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The 3rd Global Entrepreneurship Summer School (GESS 2024) Successfully Completed in Silicon Valley
The 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Summer School (2024 KAIST GESS), hosted by the Office of Global Initiatives under the KAIST International Office (Director Man-Sung Yim), was held for the third time. This program allows students to visit Silicon Valley, a global startup hub, to directly experience its famous startup ecosystem and develop their capabilities for global expansion. A total of 20 students were selected through applications, interviews, final presentations, mentoring, and peer evaluations. Additionally, 17 students from the KAIST Impact MBA course at the KAIST Business School also participated.
Before starting the Silicon Valley program, participants received mentoring on business model development and pitching advice from a senior entrepreneur at KAIST for about two months, beginning last May. Afterward, they developed business items for each team at KAIST’s main campus in Daejeon. For seven days, starting from June 23rd, workshops were held under the themes of global entrepreneurship, learning through failure, capital and network, and startup culture at KOTRA Silicon Valley Trade Center, JP Morgan, and Plug and Play Tech Center. This program's lecture series provided prospective entrepreneurs with the opportunity to systematically learn the mindset and gain the experience needed to start a global business.
The participants also visited local companies and gained experience in the field of global technology startups. Visits included Bear Robotics (CEO John Ha), Soundable Health (CEO Cathering Song), ImpriMed (CEO Sungwon Lim), Phantom AI (CEO Hyunggi Cho), B Garage (CEO Aiden Kim), and Simple Steps (CEO Doyeon Kim). Lectures contained vivid experiences from Silicon Valley CEOs and company tours boosted the students' passion for entrepreneurship. In particular, Doyeon Kim, CEO of Simple Steps, which helps prevent career breaks for Korean female immigrants in Silicon Valley and allows talented female immigrants to demonstrate their abilities in society, said, “As a KAIST alumna entrepreneur, it was meaningful to share my experience with this generation of students who dream of starting a global business and creating social enterprises in the United States.”
This program also included a tour of Silicon Valley's big tech companies that have made a significant impact on the digital ecosystem through technological advancement and innovation. This included Broadcom, which maintains a strong global presence in the semiconductor and infrastructure software technology fields. At the invitation of Chairman Hock Tan, GESS participants had the opportunity to attend his lecture and ask questions. Chairman Tan, who received an honorary doctorate in engineering from KAIST last February, emphasized that experiencing failure and giving consistent effort over a long period of time are more important than anything else in order to grow as a global entrepreneur, and that technologies influencing the global market evolve over generations.
< Photo. Group photo of GESS 2024 participants at Broadcom with Chairman Hock Tan (center) ⓒBroadcom>
As part of this program, participants conducted a volunteer program called 'Let's play with AI+ Tech' with the Sunnyvale community in Silicon Valley and Foothill College to help grow together with the community. Through this program, GESS participants cultivated the virtues of a global leader. In this volunteer activity, low-income elementary school students and parents from the Sunnyvale community participated in chatbot training led by KAIST students, providing an opportunity to work with underprivileged groups in the local community.
In the final pitching event, the highlight of the program, local venture investors from Silicon Valley were invited as judges and evaluated the pitches for each team's business items. The participating students, who developed their own business models while receiving advice through face-to-face mentoring from a professional accelerator in Silicon Valley, showcased their creative and innovative ideas, presenting themselves as future global entrepreneurs. Merey Makhmutova (BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering) from the K-Bridge team, who won the final pitch, expressed her ambition: “Even before GESS pitch day, our team kept refining the pitch deck as we attended the lectures and benefitted from the mentoring. Our intense teamwork was a significant reason why we ultimately won first prize.” She added that K-Bridge aims to win an award at the upcoming UKC Pitching Competition and expressed her gratitude for being able to participate in this program. Arseniy Kan (BS in Electrical Engineering) from the KAIST Enablers team, who took second place, said, “The 2024 KAIST GESS Program became the most unforgettable and precious opportunity of my lifetime, and I dream of using this opportunity as a stepping stone to becoming a global entrepreneur.“ Additionally, Kangster (CEO Kang Kim), who won the Impact MBA final pitching session, had the opportunity to secure a meeting with a local investment company after their GESS final pitch.
