration with World Vision. Following this award, the research team plans to work with World Vision to pursue product commercialization and establish local distribution models. In the long term, the team aims to expand the project into a cooperative-based operating model in which local residents directly participate in manufacturing, distribution, and maintenance, thereby supporting both clean water access and sustainable community development. The project aimed to improve access to clean drinking water in low-resource regions where water scarcity and pollution make it difficult to secure safe water. The design development was carried out by Professor Sangmin Bae, doctoral student Jungwoo Kim, master’s student Minsu Kim, and undergraduate student Seunghee Han. Professor Sangmin Bae said, “Design should go beyond creating beautiful products; it should serve as a tool for solving social problems and changing people’s lives,” adding, “We hope Solarstill Box will provide practical help to communities in need of clean water and spread as a sustainable drinking water system that residents can operate on their own.” Solarstill Box will be introduced to a global audience through the official award ceremony and exhibition of the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2026, which will be held in October.

An era in which robots decide "how to walk" on their own has arrived. A four-legged robot has been developed that, much like a person or an animal, autonomously chooses the appropriate gait strategy for its surroundings — changing its gait on stairs, leaping over gaps, and keeping its balance on forest trails. KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on the 16th of July that a research team led by Professor Hae-Won Park from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a core control technology for four-legged robots that lets a single controller select and switch in real time among walking, running, jumping, and other locomotion skills, allowing the robot to move quickly and stably, even in real outdoor environments. Four-legged robots move on four legs, giving them an advantage over wheeled robots on rough terrain. But in real outdoor settings, obstacles such as stairs, ledges, stepping stones, gaps, and tree branches appear one after another in different forms, meaning the ability to simply walk and run fast is not enough. Existing four-legged robots have excelled at running quickly across flat ground or clearing simple obstacles, but they have struggled to maintain both speed and stability in real-world environments where obstacles combine in complex ways. Because walking, running, jumping, and other gaits had to be controlled individually, the robots were also limited in how naturally they could switch between them as conditions changed. To overcome these limitations, the research team developed a new learning-based control technology called APT-RL (Action Pretrained Transformer-based Reinforcement Learning). APT-RL is a control technology designed to enable a robot to first learn a range of locomotion skills — such as walking, running, and jumping — and then freely combine and transition among them in real-world environments as the situation demands. Rather than filming the movements of real people or animals, the team generated 15.5 hours of training data covering a variety of gaits using computer simulations alone, in just eight minutes. That data was used to teach the robot basic movement capabilities, drawing on robot dynamics (a mathematical model of how a robot moves) and trajectory optimization (a technique for calculating the efficient path of movement). The approach is far faster and more efficient than earlier methods that relied on motion capture, a technology that records human or animal movement using sensors. The team then applied reinforcement learning — an artificial intelligence technique in which an agent learns optimal behavior through repeated trial and error — so the robot could autonomously select and switch gaits suited to complex three-dimensional terrain such as stairs, ledges, and gaps. Finally, the team combined a depth camera (which measures the distance to objects in order to obtain three-dimensional information) with LiDAR (Laser Detection and Ranging, a sensor that uses lasers to measure the distance and shape of the surrounding environment in three dimensions), enabling the robot to recognize its surroundings and target speed in real time and choose the most appropriate walking strategy. The team tested the control technology on its own four-legged robot, 'KAIST HOUND.' The experiments were conducted not only on an indoor obstacle course but also in real outdoor environments, including KAIST’s campus and forest trails. KAIST HOUND moved stably across urban terrain that included stairs, grass, and slopes, as well as irregular natural terrain such as fallen trees, exposed roots, and paths covered in fallen leaves, switching gaits in real time to match the conditions. In rugged terrain with obstacles, the robot reached a peak instantaneous speed of six meters per second (about 22 kilometers per hour), demonstrating that it can achieve both fast movement and stability