KAIST Opens Expanded Meditation Science Research Institute

KAIST is expanding and inaugurating the Meditation Science Research Institute.

On the 3rd, KAIST announced that it will hold an expansion inauguration ceremony for the ‘KAIST Meditation Science Research Institute’ at the Creative Learning Center on its Daejeon campus. The Meditation Science Research Institute was established in 2018 with the mission of ‘convergent research on meditation and science for the happiness and prosperity of humanity.’ Since then, through research collaboration with the newly established Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences in 2022, it has expanded neuroscientific research on meditation and focused on training empathetic educators to lead meditation science.

Provided by KAIST

The expansion was made possible by a donation from SK Discovery Co., Ltd. to provide space for the institute, expanding the institute on the 5th floor of the Creative Learning Center. This space includes advanced research equipment, a meditation science laboratory, a VR·XR-based meditation experience room, a large digital art meditation hall, and individual meditation rooms.

KAIST plans to conduct next-generation meditation research using cutting-edge scientific technologies in the expanded space, including ▲brain-computer interface technology ▲meditation wearable devices ▲metaverse meditation environment construction.

The inauguration ceremony will begin with a national moment of silence to mourn the victims who lost their lives in the recent Jeju Air passenger plane accident, followed by a progress report from the director of the Meditation Science Institute, a lecture by Professor Jeong Jae-seung, and a panel discussion.

At the ceremony, Kim Wan-du, director of the Meditation Science Institute, will present on the theme ‘The Mission, Vision, and Leap Toward the Future of the KAIST Meditation Science Research Institute,’ and Lee Yoo-jin, representative integrated researcher of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, will present ‘Latest Trends in Meditation Science Research.’

Following this, KAIST professors Jeong Jae-seung and Park Hyung-dong from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Park Ji-young from the School of Digital Humanities and Social Sciences will hold a panel discussion and Q&A session on the theme ‘Convergence of Meditation and Brain Cognitive Science.’

Kim Wan-du, director of the Meditation Science Institute, said, “The expansion and reopening of the Meditation Science Research Institute will serve as an opportunity to widely provide meditation programs incorporating cutting-edge scientific technologies such as brain cognitive science not only to KAIST members but also to the general public interested in meditation,” adding, “The Meditation Science Research Institute will continue to devote itself to convergent research on meditation and science.”