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President Choongsik Bae Moves to Implement KAIST’s Vision...Launching AI-Driven Innovation in Education, Research, Entrepreneurship, Administration, and Internationalization
KAIST is building the execution steps to realize its vision, "Fundamentals First, Innovation Forward." At a press briefing on August 24, President Choongsik Bae presented the key execution tasks that give shape to the five Beyond Series strategies he introduced at his inauguration. On August 25, KAIST announced that it is beginning full-scale innovation across the areas of education, research, entrepreneurship, administration, campus infrastructure, and internationalization.
At his August 10 inauguration ceremony, President Bae introduced five development strategies: Beyond AI, Beyond Laboratory, Beyond Barriers, Beyond Carbon, and Beyond KAIST. Together, they aim to extend AI as a common foundation across every discipline, connect laboratory achievements to industry and entrepreneurship, remove unnecessary internal barriers, turn the campus into a testbed for sustainable technology, and expand KAIST's reach to both local communities and the rest of the world.
At the briefing, President Bae said, "While my inaugural vision set KAIST's direction, it is now time to translate that vision into tangible changes for our community. KAIST will move beyond mere announcements and swiftly execute actionable tasks.”
Beyond AI, AI for Everyone: Redesigning the AI Curriculum for Every Course
The first major shift redefines education and research.
KAIST is expanding AI from a specialized discipline into a core competency for every student and researcher under the banner "AI for Everyone." To achieve this, KAIST will systematically restructure its curriculum based on proficiency levels and educational goals, offering a seamless pathway from the humanities, social sciences, arts, and basic sciences to foundational AI principles and applied AI-X fields.
Specifically, the curriculum will be structured into three levels based on the degree of AI integration. This framework bridges non-AI education focused on human critical thinking, AI-assisted learning, and advanced coursework where students design and lead AI technologies themselves.
On the research front, KAIST will advance core AI technologies alongside Sovereign AI and Physical AI, which powers smart manufacturing, autonomous driving, robotics, and digital twins. Simultaneously, the university will launch new convergent research areas, including AI-Energy, AI-Quantum, AI-Fusion, and AI-Bio.
"As AI advances, strong fundamentals and uniquely human critical thinking become even more critical," noted President Bae. He emphasized that by building AI capabilities on top of solid fundamentals, KAIST will empower students to lead AI applications in their respective fields while driving a comprehensive AI transformation across all research and education.
From the Laboratory to Industry: Freshman Entrepreneurship and Corporate AI Autonomous Labs
The second phase focuses on creating an ecosystem where research extends beyond the lab into industrial and societal innovation.
KAIST will bolster long-term basic research while expanding large-scale research programs as well as research in national strategic technologies and future science and technology. By focusing research strength on future strategic areas like quantum tech, climate, and energy, KAIST plans to expand corporate Satellite Labs and joint research centers.
In particular, KAIST will collaborate with industry partners to build AI Autonomous Labs. By applying AI to experiment design, execution, and data analysis, the university aims to accelerate R&D productivity and establish a new benchmark for industry-academia collaboration.
Entrepreneurship education will start on day one. Incoming freshmen will be exposed to KAIST’s research milestones, startup success stories, and network with founders, investors, and industry experts. By integrating field experience, business fundamentals, and market validation, KAIST will cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets from a student's very first semester and establish an Entrepreneurship Education Innovation Committee.
"Laboratories must not stop at generating knowledge; they must serve as launchpads for real-world innovation," said President Bae, adding that KAIST will build an integrated ecosystem connecting basic research, industry collaboration, and startups.
Institutional Innovation: Removing Internal Barriers to Focus on Core Research and Education
KAIST is also reforming administrative operations, so faculty and students can dedicate more time to education and research.
The university will implement a digital one-stop administrative system using AI tools to automate repetitive tasks and streamline complex procedures while continuously removing unnecessary regulations. Staff driving AI-based administrative innovation will receive incentives and specialized training.
Personnel procedures will be streamlined, and performance evaluations updated, to recognize diverse contributions. KAIST will also enhance onboarding support for new faculty members and actively remove institutional barriers between academic departments, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and joint advising.
"Administration exists not for management's sake, but to help students and faculty focus deeply on education and research," emphasized President Bae. He added that KAIST would actively identify and streamline regulations and procedures that take up members' valuable time.
Strengthening Climate and Energy Research for a Safe, Sustainable Campus
KAIST is leveraging its research capabilities in climate and energy to build a sustainable, safe, and efficient campus.