in real outdoor environments. The experiments showed that KAIST HOUND autonomously selected and switched between a trot (alternating diagonal legs) and a bound (a leaping gait using the front and back leg pairs together) depending on the terrain and target speed, and that it could integrate walking, running, jumping, and ledge-clearing into a single controller. Professor Hae-Won Park said "We expect this to become a foundational technology that expands the potential uses of physical-AI-based walking robots in rugged environments such as disaster sites, defense missions, and industrial facility inspections." Jun-Gill Kang (affiliated with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) at the time of the research) and Jaehyun Park, a Ph.D. candidate in KAIST's Department of Mechanical Engineering, are co-first authors of the study. Professor Hae-Won Park and Professor Seungwoo Hong from Korea University are co-corresponding authors. The research was selected as the cover paper for the July issue of Science Robotics, the world's leading academic journal in robotics, and was published on July 15 (U.S. Eastern time). Paper title: Agile perceptive multi-skill locomotion for quadrupedal robots in the wild DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adz7397 Authors: Jun-Gill Kang (the Agency for Defense Development at the time of the research, co-first author), Jaehyun Park (KAIST, co-first author), Hae-Won Park (KAIST, corresponding author), Seungwoo Hong (Korea University, corresponding author) Related Video: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1306_hddGZGh7xwvWFc4B-9lLXwYisirN This research was supported by funding from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) and the Korea Planning & Evaluation of Industrial Technology (KEIT) (RS-2024-00427719), as well as by the Agency for Defense Development's Future Challenge Defense Technology R&D program (912768601).

“Create an AI assistant trained only on our company’s documents.” The era of building “personalized AI” by training AI models on individual or corporate documents and data is beginning. However, while such customization can improve task performance, it can also weaken the model’s existing safety safeguards. KAIST researchers have developed a core AI technology that preserves customized performance while further strengthening safety. KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on the 15th of July that a research team led by Professor Changick Kim from its School of Electrical Engineering has developed “Buffer-and-Reinforce,” a training framework for safe fine-tuning that prevents safety degradation when large language models (LLMs), such as  ChatGPT, are retrained on data from individuals or companies to better suit their needs. Until now, one of the biggest challenges in the era of personalized AI has been that fine-tuning improves a model’s ability to perform new tasks, but can also weaken its existing safety rules. The research team focused on prior findings showing that, counterintuitively, fine-tuning an AI model while it is in a temporarily jailbroken state — a state in which it may respond even to dangerous requests it would normally refuse — does not significantly compromise its safety. The team then devised a new approach in which this jailbroken state is not used in actual services, but is applied only temporarily during the fine-tuning process through a buffering module called “BufferLoRA,” which is removed after training. The research team was the first to clarify why this phenomenon occurs. They found that, in the temporarily jailbroken state, the AI model becomes less easily influenced by harmful information, while still effectively learning the new task abilities desired by the user. In other words, the model can continue learning useful knowledge without additionally absorbing harmful behaviors. Based on this insight, the team developed a two-stage learning method consisting of “buffering” and “safety reinforcement.” First, the temporary buffering module, BufferLoRA, is applied to the AI model during user fine-tuning, where it acts as a protective layer that prevents harmful data from directly affecting the base model. Once fine-tuning is complete, this module is removed. Next, a safety reinforcement module called “ReinforceLoRA” is applied to restore and strengthen the model’s safety. In this process, the team used QR decomposition, a mathematical technique that separates different types of information and selectively reflects only the necessary components. This allowed the model to retain the new functions learned from user data while selectively reinforcing safety. Simply put, the researchers first placed a temporary protective layer, BufferLoRA, over the AI model so that harmful data could not directly affect it, while allowing the model to learn the necessary task. They then removed the protective layer and applied ReinforceLoRA to strengthen the model’s safety safeguards. As a result, the model maintained its customized performance while achieving even stronger safety. In experiments, the AI model maintained high safety even in an extreme setting where all user data consisted of harmful questions and