KIST, Sogang University join hands to train talent in semiconductors, hydrogen and space

A government-funded research institute and a university have joined forces to develop key national technologies in semiconductors, clean hydrogen and composite materials for space applications.

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology announced Thursday that it signed an MOU with Sogang University to pursue joint research and train core talent in the three fields.

The agreement combines KIST's advanced research infrastructure with Sogang University's education capabilities to advance both national technology development and the training of specialized personnel at the same time.

The two institutions agreed to cooperate on joint participation in national research and development projects, exchange of research personnel, shared use of research facilities, and the operation of education programs for professional development.

The partnership is drawing attention particularly for its aim to build a "national mission-driven research-education collaboration model" that directly involves talented university students in research challenges of urgent national importance.

KIST currently operates seven mission-oriented research centers dedicated to solving key national research challenges. Three of them — covering semiconductors, clean hydrogen and space composite materials — are set to conduct joint research and share facilities with Sogang University faculty and students.

Sogang University will expand student participation in joint research across relevant departments and use the Sogang-Pangyo Digital Innovation Campus, which opened in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province last year, as a hub for hands-on semiconductor education and industry-academia collaboration.

Through the arrangement, students are expected to build research capabilities by participating in actual national technology development, while KIST anticipates identifying promising researchers at an early stage.

KIST said it plans to use the agreement as a springboard to accelerate a broader shift in its research model — moving away from individual research toward collective, convergence-based research aimed at solving national challenges.

"KIST has been transitioning from individual research to collective research to fulfill national missions, and has expanded cooperation with universities as part of open innovation," KIST President Oh Sang-rok said. "We will actively work to ensure that Sogang University's talented students can participate directly in key national research in semiconductors, clean hydrogen and space composite materials, and grow into experts in those fields."

Sogang University President Shim Jong-hyeok said the partnership with KIST, which has long led the country's science and technology efforts, "will serve as an opportunity to further strengthen Sogang's research and education capabilities." Shim added that the university would "actively support students so they can participate directly in key national research projects and grow into the talent that will lead future industries."