KAIST, Caltech launch joint postdoc program to build global research model

KAIST and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) are moving to establish a new global research and talent development model in which the two institutions jointly recruit and supervise postdoctoral researchers.

KAIST announced Wednesday that it held the first KAIST-Caltech Joint Workshop on Molecular Science and Chemical Innovation with Caltech on Tuesday and Wednesday.

At the workshop, the two institutions shared research findings in advanced molecular science and future chemical technology, and discussed ways to build a sustainable cooperation framework spanning joint research, talent development and shared use of research facilities.

The centerpiece of the initiative is the KAIST-Caltech Global Research Fellow (KCGRF) program, under which faculty from both institutions jointly recruit and supervise postdoctoral researchers.

Under the KCGRF model, professors from both sides identify shared research topics and then jointly select and mentor postdoctoral researchers suited to those projects. Participating researchers will gain experience in both institutions' research environments and conduct collaborative work alongside world-class scientists.

The program goes a step beyond conventional international research partnerships — which typically involve collaborating on specific projects — by jointly identifying and nurturing the next generation of researchers. It also serves as a concrete implementation model for KAIST's internationalization strategy, known as "Global Connect."

Caltech is recognized for its world-class research capabilities in basic sciences including chemistry and physics. KAIST plans to combine Caltech's strengths in fundamental science with its own expertise in AI and automation to jointly identify new research directions in future chemistry.

The two institutions plan to hold a joint workshop every year and will pursue faculty matching for co-supervision, identification of postdoctoral candidates and mutual researcher visits. They also intend to establish a sustainable operational framework for the joint supervision program.

The workshop explored collaboration possibilities across six key areas of future chemistry: AI for Chemistry, autonomous laboratories, computational and theoretical chemistry, molecular science, catalysis and synthesis and electrochemistry, and sustainable and circular chemistry.

The two sides are also pursuing joint use of an autonomous laboratory in synthesis and electrochemistry that KAIST is currently developing. The plan calls for a shared AI-assisted research environment — in which AI supports experimental design, execution and data analysis — to expand the speed and scope of research.

Short-term mutual visits for graduate students are also planned. Through these exchanges, the institutions aim to build a network of ties linking graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty, laying the groundwork for sustained new collaborative research beyond one-off partnerships.

KAIST President Bae Choong-sik said the university's international cooperation is about "building relationships where outstanding universities, people and knowledge flow together and grow with each other." He added that KAIST would "expand cooperation with world-class research institutions like Caltech and translate our 'Global Connect' strategy into concrete results."