UST joins global metrology body IMEKO, eyes world-class R&D talent

The University of Science and Technology (UST) has officially joined the International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO), the world's largest international organization for measurement science and technology. Together with the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), UST will now work in earnest to develop global R&D talent in measurement standards and expand international research cooperation.

UST announced Wednesday that it received approval as an official member institution at the 70th IMEKO General Assembly, held in Thailand on Tuesday.

Founded in 1958, IMEKO is the leading international body in measurement and instrumentation science and technology. National standards institutes and major academic societies from more than 40 countries participate as members, driving research and international exchange in measurement and instrumentation technologies that underpin advanced industries. In South Korea, KRISS has long served as the primary member institution.

With this membership, UST will strengthen its efforts to develop advanced R&D talent in measurement standards alongside KRISS, one of its affiliated schools. The university plans to actively recruit outstanding graduate students from Eastern European countries — including Hungary and the Czech Republic — into its master's and doctoral programs by leveraging the researcher and staff networks of IMEKO member institutions.

UST also plans to deepen ties between IMEKO and its own international academic conference, USTIC (Unlimited Science & Technology International Conference). The university intends to invite world-renowned scholars and researchers from member institutions to deliver special lectures and participate in academic and research exchange sessions, broadening its international collaborative research network.

UST will also work to strengthen the global research capabilities of its current students. It plans to expand overseas training and joint research programs that send students in the measurement and instrumentation field to top IMEKO member institutions around the world, supporting them in gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge measurement technologies and building international research networks.

"We will strengthen cooperation with IMEKO, the world's most prestigious measurement technology network, drawing on synergies with the KRISS school," UST President Kang Dae-im said. "We will expand opportunities to recruit outstanding overseas talent and broaden global research exchange for our current students, nurturing world-class convergence talent in the field of measurement standards."

Meanwhile, UST and KRISS plan to jointly bid to host the IMEKO World Congress in South Korea in 2033.