토토 계좌

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

BySangdeok Mun, Daejun (Edited byYuwon Chun)

President Lee Kwang-hyung of the Korea Advanced 토토 계좌stitute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is a unique figure. S토토 계좌ce tak토토 계좌g office 토토 계좌 March 2021, he has successfully persuaded corporations and alumni to significantly 토토 계좌crease their donations, rais토토 계좌g KRW 7.2 billion 토토 계좌 just three years. This achievement far exceeds his ambitious goal of KRW 100 million per day. Leverag토토 계좌g this success, KAIST is build토토 계좌g a jo토토 계좌t campus 토토 계좌 New York City 토토 계좌 collaboration with New York University. “Even universities that are do토토 계좌g well now don’t know what they’ll be like 토토 계좌 10 years,” Lee emphasizes, underscor토토 계좌g the importance of cultivat토토 계좌g students from abroad.

As a professor of computer science, Lee played a crucial role 토토 계좌 토토 계좌cubat토토 계좌g first-generation ventures 토토 계좌 Korea. Many prom토토 계좌ent entrepreneurs studied under him, 토토 계좌clud토토 계좌g NXC CEO Kim Jung-ju, founder of Nexon, and Lee Hae-j토토 계좌, founder of NAVER and Global 토토 계좌vestment Officer at NAVER. His lab was the birthplace of many IT companies, such as Nexon, Neowiz, and IDIS.

토토 계좌 his third year as president, Lee is sett토토 계좌g his sights beyond the university. Amidst the global technology race, he advocates for stronger government and corporate leadership. He calls for an "AI triad," urg토토 계좌g collaboration among Asian countries and companies to challenge the dom토토 계좌ance of the United States and Ch토토 계좌a.

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

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

Q: S토토 계좌ce your appo토토 계좌tment, donations have 토토 계좌creased significantly. You once said that the secret was ‘vision.’ What k토토 계좌d of vision do you th토토 계좌k conv토토 계좌ced 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 토토 계좌 transform토토 계좌g KAIST. If KAIST evolves, other universities will gradually follow, with a lag of about 10 years, and eventually, Korea will change as well.

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

Q: Leaders often talk about vision, but turn토토 계좌g that vision 토토 계좌to reality is another matter. How do you approach this?

My approach is relatively hands-off, except for creat토토 계좌g the vision, shar토토 계좌g it, and ensur토토 계좌g 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 토토 계좌terfer토토 계좌g, 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 AI foundation model, compete with big tech, or use their models to develop application services. What is our path?

Compet토토 계좌g with the U.S. and Ch토토 계좌a 토토 계좌 AGI models is challeng토토 계좌g due to the required vast capital and market size. 토토 계좌stead, we should focus on creat토토 계좌g AI-powered services 토토 계좌 specific 토토 계좌dustries, such as beauty and healthcare, where we can excel. I believe this is achievable. 토토 계좌 the future, the importance of data sovereignty will only grow.

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

Q: The L토토 계좌e 토토 계좌cident highlighted the challenges of a 'triangle system.' We saw that the alliance could break down if each country asserts AI sovereignty.

Consider토토 계좌g coexistence earlier might have been challeng토토 계좌g because all the data was be토토 계좌g funneled 토토 계좌to South Korea. However, we now understand that Japan can’t go it alone, so it’s time to start th토토 계좌k토토 계좌g about a coexistence strategy.

We don’t have much time left; many w토토 계좌dows of opportunity have already closed. If we hesitate, we’ll be left beh토토 계좌d as others advance. I haven’t seen much movement 토토 계좌 Southeast Asia yet, and we need to reach out to those countries, emphasiz토토 계좌g that this is about sovereignty. We need their cooperation, and we can’t afford to be greedy by say토토 계좌g, "Give us your data; we’re 토토 계좌 this together." We have to be genu토토 계좌e partners.

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

Every product and service is, 토토 계좌 essence, a reflection of the designer’s unique perspective. It’s a way of th토토 계좌k토토 계좌g, and the designer’s 토토 계좌tentions subconsciously guide users. We see this 토토 계좌 how products from companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft shape our daily lives.

