Keimyung University professor wins top prize at Ministry of Science and ICT research contest

Keimyung University announced Wednesday that Lee Jong-won, a professor in its architecture department, won the top prize at the inaugural "My Research Challenge" competition hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity held the final round of the competition Tuesday at SKT31 Convention in Seoul, evaluating presentations by 12 finalists and selecting six winners.

Lee took the grand prize — the highest honor — receiving a ministerial commendation from the deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT along with prize money of 5 million won ($3,730).

At the event, Lee presented his research experience under the theme "Science That Begins with Communication," focusing on efforts to address housing environment problems faced by vulnerable communities.

During the research process, he developed a low-cost sensor capable of measuring residential conditions, but encountered unexpected obstacles when attempting to deploy it in the field. Residents who were the subjects of the study raised concerns about privacy exposure from the sensor installation, revealing the limits of relying on technological solutions alone to advance the research.

The experience prompted Lee to fundamentally rethink his approach to research.

He began collaborating with social workers and civic organizations, and introduced a citizen science model in which residents moved beyond being passive research subjects to actively participating in the research process itself.

Through his own experience, Lee conveyed that even the most advanced technology a researcher proposes cannot function in the field without the trust and engagement of the people who actually use it.

"I hope this award gives me the opportunity to share not only the outcomes of my research, but also the value of the communication and trial and error I encountered along the way," Lee said.