Happy New Year 2024 to all IBS members.
The year of the Blue Dragon (갑진년, 甲辰年) has begun. As the dragon is a symbol of strength, wisdom and good fortune, I wish you a great year ahead in your professional and personal lives.
Reflecting back on the year 2023, the Chinese idiom Dasadanan (다사다난, 多事多難) aptly encapsulates this eventful period. Despite numerous setbacks and challenges, IBS has successfully accomplished great feats.
Last year marked a notable step towards our goal of becoming the national basic science hub. Our newly established research systems, Clusters and Institutes are taking firm root with the launch of the Particle and Nuclear Physics Institute and the Life Science Institute in IBS HQ followed by IBS Institute for Biomedical Science and Chemistry in KAIST and IBS Institute for Condensed Matter Science in POSTECH. Specifically, today is a meaningful day as we celebrate the launch of the Convergence Science Institute in UNIST.
The completion of a IBS research building at both KAIST and POSTECH and the relocation of those Centers exemplify our commitment to building a comprehensive national basic science research system. My sincere gratitude goes to directors and members of the Office of Facilities and Construction Management. Continuing this momentum, we have initiated the second phase of IBS HQ construction.
Having celebrated first and second anniversaries of the Institute for Rare Isotope Science and the Korea Virus Research Institute, respectively, which were strategically designed to promote basic science, they have entered into a stable operation phase after completing key research facility construction. The Institute for Rare Isotope Science, under public scrutiny since 2011, achieved a milestone last year by successfully accelerating Ar beam and withdrawing it through the entire low-energy section. From the second half of this year, the facility may be open for external users. Simultaneously, the Korea Virus Research Institute completed the construction of the ABSL-3 facilities and began its operation of experiments. Notably, the ABSL-3 stands as our second major research asset in bio science following the cryo-EM. My sincere gratitude extends to Directors HONG Seung Woo and CHOL Young Ki, along with researchers and administrative staff of the two Institutes.
In addition to these remarkable achievements, I am very proud to share that our researchers have increased our understanding of nature, with world-class research outcomes last year. These outcomes are the result of our commitment to innovative and adventurous research: specifically the creation of a novel electron-spin qubit platform, ushering in a new era of atomic-scale control in quantum information science; the reconstruction of early human history through supercomputer created climate simulations and paleo-anthropological evidence; and the discovery of new regulatory RNA elements, “K5” with potential applications in RNA-based gene therapy and vaccinations.
The unrelenting ambition and hard work of out researchers made these achievements possible. Their globally acclaimed feats of ingenuity have garnered recognition not only in Korea but around the world: Director KOH Gou Young of the Center for Vascular Research received the Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea; Director Andreas HEINRICH of the Center of Quantum Nanoscience was honored with the Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; Director HYEON Taeghwan was elected as International Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Additionally, seven of our researchers were Highly Cited Researchers, which means they are the top 1% of cited researchers globally.
Dear IBS members,
In 2024, as my final year in office as the IBS President, I am committed to sustaining the momentum generated in the last four years in fostering innovation and prosperity for IBS. I am dedicated to ensuring the successful implementation of the following initiatives:
Starting this year, dedicated effort will be directed towards nurturing mid-career scientists poised to take leadership roles. Until now, Centers have successfully laid a solid operational foundation under the guidance of top scientists whose research excellence has already been acknowledged. The time has come for mid-career scientists to take the reins in creative and adventurous research, shaping the trajectory for the future. As leaders in adventurous research, they will be granted autonomy and independence and serve as a bridge between directors and associate directors, and senior research fellows. We are committed to charting the course for these scientists to emerge as future leaders.
Second, we will promote HQ Centers’ research capacities via strengthened collaborations with basic science institutions and reorganize the Extramural Center system. HQ Centers will focus on sharing strengths and addressing weaknesses through close collaboration with universities including KAIST in research and foster the next-generation. Extramural Centers will undergo restructuring, transforming into official research organizations of universities and evolving into the nation’s competitive research institutes that seek sustainable growth with universities, as outlined in the IBS Third 5 Year Plan. Promoting openness, we aim to lead collaborations within the country’s science and technology community, fostering the growth of domestic basic science.
Third, we will expand global collaborations, drawing on experience and knowhow of our researchers and utilizing research facilities. The advancement of basic science is truly possible only through global cooperation. In our pursuit for global collaboration, we plan to align ourselves with esteemed institutions including the Max Planck Institutes in Germany and RIKEN in Japan, whom we have benchmarked. Specifically, we will establish IBS offices overseas to lay the groundwork for collaborations, strengthen partnerships with overseas research institutions and attract global talent.
Fourth, our commitment extends to the continued refinement of our administrative support system. I would like to thank all our staff members who have diligently contributed a series of improvements from last year. From the HQ administrative system to Cluster support teams, we will fortify our research support capacity comprehensively, allowing our researchers to focus solely on research.
Lastly, we will bolster our safety and information security systems. Safety has now become a paramount concern, especially in the context of national interests. As the head of IBS, I am responsible for our member’s safety, and I am dedicated to ensuring a safe and pleasant work environment. To curb the recent surge in data security incidents, we will undergo a complete overhaul of our information security system to prevent the loss of any data or personal information. I politely request your observance of safety and security guidelines and appreciate your understanding of any inconveniences that may arise from these measures.
2024 is anticipated to pose significant challenges for us. This year’s budget outlook is rather bleak with insufficient funding for the stable operation of IBS research facilities including Campus research buildings, the heavy ion accelerator and Yemilab. This deficit may hamper our ability to achieve successive growth in scale required for optimal operation. Additionally, the budget falls short of covering the escalating energy costs. I sincerely apologize for our inability to secure adequate budgets despite our strenuous efforts.
In the face of these challenges, I am confident that together we can overcome this testing time by establishing priorities, enhancing operational efficiency and upholding IBS’ mission to enhance the country’s competitiveness and address critical issues facing humanity. I pledge my unwavering commitment throughout this journey towards advancement. Let our leadership shine at a time when concerns are voiced about the country’s waning science and technology competitiveness.
“Hard times don't create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed,” Bob Riley once said. A hero is not always born as one. You can also be the hero of your own story, as well as for IBS during these hard times. In the year of the Blue Dragon, I encourage you to strive for self-improvement and the achievement of your goals. Together, IBS will emerge through these hard times to establish itself as a globally leading research institution.
