IBS appoints new president, Doochul Kim, professor emeritus at Seoul National University

-Starting a five-year term on Monday, September 22, 2014-

The Ministry of Science and Technology announced the appointment of Doochul Kim, professor emeritus at Seoul National University (SNU), and a professor at Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), as the new president of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS). Dr. Kim will start his five-year term on Monday, September 22, 2014. 

Born in 1948 in Seoul, Doochul Kim, the new IBS president, is a theoretical physicist who is well-versed in statistical physics. He received a B.S. in electronic engineering from Seoul National University in 1970, and a Sc.D. in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1974 with a focus in statistical physics.

Dr. Kim served as a professor at the College of Natural Sciences at Seoul National University from 1977 to 2010. During this time, he assumed the role of chairman in the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1997 to 1999, as well as from 2000 to 2004, and as director of the BK21 Physics Research Division, a graduate school program, from 1999 to 2006.

From 2010 to June 2013, he was president, as well as a professor, at the School of Computational Sciences at KIAS. Since September 2013, he has been professor emeritus at the College of Natural Sciences at Seoul National University, as well as a professor at KIAS.

Furthermore, Dr. Kim served as the sixth chair of the Natural Sciences Division at the Korea Academy of Science and Technology, as well as chair of the Organizing Committee for the 25th IUPAP International Conference on Statistical Physics.

Dr. Kim has been fully engaged in the science and technology community at home and abroad as a member of the board of directors for the Korean Physics Society (KPS), the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP), and the Korea Academic Research Council, as well as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) at IBS.

His scientific achievements have been recognized through a number of awards, including the Korean Physical Society Best Paper Award (1987), the Korean Physical Society Academic Award (1998), the Seoul National University Education Award (2008), the 58th Seoul City Cultural Award in natural sciences (2009), the 52nd Samil Cultural Award in natural sciences (2011), the 20th Sudang Prize in basic science, etc.

The new IBS president’s research excellence in statistical physics has been acknowledged by the basic science community, along with his capacity for embracing new ideas and sensible leadership, which he demonstrated while advancing KIAS as president. Based on these experiences, and with his deep understanding of basic science, he is expected to lead the development of IBS in the long run and to successfully carry out its mission to operate IBS research centers, build a heavy ion accelerator and other important endeavors.