answers. After fine-tuning, the rate at which the AI generated harmful responses was about 8%, lower than the roughly 18% observed in the original model that had not been fine-tuned at all. The framework also achieved strong customized performance and state-of-the-art safety without requiring additional safety data during user fine-tuning or significantly increasing computational cost, suggesting its practical applicability to real-world personalized AI services. Professor Changick Kim stated, “This research provides a key foundational technology that allows anyone to build customized AI with their own data while using it more safely,” adding, “We expect it to contribute significantly to building a trustworthy AI service environment in the era of personalized AI and AI agents.” This research was led by Seokil Ham, a doctoral student in KAIST’s School of Electrical Engineering, as first author. The paper was selected as a Spotlight presentation at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) 2026, one of the world’s most prestigious conferences in artificial intelligence, an honor given to only about the top 2.2% of all submitted papers, drawing international attention. ※ Paper title: Jailbreak to Protect: Buffering and Reinforcing via Temporary Jailbreaking for Safe Fine-Tuning in Large Language Models DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2605.24550 ※ Author information: Seokil Ham (KAIST, first author), Jaehyuk Jang (KAIST, second author), Wonjun Lee (KAIST, third author), Changick Kim (KAIST, corresponding author) ※ Related video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gfok06dE8699qtiUR7gVsRoVmBGADaWQ/view?usp=sharing This work was supported by Institute of Information & Communication Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) grant funded by Ministry of Science and ICT(MSIT) (No. RS-2025-02215344, Development of AI Technology with Robust and Flexible Resilience Against Risk Factors).

KAIST (President Choongsik Bae) announced on the 16th of July that Beomgyu Lee, CEO of AI education company TeamSparta, donated 100 million KRW (approximately $66,000 as of July 2026) to the School of Computing to support a research program centered on the use of generative AI agents. With the support of this donation, KAIST plans to run a two-year program enabling master’s and doctoral researchers from all departments to use generative AI agents. Participating researchers will receive access to the latest AI development agents, including Claude Code and Codex, along with related training and regular seminars. The donation ceremony was held on the 15th of July at KAIST's main campus in Daejeon and was attended by Beomgyu Lee; Jae-Gil Lee, Dean of the KAIST School of Computing; and Professor Sukyoung Ryu from the School of Computing. This marks Lee’s second private contribution, following his first donation in September 2025. The program will operate in six-month cycles, with 20 researchers selected for each cohort. KAIST aims to select the first cohort by the end of 2026 and plans to gradually expand both the scope of support and donor participation. The program is meaningful in that, amid the rapid spread of generative AI across research settings, it lays the groundwork for KAIST researchers to be early adopters of cutting-edge AI tools and apply them to their research. In particular, the program is expected to foster a new research culture in which master’s and doctoral researchers actively incorporate AI agents into their research workflows and share their experiences with one another. “I sincerely thank alumnus Beomgyu Lee for once again making a meaningful contribution in support of junior researchers,” said KAIST President Choongsik Bae. “His generous commitment will provide a strong foundation for researchers to actively use generative AI and pursue new research challenges. KAIST will continue to provide sustained support so that researchers can produce creative and innovative outcomes in the best possible environment during this era of AI transformation.” “AI agents have already become a new standard across industry, and I was concerned that researchers who will lead the development of future technologies were unable to make full use of them because of the associated costs,” said Beomgyu Lee. “I hope this support will help researchers freely use cutting-edge AI tools to help produce world-class research outcomes.” Professor Sukyoung Ryu from the KAIST School of Computing said, "I am deeply grateful to alumnus Beomgyu Lee for continuing to support junior researchers for a second year in a row." She added, “As generative AI agents are significantly enhancing research productivity and transforming approaches to problem-solving, I hope this program will encourage researchers to actively use the latest AI tools and foster a new culture of sharing their experiences.” Jae-Gil Lee, Dean of the KAIST School of Computing, said, “We will actively support training and regular seminars so that researchers across all KAIST departments—not just the School of Computing—can use the latest generative AI agents in their research, allowing AI-driven research innovation to spread across the university.”