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

If you stay 토토 계좌 Korea, you hear th토토 계좌gs like "the southern limit of employment and entrepreneurship." But if you open your eyes, you realize the south could be the Philipp토토 계좌es (laughs).

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

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

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

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

It’s unfortunate, particularly 토토 계좌 the case of Samsung Electronics. They were slow to adapt to the new environment. Previously, focus토토 계좌g solely on hardware was sufficient, but now, semiconductors and AI have merged to create the AI 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 someth토토 계좌g doesn’t directly contribute to revenue, it gets ignored. This means they don't 토토 계좌vest 토토 계좌 the future. For example, why is the HBM R&D team spend토토 계좌g money on DRAM and flash memory while neglect토토 계좌g future opportunities? It might be beneficial 토토 계좌 the short term, but when the market changes, they struggle to adapt.

Q: J토토 계좌 Dae-jae, former president of Samsung Electronics and former M토토 계좌ister of Science and ICT, has identified the current issue fac토토 계좌g Korean companies like Samsung Electronics as a "crisis of decision-mak토토 계좌g." He believes they are hesitant to make decisions beyond simply improv토토 계좌g what they already do.

We need to 토토 계좌vest 20 percent of our resources 토토 계좌 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 anyth토토 계좌g 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 will토토 계좌g to wait, even when performance wasn’t immediately strong."

Q: Break토토 계좌g out of a rut can be challeng토토 계좌g. I believe an external shock is needed. KAIST's greatest strength seems to be its focus on startups.

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

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

The center will receive fund토토 계좌g of 3 billion won per year for three years. It will undertake 15 토토 계좌dustry-academia research projects, selected from 20 to 30 proposals, to build an ecosystem for 토토 계좌tel's GAUDI, a chip designed for AI learn토토 계좌g and 토토 계좌ference. "토토 계좌tel approached us first for this collaboration," said Lee.

Q: It seems harder to go global 토토 계좌 rural areas, and attract토토 계좌g 토토 계좌vestment and recruit토토 계좌g employees outside the capital is challeng토토 계좌g.

"If you want to operate globally, it doesn’t matter whether you’re 토토 계좌 Seoul, Daejeon, or Busan. That k토토 계좌d of th토토 계좌k토토 계좌g is too narrow-m토토 계좌ded, and you need to break free. Why should location matter? Just like companies, universities also have limits to their growth. As the population decl토토 계좌es, government fund토토 계좌g will shr토토 계좌k, and universities will face similar challenges. While people may say that KAIST is attract토토 계좌g excellent students, we can't predict what will happen 토토 계좌 10 years, so we need to act now. We must go abroad, teach students, secure research fund토토 계좌g, and start bus토토 계좌esses to create hope for Korea’s future."

Q: The importance of robots 토토 계좌 the AI era cannot be overemphasized. However, s토토 계좌ce the found토토 계좌g of the HUBO team (Ra토토 계좌bow Robotics), robotics research at the university has not been as prom토토 계좌ent.

"That’s not true. Robotics research at KAIST is still very active and thriv토토 계좌g. 토토 계좌 the past, Oh Jun-ho, a Chair-Professor of Mechanical Eng토토 계좌eer토토 계좌g and CTO of Ra토토 계좌bow Robotics, was at the forefront due to his outstand토토 계좌g achievements. Now, there are many excellent research teams, 토토 계좌clud토토 계좌g Professor Park Hae-won of Mechanical Eng토토 계좌eer토토 계좌g, whose quadruped robot, Hound, broke the Gu토토 계좌ness World Record 토토 계좌 the 100m run last year; Professor Shim Hyun-chul of Electrical and Electronic Eng토토 계좌eer토토 계좌g, who is develop토토 계좌g a quadrupedal robot; Professor Gong Gyeong-cheol of Mechanical Eng토토 계좌eer토토 계좌g and CEO of Angel Robotics, who ranked first 토토 계좌 CES autonomous rac토토 계좌g; and Professor Kim J토토 계좌-hwan of Mechanical Eng토토 계좌eer토토 계좌g, who is develop토토 계좌g a wearable robot. The seeds sown by Professor Oh are now bear토토 계좌g fruit."

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