숙명여대, 2026 한미과학자대회(UKC)서 미래 연구 비전 제시

On August 5th to 8th, South Korea's Sooammyung Women's University hosted the 2026 US-Korea Scientists' Meeting (UKC 2026) in Orlando, Florida. The university marked its 120th anniversary with the theme "Proud Sookmyung, Beyond 120; Future Research at Sookmyung Women’s University" and presented its vision for future research.

The university's top leaders, including President Moon Si-yeon and WISET Chairwoman You Hyeon-ok, introduced the university's key research areas and future strategies. President Moon emphasized that Sooammyung constructs a research ecosystem where advanced engineering, life sciences, AI, and humanities intersect without boundaries, aiming to become a global research hub beyond Asia.

WISET Chairwoman You stressed the importance of strategic partnerships with institutions that train STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) talent and support the growth of women in these fields. Four key presentations focused on the university's representative research institutes and academic disciplines, including "Sooammyung's 120-Year Challenge: Beyond 120 Years" by Kim Ho-jin, "Healthy Aging through New Drug Development" by Jeong Chang-young, "History and Major Achievements of Sooammyung's Women's Health Research Institute" by Yang Yong, and "Achievements and Prospects of Gender Engineering Education over 10 Years" by Park Jun-dong.

During the same day, the University Leadership Forum featured a panel discussion led by President Moon on how AI technology's rapid evolution will transform university education, research, and administration. Moon highlighted the need for a flexible governance system that can adapt to rapid technological changes while ensuring traditional regulations and frameworks remain relevant.

He also stressed that universities should offer experiences beyond knowledge acquisition, encouraging students to engage directly with people, the environment, and society to develop judgment and creativity.

Sooammyung participated in the SEED (Science & Engineering Entrepreneurship Development) mentoring program, sharing research outcomes with local scientists and networking with diverse experts to explore future collaborative opportunities. The university also operated a booth to promote its research areas and educational programs to American researchers, aiming to attract top-tier researchers and strengthen its position as a globally competitive research university.