300-to-1 competition: The 2016 KU Graduate School Achievement Awards
Encourages gaduate students to feel proud of their research
awarded to 33 Students ranked in the Top 1% of research achievement

Korea University held the 2016 KU Graduate School Achievement Awards (hereinafter referred to as the KU Achievement Awards) at 5:40 pm on February 28 at the Crimson Lounge in the KU Media Hall.

The KU Achievement Awards were created last year in order to encourage KU graduate students to take pride in and make a commitment to their research. The selected awardees were graduate students ranked in the top 1% of research achievement, such as having been published in renowned national or international journals. This event was attended by the 33 student awardees and their advisors.

In his opening speech at the KU Achievement Awards, Graduate Chair Gil-sung Park said, “The KU Achievement Awards selected students in the top 1% of research achievement among the 10,300 KU graduate students this year. We are grateful for their passion and efforts in producing wonderful results in labs and research offices, as well as for their advisors’ guidance.” He also expressed his ambition, “We selected the top 33 students for these awards just as the state examination in the Joseon Dynasty did. I hope that these awards can contribute to laying the foundation for domestic Ph.D.s from KU playing an active role at home and abroad.” 

In his address, KU President Jaeho Yeom said, “The competitiveness of a university is determined by its graduate students.” He expressed his will to support the graduate school, “Since KU graduate students are more valuable than those of any other school, we created these awards to encourage them. I believe that it is important to develop curiosity and enthusiasm for research in one’s youth. As novices who have just entered the academic world, I hope that all of you will keep up the hard work in order to accomplish even greater achievements in the future.”

KU President Jaeho Yeom and Graduate Chair Gil-sung Park conferred the awards to the students. A total of 33 graduate students received the award, a prize, and a plaque.

Ki-dae Park (Materials Science and Engineering, The College of Engineering), a student who has received the award for two consecutive years, expressed his gratitude to Professor Yun-chan Kang (Materials Science and Engineering), “I wouldn’t have been able to complete my research without my advisor’s guidance. Thanks to his consistent support for students’ research, I was able to conduct research in the right direction.” He continued, “I was motivated by winning a big award last year, and I’m really happy to receive the award again this year. But, I think that I still have a long way to go before I can call myself a true researcher. My goal is to become a dedicated researcher and devote myself to my work.”