The 2024 KAIST GESS was held in cooperation with the KAIST International Office, the KAIST College of Business, and Startup KAIST. Director Man-Sung Yim from the Office of Global Initiatives, who hosted the event, said, “KAIST students will grow into leaders with global influence and contribute to the international community by creating global value. At the same time, we hope to raise the international status of our university.” Professor Sangchan Park, who led the 17 Impact MBA students in this educational program, added, “Meeting with companies leading the global market and visiting Silicon Valley has been a valuable learning experience for students aiming to start a global startup.”
KAIST plans to continue promoting its global entrepreneurship education program by enriching its curriculum each year and helping students grow into entrepreneurs with the virtues of global leaders.
2024.07.03 View 16405 -
Dr. Bong-Joon Jung Elected as Interim President of KAIST U.S. Alumni Association
On April 29th, 2024, the Office of Global Initiative at KAIST, led by Vice President Man-Sung Yim, successfully conducted the election for the interim president of the KAIST U.S. Alumni Association. The authority to organize and operate the election was delegated by the KAIST U.S. Alumni Interim President Selection Committee Foundation, consisting of Je Woo Kim, Director of KAIST U.S. Foundation; Terri Kim, Director of KAIST U.S. Foundation; and Myungjin Yim, President of the KAIST Silicon Valley Alumni Association.
The election was announced during the KAIST Online U.S. Alumni Event held on December 8th, 2023, with the aim of establishing interim executive principles for six months and ultimately forming the official executive body of the KAIST U.S. Alumni Association.
The election was conducted according to the requirements set by the KAIST U.S. Alumni Interim President Selection Committee Foundation, which stated that "if there is a single candidate, they will be elected if they receive more than half of the votes from participating voters." The voting period lasted from April 13th (Monday) to April 24th (Friday) and was specifically directed towards KAIST alumni living in the Americas.
All 50 eligible voters participated in the election, unanimously supporting Dr. Bong-Joon Jung (Ph.D., admitted in 1993, Department of Electrical Engineering) with a 100% approval rate as the interim president of the KAIST U.S. Alumni Association. Dr. Bong-Joon Jung currently serves as the Senior Technology Analyst and Partner at Ambex Venture Group and previously served as the President of the KAIST Silicon Valley Alumni Association. Dr. Jung expressed his intention to strengthen connections with KAIST alumni in the United States and contribute to the establishment of the U.S. alumni association as the interim president.
< Photo. Newly elected president of interim KAIST U.S. Alumni Association, Dr. Bong-Joon Jung. >
Man-Sung Yim, Vice President of the International Office, congratulated Dr. Bong-Joon Jung on his election and pledged continuous support for the activities of the interim KAIST U.S. Alumni Association, led by alumni. He stated, "The election of the interim president of the KAIST U.S. Alumni Association marks the beginning of active engagement not only from alumni associations in various regions but also from alumni across the Americas, reflecting sustained interest in their alma mater."
2024.04.29 View 9977 -
Center for Global Strategies and Planning Hosts Successful Virtual KAIST U.S. Alumni Connection Event
< Screen capture of the KAIST U.S. Alumni meeting held online on December 8 >
On December 8th, the Center for Global Strategies and Planning at KAIST, led by Vice President Man-Sung Yim of the International Office, conducted a virtual event to bring together KAIST alumni in the United States. The purpose of this event was to showcase KAIST's current initiatives in the U.S., facilitate information exchanges among U.S. alumni, and foster networking opportunities. Over 130 KAIST alumni based in the U.S. registered and attended the event.