Using AI and energy management technologies, the university will systematically track and optimize campus energy consumption.
Additionally, KAIST will roll out phased spatial innovations, redesigning campus flow around pedestrians and optimizing research spaces while preserving green areas.
"We will apply KAIST's climate and energy research directly to our campus, boosting energy efficiency and safety, and maintaining an environment where our community can thrive," said President Bae.
Global Connect: Building the Future with the Global Community
KAIST’s internationalization strategy aims to transform the campus into a global hub where top talent and international research institutions convene.
The university will actively recruit global talent to significantly raise the proportion of international students. It also plans to expand global partnerships and link them to concrete education and research collaboration through dual-degree programs as well as student and researcher exchanges.
To foster sustained international collaboration, KAIST will invite distinguished global scholars to serve on dissertation committees and operate Global Advisory Boards (GAB) across departments. Incentives for international joint research will also be expanded.
Domestically, KAIST will link regional research hubs into strategic technology clusters to support balanced national development, while launching the "KAIST Connect Camp," which brings together students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and contributes to the revitalization of its alumni network. "Internationalization must evolve so global talent and partners create new value together with KAIST," stated President Bae, adding that he aims to build KAIST into a global innovation platform connecting talent and knowledge, and local communities and the world.
Realizing the 'AI Native Campus' Architecture
KAIST will integrate AI Interactive Education, AI Autonomous Labs, AI Agent Administration, and AI Energy Convergence into a unified system, building an "AI Native Campus" that seamlessly connects education, research, administration, and infrastructure.
Execution Roadmap Toward KAIST’s 60th Anniversary in 2031
KAIST plans to connect these innovation initiatives not as standalone projects, but as part of a mid- to long-term development strategy leading up to its 60th anniversary in 2031. To this end, the university will flesh out its 100-year vision alongside its 2031 goals, while continuously reviewing and updating its long-term strategy.
"Our goal is not for KAIST to follow the world's top universities, but to set a new standard for what a university can be," said President Bae. He emphasized that KAIST would create pioneering models across education, research, technology entrepreneurship, university administration, sustainable campus operations, and global cooperation in the AI era, spreading them throughout Korea and the world.President Bae concluded by saying, "By our 60th anniversary in 2031, I want today's plans to be more than slogans. I want them to become changes that students, faculty, and staff genuinely feel," thus affirming his commitment to developing KAIST into a national innovation platform that shapes the future of science and technology in Korea. (END)
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2026.08.25 View 1242 -
KAIST Held Inauguration Ceremony for 18th President Choongsik Bae, Unveiling Vision of "Fundamentals First, Innovation Forward"
KAIST announced that it held an inauguration ceremony for its 18th president, Choongsik Bae, at the KAIST Auditorium on Monday, August 10. At the ceremony, the university unveiled "Fundamentals First, Innovation Forward" as its new vision.
The ceremony officially presented President Bae's philosophy on university governance and his vision for KAIST's future to the KAIST community and the public. Departing from the conventional format of a formal inaugural address, President Bae personally explained his vision and the strategies for implementing it. Professor Yiyun Kang of the Department of Industrial Design directed the stage production, bringing KAIST's future vision to life through an intuitive and immersive presentation.
The event built on the innovation advanced under KAIST's 17th president, Kwang Hyung Lee, while introducing new leadership and development strategies that will guide the university toward its 60th anniversary. Distinguished guests from Korea and abroad attended, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Kyung Hoon Bae, former KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee, and ambassadors to Korea from key countries.
In his inaugural address, President Bae presented "Continuity & Innovation" as the central philosophy of his administration. He aimed to preserve the values KAIST has cultivated over the past 55 years -- Creativity, Challenge, and Caring -- while pursuing innovation across education, research, entrepreneurship, and administration in response to AI-driven transformation and intensifying global competition for technological leadership.
The new vision, "Fundamentals First, Innovation Forward," rests on two foundational principles: people strongly grounded in fundamental disciplines, humanistic insight, and AI capabilities; and an organization characterized by autonomy, accountability, and efficiency. On these foundations, KAIST aims to achieve world-class excellence in education, research, entrepreneurship, and internationalization.
To realize this vision, KAIST will pursue the following five development strategies, collectively called the Beyond Series:
Beyond AI – AI for Everyone: Create a leading environment for education and research that moves beyond today's AI toward Humanistic AI, Democratic AI, and Agentic AI.
Beyond Laboratory – Innovative Research and Entrepreneurship: Move beyond the laboratory to advance deep-tech innovation in partnership with industry and society and build a global startup ecosystem.
