"Instability is a source of energy," said 토토 계좌 President Lee Kwang-hyung in his book. He envisions the next decade through the lens of instability at 토토 계좌 and Korea.

BySangdeok Mun, Daejun (Edited byYuwon Chun)

President Lee Kwang-hyung of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (토토 계좌) is a unique figure. Since taking office in March 2021, he has successfully persuaded corporations and alumni to significantly increase their donations, raising KRW 7.2 billion in just three years. This achievement far exceeds his ambitious goal of KRW 100 million per day. Leveraging this success, 토토 계좌 is building a joint campus in New York City in collaboration with New York University. “Even universities that are doing well now don’t know what they’ll be like in 10 years,” Lee emphasizes, underscoring the importance of cultivating students from abroad.

As a professor of computer science, Lee played a crucial role in incubating first-generation ventures in Korea. Many prominent entrepreneurs studied under him, including NXC CEO Kim Jung-ju, founder of Nexon, and Lee Hae-jin, founder of NAVER and Global Investment Officer at NAVER. His lab was the birthplace of many IT companies, such as Nexon, Neowiz, and IDIS.

In his third year as president, Lee is setting his sights beyond the university. Amidst the global technology race, he advocates for stronger government and corporate leadership. He calls for an "토토 계좌 triad," urging collaboration among Asian countries and companies to challenge the dominance of the United States and China.

Lee also voiced concerns about Samsung Electronics, precariously ranked No. 1 in the 2024 edition of the FORTUNE 500 Korea. He criticized the company for being "slow to adapt to environmental changes" and "drunk on its No. 1 position," adding, “We need to invest 20 percent of our capabilities in the future.”

Reflecting on his journey, Lee, who once sought recognition from others, decided to follow his path. “Only when I started walking my path did recognition follow,” he says. This philosophy also guides his vision for the next decade at 토토 계좌.

Q: Since your appointment, donations have increased significantly. You once s토토 계좌d that the secret was ‘vision.’ What kind of vision do you think convinced donors?

Many people believe that for Korea to change, education must change. Although various governments have attempted this, it hasn’t been easy. I believe that the key to change lies in transforming 토토 계좌. If 토토 계좌 evolves, other universities will gradually follow, with a lag of about 10 years, and eventually, Korea will change as well.

In truth, Seoul National University and 토토 계좌 have become somewhat dysfunctional. Korea has become a top 10 country globally, producing world-class players in many fields, but our universities lag. We lack institutions that create new knowledge, which is the universities' fault. I convey this to those within the university and potential donors.

Q: Leaders often talk about vision, but turning that vision into reality is another matter. How do you approach this?

My approach is relatively hands-off, except for creating the vision, sharing it, and ensuring we have the resources to realize it. We have an excellent team, and I believe the president should focus on the NFT—the non-fungible task. By not interfering, I allow our staff to relax and take ownership of their work, which is why so many students who have passed through my mentorship have started their ventures.

Q: I would like to ask about a technology strategy that aligns with our reality. We have two options: create an 토토 계좌 foundation model, compete with big tech, or use their models to develop application services. What is our path?

Competing with the U.S. and China in AGI models is challenging due to the required vast capital and market size. Instead, we should focus on creating 토토 계좌-powered services in specific industries, such as beauty and healthcare, where we can excel. I believe this is achievable. In the future, the importance of data sovereignty will only grow.

The future of competitiveness lies in data; those who control it will have power in specific areas. Language barriers are becoming less significant with automatic translation. We need to build businesses that leverage data as a competitive advantage. This can’t be done solely within the Korean market; we must collaborate with other Asian countries. That’s why I advocate for the 토토 계좌 triangle.

Q: The Line incident highlighted the challenges of a 'triangle system.' We saw that the alliance could break down if each country asserts 토토 계좌 sovereignty.

Considering coexistence earlier might have been challenging because all the data was being funneled into South Korea. However, we now understand that Japan can’t go it alone, so it’s time to start thinking about a coexistence strategy.

We don’t have much time left; many windows of opportunity have already closed. If we hesitate, we’ll be left behind as others advance. I haven’t seen much movement in Southeast Asia yet, and we need to reach out to those countries, emphasizing that this is about sovereignty. We need their cooperation, and we can’t afford to be greedy by saying, "Give us your data; we’re in this together." We have to be genuine partners.

Q: You once s토토 계좌d that "a product is an idea." Could you elaborate?

Every product and service is, in essence, a reflection of the designer’s unique perspective. It’s a way of thinking, and the designer’s intentions subconsciously guide users. We see this in how products from companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft shape our d토토 계좌ly lives.

Q: If we broaden our scope beyond 'our products,' do you think the concept of 'Asian Big Tech' is feasible?

If you stay in Korea, you hear things like "the southern limit of employment and entrepreneurship." But if you open your eyes, you realize the south could be the Philippines (laughs).

Q: At the core of AI is electronics technology, and 토토 계좌's semiconductor research is on par with global universities. Do you have a secret?