The 2026 Global Entrepreneurship Summer School (GESS), organized by the KAIST Office of Global Initiatives, has successfully concluded its fifth annual program. Now in its fifth year, GESS has become KAIST's flagship global entrepreneurship program, providing students with firsthand experience in Silicon Valley—the world's leading startup ecosystem—and equipping them with the entrepreneurial mindset and global competencies needed to launch ventures on the international stage. Participants in the 2026 GESS program, including both undergraduate and graduate students, were selected through a competitive process consisting of document screening, interviews, team presentations, and peer evaluations. Prior to traveling to Silicon Valley, the selected students completed a four-month preparatory program that included team building, customer discovery, business model development, and pitch preparation. Throughout the program, they received mentoring from entrepreneurs, venture investors, and industry experts, enabling them to refine their business ideas and evaluate their potential for entering global markets. The Silicon Valley program, held in late June, was organized in collaboration with leading startup support organizations, including KOTRA Silicon Valley, IBK Changgong Silicon Valley, and Plug and Play. Through meetings with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and representatives from global technology companies, students gained firsthand insight into the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem while developing a deeper understanding of global markets. For the fourth consecutive year, students from the KAIST College of Business Impact MBA program also participated in the Silicon Valley program, creating valuable opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange among students with diverse academic backgrounds and professional experiences. A highlight of this year's program was a startup storytelling workshop conducted in collaboration with educators from Stanford University. The workshop helped students strengthen their communication skills by learning how to present their ideas more persuasively—an essential competency for aspiring global entrepreneurs. In partnership with KAIST alumni based in Silicon Valley, participants also visited leading global technology companies and unicorn startups, including Meta, NVIDIA, and Moloco. They attended networking events with local professionals and alumni, gaining firsthand exposure to the innovation culture and growth strategies of global technology companies while broadening their perspectives on international careers and entrepreneurship. To put into practice one of the core values of entrepreneurship—creating positive social impact—GESS participants also organized "Let's Play AI+Tech," a community outreach program for elementary school students from underserved families in Sunnyvale, California. Designed and led entirely by KAIST students, the program introduced fundamental concepts in artificial intelligence through engaging, hands-on activities for children and their parents. The initiative also offered KAIST students a meaningful opportunity to give back to the local community while sharing their expertise in AI and technology. The program concluded with the Final Pitch Competition, where each team presented the business models they had developed over several months to a panel of Silicon Valley investors and entrepreneurship experts. Through expert feedback and evaluation, participants had the opportunity to validate the global potential of their ventures. Following a highly competitive final round, Team CUPID was named the overall winner. Team CUPID presented an AI-powered developer platform that automatically routes coding tasks to the most cost-effective AI model, significantly reducing developers' AI usage costs. The team received high praise from the judges for its clear problem definition, strong market potential, and scalability in the global market. Gianidita Nurani Pertiwi, a member of Team CUPID and a student in the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, said, "GESS provided an invaluable opportunity to experience Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial ecosystem firsthand. Through conversations with founders, investors, and industry experts, I learned how to refine our ideas from a global perspective. The experience has motivated me to continue pursuing innovation that can create meaningful impact beyond borders." The 2026 GESS program has been organized for the fifth consecutive year by the Office of Global Initiative in collaboration with the Impact MBA program and the Startup KAIST. KAIST will continue strengthening partnerships with Silicon Valley and other global innovation hubs to nurture entrepreneurial talent capable of leading future industries worldwide.

