Mayor Kangduk Lee and World-Renowned Scholar Misao Sasaki Unite for the Promotion of Science Culture

Meeting with Misao Sasaki, New Director of the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics
Discussing Practical Cooperation for the Advancement of Basic Science and Nurturing Next-Generation Talent

On the 27th, Kangduk Lee, Mayor of Pohang, met with Misao Sasaki, the newly appointed director of the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), in the International Cooperation Office at Pohang City Hall and congratulated him on his inauguration.

On the 27th, Mayor Kangduk Lee of Pohang met with Misao Sasaki, the newly appointed director of the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics, at the city hall and congratulated him on his inauguration. (From left) Kangduk Lee, Mayor of Pohang; Misao Sasaki, newly appointed director of the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics. Provided by Pohang City

During the meeting, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation for international research exchange and the promotion of science culture, and agreed to seek continuous ways to collaborate in the future.

Director Sasaki is a world-renowned theoretical physicist who completed his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral studies at Kyoto University in Japan. He has gained global recognition for proposing the "Sasaki-Mukhanov variable," a core concept in modern cosmology.

This theory is regarded as a significant achievement that has contributed to explaining the formation and evolution of the structure of the universe.

He has received numerous prestigious academic awards worldwide, including the Humboldt Research Award in Germany in 2008, the Daiwa Adrian Prize in Japan in 2010, and the Lee Hwisoo Prize in Korea in 2024, which is the highest honor in the field of theoretical physics in Korea.

This year, he was also selected as a Fellow of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation (ISGRG), further demonstrating his academic authority.

This fellowship is an honor awarded to only a very limited number of researchers worldwide. Many globally renowned scholars, including the late Stephen Hawking and Professor Roger Penrose, both Nobel Prize in Physics laureates, are also ISGRG Fellows.

During the meeting, Director Sasaki stated, "I hope APCTP will be reborn as an international research platform leading exchanges and joint research among young scientists in the Asia-Pacific region. I also wish to contribute to expanding the foundation of basic science and spreading science culture through close cooperation with Pohang."

Mayor Kangduk Lee said, "I sincerely congratulate Director Sasaki, a world-renowned scholar, on his inauguration. Cooperation with APCTP will be a crucial stepping stone for Pohang to advance as a global science city."

Taking this meeting as an opportunity, Pohang City plans to continuously identify and promote practical cooperative projects with APCTP, including expanding infrastructure for basic science research, nurturing next-generation research talent, and increasing global joint research.

APCTP is the only international theoretical physics research institute in Korea, established in 1996 on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting. Headquartered in Pohang, it actively engages in academic exchange and joint research with 35 partner and agreement institutions in 19 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

In addition, APCTP hosts events such as the "Pohang Family Science Festival" and "Meeting with Scientists" in Pohang, making efforts to spread and popularize science culture.

Mayor Kangdeok Lee and World Renowned Scholar Misao Sasaki Unite in Promoting Science Culture. Photo by Pohang City