Former KAIST president Lee Kwang-hyung receives honorary doctorate from Korea National Defense University

Lee Kwang-hyung, the former KAIST president who earned the nickname "commander of the fourth branch — the science military" for bridging science and technology with national defense, has received an honorary doctorate in military science from Korea National Defense University.

According to KAIST, Lee received the degree Thursday at a ceremony marking the university's 71st founding anniversary.

It is only the second time Korea National Defense University has conferred an honorary doctorate in military science since its establishment. The first recipient was Gen. Paik Sun-yup, who received the degree in 2015 on the university's 60th anniversary.

The honorary degree recognizes Lee's contributions during his tenure to advancing the convergence of science and technology with defense and national security — including building an education framework for security and defense science and technology and expanding the civilian-military cooperation base to strengthen the nation's security capabilities.

Since taking office in 2021, Lee built an education, research and cooperation framework connecting science and technology to national security, centered on KAIST's Security Convergence Institute, with the aim of cultivating a science and technology ecosystem for future security.

Through programs targeting major security agencies — including the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Korean National Police Agency and Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) — Lee oversaw training in future strategic technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, space and quantum for a total of about 4,000 practitioners: roughly 3,000 military and defense officials and about 1,000 police officials.

Beyond security professionals, the programs reached about 3,500 service members through software and AI education and about 3,700 children of military families through science camps, bringing the total to more than 11,200 people who received science and technology-based education — contributing to broader digital competency and the expansion of the science and technology base.

Lee also led efforts to build an open cooperation framework in the national security sector. He brought the Army Future Innovation Research Center and an Army AI Center liaison office to KAIST, laying the groundwork for the university and the military to jointly research and apply future strategic technologies in the field.

He also helped establish a research foundation to address emerging security challenges such as cognitive warfare and cybersecurity, and served as vice chairman of the Ministry of National Defense's Special Advisory Committee on Defense Innovation, as well as a policy adviser and defense reform adviser — acting as a bridge between science and technology policy and security policy.

"I believe this degree recognizes the achievements in science and technology-based defense innovation that KAIST members have pursued together," Lee said. "I will continue to do my part so that South Korea's science and technology capabilities can make a real contribution to national security and public safety."

KAIST President Bae Choong-sik also attended Thursday's ceremony to congratulate Lee.

"Former President Lee opened the way for KAIST to contribute to national security by building a cooperation framework that connects science and technology with defense," Bae said. "KAIST will continue to strengthen cooperation with security and defense institutions and expand responsible research and collaboration so that advanced science and technology can contribute to the safety of the nation and its people."