KAIST honored the leadership and legacy of its 17th President, Kwang Hyung Lee, at a farewell ceremony held on July 2nd at KAIST’s main campus in Daejeon. Throughout his presidency, President Lee helped shape KAIST into a university driven by bold challenges, creativity, and a willingness to learn from failure. Guided by his vision of KAIST as a “playground for geeks”—a place where curiosity, creativity, and fearless experimentation are celebrated—he fostered a culture in which students and researchers are encouraged to ask bold questions, embrace uncertainty, build startups, and pursue ideas beyond conventional boundaries. This spirit of challenge has led to meaningful outcomes across the university. KAIST strengthened its startup-friendly ecosystem through initiatives such as the “One Lab, One Startup” vision, expanded support for student entrepreneurship, and streamlined procedures for faculty startups. From 2021 to 2025, 568 startups were launched from KAIST, with 24 companies becoming listed on the stock exchange with a combined enterprise value exceeding KRW 22 trillion(approximately USD 16 billion). . The university also advanced major educational and research innovations, including the launch of new academic fields in AI, engineering biology, brain and cognitive sciences, semiconductors, quantum science, and digital humanities. These efforts have helped KAIST strengthen its role as a global hub for science, technology, and innovation. President Lee’s tenure also marked a period of expanded global partnerships, increased research capacity, and renewed commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration—connecting science and technology with entrepreneurship, the humanities, art, and society. As KAIST begins a new chapter under new leadership, the university will continue to build on President Lee's legacy of fearless challenge and innovation while pursuing its mission to create knowledge and technologies that contribute not only to Korea, but to the future of humanity.

Professor Choongsik Bae officially assumed office as the 18th President of KAIST on July 1, 2026. A world-renowned mechanical engineer and energy scientist, President Bae has advanced carbon-neutral transportation power systems and sustainable mobility. Throughout his career, he has pioneered innovations in advanced combustion, hydrogen engines, e-fuels, laser diagnostics, and future propulsion technologies, bridging engineering science with industrial applications. Since joining the faculty in 1998, he has built leadership experience in engineering education and interdisciplinary research. He has served as Chair of both the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Dean of the College of Engineering, Director of the Combustion Engineering Research Center, and Director of the Mobile Clinic Module Project during the COVID-19 pandemic. An active contributor to science and technology policy, President Bae has shaped Korea's carbon-neutral and energy strategies through numerous government advisory positions. He currently serves as Chair of the Society of Carbon-Neutral Fuel Technology and has represented Korea at the International Energy Agency (IEA). He has also served as Chair of the Climate Division of the Science and Technology Diplomacy Advisory Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, External Member of the Renault Group Scientific Council, and KEPCO Chair Professor, helping to strengthen global cooperation in sustainable energy and future mobility. As a distinguished scholar with over 150 publications, he became the first Korean researcher in the powertrain field to be elected an SAE Fellow and has received numerous prestigious honors, including the Presidential Commendation of Korea, the Arch T. Colwell Merit Award, the Harry L. Horning Memorial Award, and the Distinguished Research Award from KAIST. He is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea (NAEK). He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Seoul National University and his PhD from Imperial College London. Prior to joining KAIST in 1998, he worked as a researcher at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and later served on the faculty of Chungnam National University. He further enhanced his global academic leadership through visiting professorships at University College London and Tokyo Institute of Technology (now Science Tokyo). As the 18th President of KAIST, President Bae is committed to building "a globally leading innovation university with strong fundamentals." Under his leadership, KAIST will strengthen excellence in research, education, entrepreneurship, and global engagement while accelerating AI-driven innovation and fostering scientific and technological breakthroughs that contribute not only to Korea but to all of humanity.

