Korean researchers selected by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as Young Scientists of class 2019
From left, Sung-Yon Kim (Professor of Department of Chemistry, SNU), Youngmin Kim (Professor of Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SNU), Yongdae Shin (Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, SNU)

The World Economic Forum (also known as the Davos Forum) recognizes researchers under the age of 40 with exceptional research achievements as Young Scientists every year. This year, three Korean researchers were included in the list of Young Scientists of 2019. All three are professors of SNU making it a stand-alone organization with the greatest number of elections.

WEF revealed on the 28th of June, the 21 selected researchers of this year’s Young Scientists adding an explanation that they are the scientists who contributed in expanding the limits of science in the field of health, sustainability, unity and equality.

Research fields of this year’s selected researchers were diverse including: ecology, quantum engineering, physics, material science, biomedical science, and cosmology. The researchers were from 11 different countries such as Korea, Switzerland, Brazil, the United States, India, Singapore, and China. Noticing that 10 researchers were from Asia, 7 from Europe and 4 from America, it is worth recognizing the upswing of Asian researchers. Also, out of the 21 researchers, 13 were women beating the number of men.

In Korea, three professors of SNU, Sungyon Kim from Department of Chemistry, Youngmin Kim from Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Yongdae Shin from Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering were selected. Professor Sungyon Kim works on how the neural circuits are connected and how they exchange signals to suppress basic emotions such as anxiety and appetite. Figuring out the relationship between stress and the act of eating will be able to prevent obesity as the WEF anticipates.

Professor Youngmin Kim studies three-dimensional modeling using 3D sensors for Augmented Reality(AR) and robotics. The goal is to facilitate interaction between human and robots. Professor Yongdae Shin works on physics principles hidden under complicated biological phenomenon and new technologies based on them that can control what happens inside cells. WEF recognized it as a representative field that converges biology, physics, and engineering.

Selected researchers will participate at the 13th Summer WEF from July 1st till the 3rd at Dalian, China. Summer WEF has been held in China alternatively between Dalian and Tianjin since 2007 as a separate event from WEF, which takes place in Davos, Switzerland every year in January.

Source: http://ee.snu.ac.kr/community/news?bm=v&bbsidx=49000
Translated by Kyungjin Lee, English Editor of Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, jin11542@snu.ac.kr