SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has appointed Bae Choong-sik, a mechanical engineering professor and specialist in carbon-neutral propulsion technology, as its 18th president, following a vote by the university's board of directors on Monday.
The board, chaired by Kim Myung-ja, met at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's (KAIST) Seoul campus in Gangnam District to make the selection. Founded in 1971 as South Korea's first research-oriented science and engineering university, KAIST is ranked 65th globally in the QS World University Rankings and enrolls around 10,000 students across its main campus in the central city of Daejeon, roughly 150 kilometers south of Seoul, and a secondary campus in the capital.
Bae joined KAIST as a faculty member in 1998 and has built his career around clean combustion systems and low-emission propulsion technologies, areas that have taken on added urgency as South Korea works toward its carbon-neutrality targets. He holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Seoul National University and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London.
Within the university, Bae has served as head of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and as dean of the College of Engineering. He was also named a Korea Electric Power Corporation Chair Professor, a designation reserved for faculty whose contributions to energy research and education are considered exceptional.
His record extends beyond research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bae led the Science and Technology New Deal Task Force for Pandemic Response, an initiative that mobilized South Korea's scientific research capacity to support national crisis management. He has also served as chairman of the Carbon-Neutral Fuel Technology Research Society, where he has helped shape government policy on energy transition and future propulsion systems.
Bae has additionally held an advisory role with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chairing the Climate Division of the Science and Technology Diplomacy Advisory Committee, a position that places him at the intersection of environmental science and international relations at a time when energy policy has become a defining issue in diplomacy.
The Society of Automotive Engineers, a global professional organization for mobility and propulsion engineers, named Bae the first Korean to receive the designation of SAE Fellow in the powertrain division, its highest individual honor. He has also received two SAE best paper awards. In South Korea, he received a Presidential Commendation in 2021 and a National Assembly Merit Award in 2024 for contributions to the automotive industry and national competitiveness.
The appointment is not yet final. Bae must receive the consent of the Minister of Education and the formal approval of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT before taking office as KAIST's 18th president.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