The event began with a warm welcome from President Kwang-Hyung Lee, followed by a presentation from Vice President Man-Sung Yim on the current status and vision of KAIST's U.S. collaboration project as well as that of KAIST U.S. Foundation, Inc. Additionally, a distinguished KAIST alumnus, Seok-Hyun Yun, a professor from Harvard Medical School, delivered a keynote speech that highlighted the development of collaborative projects between KAIST and the United States. Alumni Hyun Gook Yoon, a manager at Ford Motor Company, and Eunkwang Joo, CEO of Wasder, also presented recent technological trends in the fields of batteries and blockchain, respectively.
President Kwang-Hyung Lee said, "This event serves as a crucial opportunity to enhance exchanges between KAIST and the U.S., playing a pivotal role in expanding KAIST's global presence." The event also featured small group discussions and networking sessions focusing on revitalizing collaborative efforts between KAIST and the United States.
After the small group discussions, a KAIST alumna and the current president of the Boston KAIST Alumni Association, Jiyoung Lee, shared her belief that the event will provide a meaningful opportunity for KAIST alumni from across the U.S. to come together and build a strong alumni community. Vice President Man-Sung Yim said, "Because collaboration with KAIST alumni in the U.S. is essential for the development of KAIST and innovative science and technology at the global level, we are committed to sustainably organizing meaningful events."
This virtual event for KAIST U.S. alumni has set a new milestone for global networking, marking the beginning of future collaborations and development.
2023.12.08 View 10467 -
2023 Global Startup Internship Seminar (GSIS)
The Center for Global Strategies and Planning at KAIST hosted the 2023 Global Startup Internship Seminar (GSIS) both online and offline from November 29th to December 1st.
Following the success of the 2022 Global Startup Internship Fair (GSIF), the 2023 KAIST GSIS was organized in an enhanced format. This event provided students with the opportunity to explore internship opportunities with U.S. startups. Six startups in the fields of AI, bio, digital healthcare, drones, and e-commerce, Imprimed, Soundable Health, Vessl AI, B Garage, UNEEKOR, and Bringko, all founded by KAIST alumni, were invited. More than 80 KAIST students registered in advance to participate in the event.
The participating companies in this seminar shared who they and what they do and provided career mentoring for KAIST students. Catherine Song, the CEO of Soundable Health and a KAIST alumna, said, "It is very meaningful to introduce our company to KAIST students and provide them with the opportunity to take part in global internships."
In addition to startup company information and mentoring sessions, the seminar included sessions on preparing CVs, cover letters, and business emails for U.S. internships, and how to settle in Silicon Valley. Internship experiences were also shared by current KAIST students. Finally, a J-1 visa information session was conducted, providing useful tips for students preparing for U.S. internships.
Man-Sung Yim, the Vice President of the International Office at KAIST, said, "We hope that KAIST students, who have nurtured a global entrepreneurial spirit through this event, will grow into aspiring entrepreneurs with confidence on the global stage." He also mentioned plans to leverage the success of this event by connecting it with other KAIST global entrepreneurship programs.
2023.12.05 View 11480 -
2023 Global Entrepreneurship Summer School in Silicon Valley Successfully Concluded
< 2023 Silicon Valley Global Entrepreneurship Summer School Participants >
The 2023 KAIST Global Entrepreneurship Summer School (GESS) was successfully held. Co-hosted by the Center for Global Strategies and Planning (GSP) (Director Man-Sung Yim) and the Startup KAIST (Director Hyeonmin Bae), the 2023 KAIST GESS was the second one of the summer programs, repeating the Silicon Valley global entrepreneurship bootcamp of 2022 (2022 GESC), based on industry-academia collaboration. This program was designed to provide students with the opportunity to visit Silicon Valley, the global hub of entrepreneurship, and personally experience the Silicon Valley culture while developing human networks that would serve as a foundation for their overseas startup development.
A total of 20 participants were selected earlier this year, including potential KAISTian entrepreneurs and early-stage entrepreneurs from KAIST within one year of incorporation. In particular, a number of foreign students of various nationalities such as Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Honduras, Indonesia, Philippines, and Kazakhstan, increased significantly, demonstrating the enthusiasm for entrepreneurship across national boundaries along with the program's growing international status. This year's event was also open to 20 Impact MBA and Social Entrepreneur (SE) students from KAIST's College of Business for the Silicon Valley program.
