The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT; Minister BAE Kyunghoon) announced that it has appointed CHANG Sukbok (63), Director of the Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalizations within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), as the fourth President of IBS, effective June 4. His term will be five years from the date of appointment.

The President of IBS is appointed by the President of the Republic of Korea in accordance with the Special Act on the Establishment and Support of the International Science Business Belt.

Born in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, in 1962, President Chang received his B.S. in Chemistry from Korea University in 1985, his M.S. in Chemistry from KAIST in 1987, and his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996.

A world-leading researcher in catalytic reactions in organic chemistry, Chang has produced numerous original and highly influential research achievements. He was recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher (HCR) for eight consecutive years (2015–2022), an honor awarded by Clarivate to researchers whose publications rank among the most influential in their fields worldwide. He currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), one of the most prestigious journals in chemistry.

Since the establishment of IBS in 2012, Chang has led the Center for Catalytic Hydrocarbon Functionalizations, contributing to the institute’s growth and development from its earliest days. His appointment marks the first time that an IBS Center Director has been selected to serve as President of the institute.

With his appointment, IBS gains a distinguished scientist who combines internationally recognized academic accomplishments with extensive leadership experience at the research front line. It is expected that President Chang will further strengthen IBS’s position as a world-leading research institution while contributing to the advancement of Korea’s fundamental science ecosystem.