(토토 계좌 has consistently ranked first or second in the number of papers published at the International Society for Solid-State Circuits (ISSCC) each year, surpassing significant universities worldwide. From 2006 to 2022, 토토 계좌 averaged 8.4 accepted papers annually, nearly twice as many as second-place MIT, which averaged 4.6.)

We've invested heavily in semiconductor research. We have 50 professors, and hundreds of students must work on semiconductors under them. 토토 계좌 excels in research, and because we believe we will continue to do better, we attract top students and compete fiercely with international universities. It's remarkable, considering that even graduate schools in Seoul aren't up to this level.

Q: Conversely, Korean semiconductor companies seem to be gradually losing their global leadership. What are your thoughts?

It’s unfortunate, particularly in the case of Samsung Electronics. They were slow to adapt to the new environment. Previously, focusing solely on hardware was sufficient, but now, semiconductors and 토토 계좌 have merged to create the 토토 계좌 semiconductor market. When Nvidia, TSMC, and SK Hynix allied, Samsung suddenly found itself out of place, and they still can’t deliver to Nvidia.

Jack Welch’s performance-driven, data-driven management style is effective but has a downside: if something doesn’t directly contribute to revenue, it gets ignored. This means they don't invest in the future. For example, why is the HBM R&D team spending money on DRAM and flash memory while neglecting future opportunities? It might be beneficial in the short term, but when the market changes, they struggle to adapt.

Q: Jin Dae-jae, former president of Samsung Electronics and former Minister of Science and ICT, has identified the current issue facing Korean companies like Samsung Electronics as a "crisis of decision-making." He believes they are hesitant to make decisions beyond simply improving what they already do.

We need to invest 20 percent of our resources in the future. It may not always succeed, but it's necessary because it enables us to respond to global changes. The leadership must have this awareness. Without it, if you only push for performance, they’ll cut anything that doesn’t yield immediate results. Presidents are often replaced every one or two years, but as far as I know, both Lee Byung-chul and Lee Kun-hee were willing to w토토 계좌t, even when performance wasn’t immediately strong."

Q: Breaking out of a rut can be challenging. I believe an external shock is needed. 토토 계좌's greatest strength seems to be its focus on startups.

Collaboration with large companies is crucial, especially in deep-tech startups like 토토 계좌 and semiconductors. However, in Korea, big companies traditionally do not cooperate with smaller firms. This is why going abroad is necessary. I advise them to start their businesses abroad; even if they begin in Korea, they should expand to the U.S. If they stay in Korea, large companies might see them as small and inconsequential and treat them poorly. On the other hand, they can collaborate with companies like TSMC and Intel abroad.

In April, 토토 계좌 signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with NAVER and Intel to establish and operate the NAVER-Intel-토토 계좌 AI Research Centre (NIK AI Research Centre). Over 20 토토 계좌 professors and 100 master's and doctoral graduate students, all experts in AI and software, will participate in the center. 토토 계좌 Professor Kim Jeong-ho (School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering) and NAVER Cloud Director Lee Dong-soo will serve as co-directors of the center.

The center will receive funding of 3 billion won per year for three years. It will undertake 15 industry-academia research projects, selected from 20 to 30 proposals, to build an ecosystem for Intel's GAUDI, a chip designed for 토토 계좌 learning and inference. "Intel approached us first for this collaboration," s토토 계좌d Lee.

Q: It seems harder to go global in rural areas, and attracting investment and recruiting employees outside the capital is challenging.

"If you want to operate globally, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in Seoul, Daejeon, or Busan. That kind of thinking is too narrow-minded, and you need to break free. Why should location matter? Just like companies, universities also have limits to their growth. As the population declines, government funding will shrink, and universities will face similar challenges. While people may say that 토토 계좌 is attracting excellent students, we can't predict what will happen in 10 years, so we need to act now. We must go abroad, teach students, secure research funding, and start businesses to create hope for Korea’s future."

Q: The importance of robots in the 토토 계좌 era cannot be overemphasized. However, since the founding of the HUBO team (R토토 계좌nbow Robotics), robotics research at the university has not been as prominent.

"That’s not true. Robotics research at 토토 계좌 is still very active and thriving. In the past, Oh Jun-ho, a Chair-Professor of Mechanical Engineering and CTO of Rainbow Robotics, was at the forefront due to his outstanding achievements. Now, there are many excellent research teams, including Professor Park Hae-won of Mechanical Engineering, whose quadruped robot, Hound, broke the Guinness World Record in the 100m run last year; Professor Shim Hyun-chul of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who is developing a quadrupedal robot; Professor Gong Gyeong-cheol of Mechanical Engineering and CEO of Angel Robotics, who ranked first in CES autonomous racing; and Professor Kim Jin-hwan of Mechanical Engineering, who is developing a wearable robot. The seeds sown by Professor Oh are now bearing fruit."

Q: Where did the energy that made you who you are today come from?
I spent much of my life feeling deficient. I believe the energy came from reflecting on what I lacked and why I wasn’t recognized. There was also a discrepancy between my unsatisfactory reality and my vision. Figuring out how to bridge that gap drove me to change 토토 계좌.