The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) are holding a ceremony on September 10 at SKKU’s Natural Science Campus in Suwon to celebrate the completion of the N Center and to welcome the two IBS Centers for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINP) and Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR) which will reside there. An international conference will also be held from September 10 to 11 titled “2015 IBS Conference at SKKU: Nano Science & Neuroimaging”.

“N” in the center’s official title represents Nanostructure and Neuroscience, denoting the two Centers that will take up residence at the campus. The complex is composed of three buildings and its total gross floor is 27,570 m2. This large-scale research facility is expected to enable more focused group research for basic science.

Approximately 200 guests will attend the ceremony; Jung-Don Seo, Chief Director of SKKU Foundation; Kyu-Sang Jung, President of SKKU; Doochul Kim, President of IBS; Dong-Keun Kim, Deputy Mayor of Suwon City; Jae-Moon Park, Director of R&D Policy at the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning; Young Hee Lee, Director of CINP and Seoung-Gi Kim, Director of the CNIR.

“At this N Center, outstanding scientists will immerse themselves in their research,” said IBS President Doochul Kim. He went on, “I expect the passion and creativity of researchers will be stimulated and lead to a great deal of new knowledge.”

“With N Center, SKKU will be a breeding ground for talented scientists and world-leading research in nanostructure and brain science,” said SKKU President Kyu-Sang Jung. “We hope our effort will lead to the first Korean Nobel Prize winner,” he added.

Meanwhile, renowned scholars from Korea and abroad will attend the 2015 IBS Conference at SKKU: Nano Science & Neuroimaging which coincides with the opening of the N Center.

The participating scholars and experts will share the latest research outcomes on graphenes, carbon nanotubes, thermoelectric modules, neuroscience imaging and other topics.

Prof. Tom Gregorkiewicz (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands), Dr. Hideo Hosono (Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo) and Prof. Zhongfan Liu (Peking University, Beijing) are among the 30 speakers invited for the neuroscience symposium of the conference. Eight speakers including Prof. Inah Lee and Prof. Sang-Hoon Lee (Seoul National University, Korea) are invited for the neuroimaging symposium.

Note for Editors

For further information or to request media assistance, please contact:
Mr. Shi Bo Shim, Head of Department of Communications, Institute for Basic Science
(+82-42-878-8189; sibo@ibs.re.kr)

About the Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
IBS was founded in 2011 by the government of the Republic of Korea with the sole purpose of driving forward the development of basic science in Korea. It comprises a total of 50 research centers in all fields of basic science, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, life science, earth science and interdisciplinary science. IBS has launched 25 research centers as of September 2015.There are eight physics, one mathematics, six chemistry, eight life science, and two interdisciplinary research centers.

The Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINP) is one of the leading research groups in the field of 2D materials. It identifies new physical phenomena to attain fundamental technology on materials and to build next-generation electronics.

The Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR) conducts research to unravel the mysteries of the brain through high-tech neuroimaging tools. Its research purpose is to identify the brain’s anatomical and functional connectivity and physiological mechanisms between human behavior and neural networks.

(Bird-Eye View of IBS-SKKU N Center)