"Leap to a Research-Oriented University"... Dong-A University Hosts 4th Phase BK21 Graduate School Innovation Project Conference

Education Research Group and Graduate Students Share Outstanding Research Achievements

Dong-A University (President Lee Hae-woo) has concluded the ‘4th Phase BK21 Graduate School Innovation Project Conference’.

About 70 people, including President Lee Hae-woo, Graduate School Dean and BK21 General Project Director Park Sang-won, BK21 education and research team members, and graduate students participating in the Graduate School Innovation Project, attended the conference held on the 7th at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Songdo, Busan.

The conference was held to share the latest research achievements of the BK21 project education and research teams from last year and graduate students, and to create an opportunity to leap forward as a ‘research-oriented university’.

Dong-A University was selected for four education and research teams and two education and research groups in the 4th phase BK21 project in 2020, and was also selected last year in the ‘Graduate School Innovation’ area, leading efforts to enhance research capabilities in core academic fields and foster the next generation of scholars.

Participants of the '4th Phase BK21 Graduate School Innovation Project Conference' are taking a commemorative photo.

The keynote lecture was delivered by Professor Lee Jung-jae, Director of the ICT Convergence Marine Smart City Disaster Prevention Human Resources Training Education and Research Team, under the theme ‘DAU - Leap to a Research-Oriented University, Challenges and Tasks for the Future’.

Professor Lee said, “To leap to a research-oriented university, strategies to enhance graduate school competitiveness are needed, such as attracting excellent graduate students including international students and securing full-time faculty in the Fourth Industrial Revolution fields.”

He also proposed “a graduate school specialization strategy through an open and convergent system, and the establishment of the ‘Advanced Convergence Technology Institute’ as a hub center in the southeastern region for advanced convergence education and research in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

Topic lectures by each education and research team followed, sharing the latest research achievements, trends, and future issues of the BK21 project.

Professors Yoon Jin-ho (Academic-Industry-Hospital-Network Based Degenerative Disease New Drug Development Talent Training Project Team), Lee Jong-ho (Future Environment Bio-defense Convergence Project Team), Choi Kyu-hwan (Global Tourism SDGs Education and Research Team), Kim Soo-hwan (Southeastern Region Settled Ultra-precision Chemical Materials Engineer Training Education and Research Team), Ryu Min-ho (Smart Governance Education and Research Team for Smart City Implementation), and Ki Sung-hoon (ICT Convergence Marine Smart City Disaster Prevention Human Resources Training Education and Research Team) presented the status of their respective project teams.

Following this, presentations and awards by graduate students participating in the BK21 project were held.

Graduate students Park Soo-hwan (Future Environment Bio-defense Convergence Project Team), Park Na-young (Academic-Industry-Hospital-Network Based Degenerative Disease New Drug Development Talent Training Project Team), and Cho Yeon-su (Southeastern Region Settled Ultra-precision Chemical Materials Engineer Training Education and Research Team), who published papers in the top 5% journals, presented outstanding research achievements. They also received a special research scholarship of 5 million KRW.

Graduate students Park Ji-hyun (Future Environment Bio-defense Convergence Project Team), Reza Asriandi Ikaputra (ICT Convergence Marine Smart City Disaster Prevention Human Resources Training Education and Research Team), Moon Ji-hyun (Southeastern Region Settled Ultra-precision Chemical Materials Engineer Training Education and Research Team), Han Ji-eun (Academic-Industry-Hospital-Network Based Degenerative Disease New Drug Development Talent Training Project Team), Kim So-hee (Smart Governance Education and Research Team for Smart City Implementation), and Jang Ji-hyun (Global Tourism SDGs Education and Research Team) were selected as excellent BK21 participating graduate students and received scholarships of 1 million KRW.

In addition, the event included an award ceremony for outstanding graduate student papers and the DAU-Convergence Academic Research Poster Exhibition.

In his welcoming remarks, President Lee Hae-woo said, “I sincerely thank the general project team and education and research team members who have successfully led the BK21 project, and I also appreciate the participating graduate students for contributing not only to their personal academic growth but also to the development of the graduate school.”

President Lee added, “Dong-A University will do its best to nurture ‘Hidden Champions’ by focusing support on graduate student education and research, centered on departments participating in the BK21 project.”