Beyond Barriers – An Efficient and Open University: Remove barriers so that members can devote themselves to research and education, underpinned by transparent governance and a culture and systems built on trust.
Beyond Carbon – Sustainability and a Greener Future: Strengthen research to address the climate crisis and create an environmentally responsible, carbon-neutral campus grounded in ESG and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Beyond KAIST – Toward the World and the Future through Global Connect: Connect global talent, universities, research institutions, companies, and local communities; foster a more international campus; expand international joint research; and strengthen global and regional partnerships.
KAIST plans to make AI not merely a technology for specific disciplines or specialists, but a common language and general-purpose tool across all fields. By strengthening foundational education and interdisciplinary AI education, KAIST aims to push beyond merely using AI effectively toward leading AI innovation.
KAIST will also expand research in physical AI, AI that operates in the real world, including robotics, autonomous driving, and advanced manufacturing, as well as in strategic technologies such as quantum science, climate technology, and energy technology. Building on world-class basic research, KAIST will expand industry collaboration, technology commercialization, and global entrepreneurship, creating a cycle in which research outcomes drive innovation in industry and society.
KAIST will expand the establishment of corporate satellite laboratories and collaborative research centers. It will also support joint research and development with companies by building AI Autonomous Labs that integrate AI into the R&D process, creating a new research environment in which AI designs and conducts experiments and analyzes the results. The university will introduce specialized entrepreneurship education for newly admitted students and establish a model that combines classroom instruction with hands-on training, involving alumni entrepreneurs and industry professionals.
The inauguration also featured case studies of KAIST alumni using AI to drive innovation in industry and research. Dr. Hyeon-Sook Yoon from Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) presented the use of digital twins in the shipbuilding and maritime industries, while Dr. Ji-Yong Shin from Samsung Electronics' Semiconductor R&D Center discussed the use of AI in semiconductor manufacturing. Professor Joonsik Hwang of KAIST then discussed the development and applications of physical AI in automobiles, mobility, robotics, and other fields.
KAIST plans to build an AI Native Campus that organically connects AI Interactive Education in education, AI Autonomous Labs in research, AI Agent Administration in administration, and AI Energy Convergence in infrastructure.
KAIST will also build an AI-based digital administration system to streamline or eliminate unnecessary regulations and procedures so that faculty and students can focus more fully on education and research. The campus will also become a living lab where climate and energy technologies are developed and validated, while global cooperation will be strengthened by recruiting outstanding international students and faculty, expanding international joint research, and broadening dual-degree programs.
In his address, President Bae said, “We will carry forward the proud tradition we have inherited: our vision of becoming a Global Value-Creative Leading University and our C-Cube core values of Creativity, Challenge, and Caring. Building on this foundation, we will pursue the innovation needed to move toward our new goal, Fundamentals First, Innovation Forward.” He added, “Grounded in strong fundamentals across both our people and our institution, we will advance five strategic priorities—AI, global entrepreneurship, a stronger focus on education and research, sustainable growth, and internationalization—and further establish KAIST as a world-leading university.”
He also emphasized, “I will listen with an open mind and act with determination. As both a facilitator and a servant leader, I will empower every member of the KAIST community to pursue their aspirations with confidence and fulfillment. Together, we will take KAIST beyond innovation—establishing it as a university that sets new standards and a national innovation platform shaping the future of science and technology in Korea.”
President Bae is an internationally recognized mechanical engineer and energy scientist specializing in carbon-neutral transportation power systems and sustainable mobility technologies. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from Seoul National University and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London. Since joining KAIST in 1998, he has served in leadership roles including Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dean of the College of Engineering, and Director of the Mobile Clinic Module Project during the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining broad experience in education, research, and university administration.
He has also contributed to energy and carbon-neutrality research and to national science and technology policy as chair of the International Energy Agency's Technology Collaboration Programme on Sustainable Combustion, chair of the Climate Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Science and Technology Diplomacy Advisory Committee, and chair of the Society of Carbon-Neutral Fuel Technology. He was the first Korean researcher in the powertrain field to be elected an SAE Fellow and has received honors including a Presidential Commendation and a Merit Award from the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
KAIST presented the inauguration as a ceremony marking the start of a new presidency and as a forum for sharing the university's future vision and implementation strategies. The occasion marked KAIST's move beyond "a KAIST that embraces challenges" toward "a KAIST that sets the next standard for innovation," as it pursues its goal of becoming a world-leading university for innovation.
2026.08.10 View 4683