KAIST announced on June 16 that it will co-host 'STARTUP NATION KOREA 2026' (2026 Innovation Entrepreneurship Nation Korea International Forum) with Seoul National University and The JoongAng from June 17 to 18 at the Haedong Advanced Engineering Building on Seoul National University's Gwanak Campus. Celebrating its 5th anniversary this year, the forum serves as a platform to overcome the so-called 'R&D Paradox'—where outstanding research and development achievements fail to fully connect with entrepreneurship and industry—and to seek solutions for realizing a science and technology-based innovation entrepreneurship nation. Universities, government agencies, research institutions, investment firms, conglomerates, startups, and media will participate to discuss cooperative methods for connecting technological potential to market and industrial value. In particular, this year's forum focuses on the role of patient capital and innovative finance, which are critical challenges for the growth of deep tech startups, under the theme “Deep Tech: Beyond the Valley of Death.” Deep tech startups require long-term investment and large-scale funding throughout the entire process from research and development to technology verification, demonstration, and market entry. However, the domestic venture investment market is relatively focused on short-term returns, often causing these startups to face severe difficulties during the commercialization phase. Therefore, this forum will intensively discuss strategies to establish an innovative financial ecosystem where 'patient capital'—which invests based on the long-term growth potential of technology—is organically linked with investments, guarantees, and policy finance required for the entire life cycle of technology commercialization. Kwang Hyung Lee, President of KAIST, said, “Although Korea possesses world-class R&D capabilities, major barriers still exist in the process of translating research achievements into startups and new industries. I hope this forum serves as a collective effort to seek solutions through patient capital, innovative finance, and a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem so that deep tech startups can overcome the valley of death and grow into the global market.” Hyun Min Bae, Director of the KAIST Startup Institute, stated, “The success of deep tech entrepreneurship cannot be achieved through technology alone. Through this forum, we look forward to discussing the growth ladders and collaborative measures that connect laboratory technologies to markets, investments, and global expansion, thereby discovering a new direction for Korea's deep tech startup ecosystem.” On the first day of the forum, Professor Jeong Dong Lee of the College of Engineering at Seoul National University, author of The Way of Accumulation and The First Question, will deliver a keynote speech emphasizing the role of finance in accelerating technological innovation and the importance of patient capital. This will be followed by a roundtable featuring domestic and international experts to discuss long-term investment case studies and policy directions for innovative finance. In addition, the presentation ceremony for the '2026 Korea Innovation Entrepreneurship Awards' will be held simultaneously. This year, a total of 13 awards will be presented across three categories: the Innovation Entrepreneurship Award, the Innovation Entrepreneurship Challenge Award, and the Innovation Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Contribution Award. The recipients of the Innovation Entrepreneurship Award include Sovagen, EndoRobotics, WIRobotics, Exo Systems, Marine Drone Tech, Daughter, MUSTBIO, IMNEWRUN, and Narnia Labs. These companies are promising deep tech enterprises recognized for their technological innovation and growth potential in national strategic sectors such as AI, robotics, bio/healthcare, drones, and mobility. The Innovation Entrepreneurship Challenge Award will be presented to Scionic AI, RX, and TDS Innovation, while the Innovation Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Contribution Award will be awarded to the Commercialization Promotion Agency for R&D Outcomes (COMPA). Kyeong Hwan Kim, Chair of the Evaluation Committee (Dean of the Graduate School of Global Entrepreneurship at Sungkyunkwan University), remarked, “Promising deep tech companies that will lead future industries in fields like AI, robotics, semiconductors, and bio have stood out remarkably. This contest was a meaningful opportunity to confirm the robust growth potential of Korea's innovation entrepreneurship ecosystem.” An exhibition featuring innovative startups and various programs linked with government ministries will also run throughout the event. Participating companies will showcase their breakthrough technologies in sectors including AI, robotics, bio/healthcare, advanced materials, energy, and mobility, while exploring collaboration opportunities with investment institutions and industry leaders. Notably, WIRobotics plans to exhibit its humanoid robot 'ALLEX', which was previously unveiled at CES 2026. The forum is co-hosted by KAIST, Seoul National University, and The JoongAng, and sponsored by major agencies including the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The event will be broadcast live via the official YouTube channel and website of STARTUP NATION KOREA 2026.

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