Korea's Version of the 'Ig Nobel Prize'... KAIST's Nationwide Public Contest for 'Crazy Ideas'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] KAIST is creating a Korean version of the 'Ig Nobel Prize.' The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on the 11th that it will hold the `KAIST Crazy Day Idea Contest` to discover daring challenges that can be executed in a groundbreaking way through public proposals.

KAIST plans to hold the `KAIST Crazy Day` event in May, which will implement ideas that are Crazy, Creative, Challenging, or Caring. The event is intended to be held just one day a year, allowing ideas that are usually difficult to apply to be executed on campus to spread an innovation culture and encourage the creative passion of its members. The contest invites adventurous and creative ideas from the entire nation. It will start on the 14th and run until the 8th of next month. The total prize money is 10 million KRW.

Any idea that is an innovative attempt free from existing customs or formalities, such as ‘Becoming KAIST President for One Day,’ ‘Trying Zero Written Exams Classes,’ ‘Not Researching for the Sake of Research,’ or ‘Calling by Name Instead of Title,’ and that continuously provokes the question ‘Why’ based on free thinking, can be proposed by anyone in the public.

Participation is possible through the KAIST website or the KAIST Institute for Global Strategy website. Each person can submit one entry online, and postal or in-person applications are not accepted. The judging criteria include creativity, innovativeness, progressiveness, feasibility, and public consensus. Final winners will be selected through a three-stage review involving internal and external judges.

One grand prize winner will receive 5 million KRW, and the proposed idea will be implemented at the 'KAIST Crazy Day' event held in May. Additionally, one excellence award winner and three merit award winners will receive 2 million KRW and 1 million KRW respectively.

KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee stated, “Harvard University’s humorous science magazine, the ‘Annals of Improbable Research,’ awards the ‘Ig Nobel Prize’ annually for absurd and eccentric research,” adding, “Considering numerous cases where quirky ideas have led to Nobel Prizes, scientific and technological innovation begins by breaking free from stereotypes and conventional frameworks. We will continue KAIST’s spirit of challenge and experimentation by putting into practice the groundbreaking and innovative ideas proposed by the public.”