For the past two months, the participants have trained on business model development and pitching at KAIST's main campus in Daejeon. From June 21st to the 30th, they visited the campuses of leading universities, such as, Stanford University, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Berkeley, as well as KOTRA Silicon Valley Trade Center (Manager Hyoung il Kim), and local alumni companies and Apple company to experience the global technology startups. The start-ups by KAIST alums including B Garage (CEO Aiden Kim), ImpriMed (CEO Sungwon Lim), Medic Life Sciences (CEO Kyuho Han), and VESSL AI (CEO Jaeman Ahn) participated in the program and gave lectures and company tours to inspire the participants to have passion to take on the entrepreneurial endeavors and challenges.
On the last day, the participants gave presentations on their team’s business items in front of local venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. After receiving continuous coaching from Silicon Valley's professional accelerators through remote video conferencing and face-to-face mentoring for the last two months, the participants developed their business models and presented their creative and innovative ideas, revealing their potential as future global entrepreneurs. At the final competition, Team Sparky that developed “Snoove” won the first prize. Snoove is a scientifically-proven mattress accessory that applies mild vibration to the mattress to aid users in achieving better sleep, a method previously used to soothe infants.
< GESS Pitching Day Presentation >
Kevin Choi from the Team Sparky said, "Seeing and experiencing the realities of entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, a global startup scene, made me think about the importance of unlearning, challenging, and failing to be a global entrepreneur who contributes to our society." Man-Sung Yim, the Associate Vice President of the International Office, who organized the event added, "Through this experience, we expect KAIST students to grow to become global leaders who would create global values and enhance the international reputation of our university."
Meanwhile, the GSP and Startup KAIST commented that they will to continue to develop the KAIST GESS program to foster prospective entrepreneurs who can compete in the global market based on the success of this program.
2023.07.05 View 16593 -
Professor Yim Appointed As Associate Editor of Nuclear Technology
Professor Man-Sung Yim from the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering was appointed as the associate editor (for the Asian region) of Nuclear Technology ― a leading international research journal of the American Nuclear Society. Professor Yim will serve his term for three years from May 2019.
The American Nuclear Society, established in 1954, is comprised of more than 11,000 global members and aims to advance nuclear science, engineering, and technology while supporting the peaceful and beneficial applications of nuclear energy. Since its first publication in 1971, Nuclear Technology has been a representative journal of the society, reporting state-of-the-art information on all phases of the practical applications of nuclear technology.
Professor Yim is being recognized worldwide for his pioneering nuclear education, research, and policy studies in the fields of non-proliferation, safeguards for severe accident management, and waste management. He served as the head professor of the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering and established the Nonproliferation Education and Research Center (NEREC) at KAIST.
Professor Yim remarked, “Asia has an important role to play at the forefront of the world’s nuclear research considering that nuclear development is most actively being carried out in the Asian region these days.”
2019.05.17 View 12232 -
2017 Summer Nuclear Nonproliferation Education Program
The Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center (NEREC) at KAIST announced its 30 scholarship recipients for the 2017 Summer Nuclear Nonproliferation Education Program on April 18. The six-week program, starting from July 10, will be run in Korea, Japan, and China.
The program provides young global scholars with focused and challenging nuclear nonproliferation studies. Young scholars will be exposed to diverse science and technology policies and practices concurrently conducted in many countries and the future direction for enhancing nuclear nonproliferation. They will participate in a series of seminars, projects, international conferences, and field trips.
Since its launch in 2014, the program has educated 71 young scholars. This year, more than 150 scholars from 37 countries applied for the program, reflecting the growing reputation of the program both at home and abroad. The director of the NEREC, Professor Man-Sung Yim of the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering at KAIST said that young scholars from very prestigious foreign universities have shown strong interest in the program. According to Professor Yim, this year’s recipients are from 26 universities from 16 countries including Harvard University, Oxford University, the National Research Nuclear University of Russia, and the Tokyo Institute of Technology
2017.04.19 View 13045