Lee Sedol Appointed Special Professor at UNIST... "Fusion of AI and Baduk"

AI Consulting, Special Lectures, and External Exchange Activities
Three-Year Term Until February 2028

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) announced on the 16th that former professional Go player Lee Sedol has been appointed as a special professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the College of Engineering (concurrently serving at the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence).

According to UNIST, Lee Sedol will begin his term on the 17th and serve as a special professor for three years until February 2028. He plans to contribute to UNIST's research capabilities and educational innovation through research that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and Go. Additionally, he will promote UNIST's achievements through AI consulting, special lectures, and external exchange activities.

Starting from the first semester, he will co-teach a course titled "Board Game Development for Scientists with Professor Lee Sedol" alongside Professor Kangsoo Lee of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. This class was designed to utilize Lee Sedol's experience in creating Go-based board games for student education. Students interested in board game development will participate for one year, receiving mentoring from Lee Sedol to produce results. Lee Sedol said, "I want to share the experience of combining scientific thinking and creativity through board games with the students."

The official appointment ceremony will be held on the 20th, and on the 24th, he will give a leadership special lecture to 500 new undergraduate students for the 2025 academic year, based on his experience in AI Go matches. Previously, in September last year, Lee Sedol also gave a lecture at UNIST on "The Impact and Changes of Artificial Intelligence on the Go Community."

Park Jongrae, President of UNIST, said, "Collaboration with Professor Lee will provide students with a new framework for thinking," adding, "We expect his original and strategic way of thinking to bring new vitality to UNIST's research and education."