SNU College of Engineering announced on the 12^th that Professor Jo Dong-Il of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has been inaugurated as the President of the IFAC for a three-year term (2023-2026) during the IFAC World Congress held in Yokohama, Japan on the 10^th of July.

Established in 1957 and headquartered in Vienna, Austria, IFAC is the oldest federation in the fields of control, automation, and robotics, which are at the core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. With a membership of 48 countries, it is the largest organization in its field, organizing over 90 international academic conferences in more than 30 countries and publishing 8 top-tier international journals during each three-year period. Furthermore, the IFAC World Congress and conferences involving registered nations are held every three years, attracting approximately 3,500 participants.

The 2023 regular meeting is currently being held in Yokohama, Japan, from July 9th to July 14th. During the opening ceremony, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako delivered a celebratory speech emphasizing the importance of control and robotics technology. They also had a meeting with the IFAC executive committee for about 30 minutes, showing significant interest in the field. Additionally, welcoming speeches were given by Minister Kotaro Kato of the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, Governor Kuroiwa of Kanagawa Prefecture, and Mayor Fumiko Hayashi of Yokohama City. Prime Minister Kishida, who is currently overseas, delivered his congratulatory speech through a substitute.

Professor Cho Dong-Il expressed in his inaugural speech the following: "I hope that this opportunity will be a chance for Korea to become a leading nation in advanced fields of science and industry such as control, robotics, autonomous driving, intelligent factories, and smart energy."

In addition, the upcoming IFAC World Congress is scheduled to be held in August 2026 at BEXCO, Busan, with Professor Hyung-Bo Shim of Seoul National University serving as the Organizing Committee Chair and Professor Hyo-sung Ahn of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology as the Program Committee Chair.

Source: https://ee.snu.ac.kr/community/news?bm=v&bbsidx=53763

Translated by: Do-Hyung Kim, English Editor of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, kimdohyung@snu.ac.kr