▲ Director NAM Chang Hee(left) and Associate Director KIM Chang Young(right)

In honor of the 2020 Science, Information & Communication Day, DirectorNAM Chang Hee of the IBS Center for Relativistic Laser Science, was awarded the Order of Science and Technology Merit Ungbi (3rd Class). Associate Director KIM Chang Young of the IBS Center for Correlated Electron Systems, was awarded the President’s Prize.

Every year since 1975, the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea has given awards on Science Day to those contributing to the development of science and technology and to boost morale among those in science and technology fields. In 2020, government awards were given to 79 recipients, including two IBS researchers; 26 medals, 9 prizes, 20 President’s prizes, and 24 Prime Minister’s prizes were awarded.

Director Nam was awarded the Order of Science and Technology Merit Ungbi in recognition of his contribution to raising the status of the domestic laser science sector. The IBS Center for Relativistic Laser Science, led by Director Nam, has established the groundwork for ultrahigh intensity laser-matter interactions with femtosecond (1fs is one quadrillionth of a second) PW lasers. The Center succeeded in generating the world’s most powerful lasers with 4PW of power (PetaWatt is equal to one quadrillion watts) in 2016.

Associate Director Kim, head of the Electronic Structures Team at the IBS Center for Correlated Electron Systems, has contributed to the commercialization of superconductors, by dramatically raising the critical temperature.