DAEJEON — Bae Choong-sik was inaugurated Monday as the 18th president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), unveiling an ambitious agenda to transform the university into an institution built around artificial intelligence.

Founded in 1971 as South Korea's first research-oriented science and technology institute, KAIST has long served as a backbone of the country's technology-driven economy, producing graduates who populate major firms like Samsung, LG, and the nation's growing deep-tech startup sector. Bae's vision now seeks to reposition that legacy for an era in which South Korea's government has designated AI as a core national strategic priority, committing billions of dollars to strengthen the country's competitiveness in semiconductors, AI models, and robotics.

Rather than confining AI to a specialized discipline, Bae said KAIST intends to make it a universal tool and shared language spanning every academic field. The vision encompasses AI-powered classrooms, autonomous research laboratories, and advances in robotics and other forms of physical AI — reshaping how students learn, how researchers operate, and how the university functions as a whole.

"I will move forward under the goal of 'Fundamentals First, Innovation Forward,' while carrying on KAIST's core values of creativity, challenge and caring and its vision of becoming a global leader in value creation," Bae said at his inauguration ceremony on the university's main campus in Daejeon.

He characterized his approach as one of "Continuity and Innovation." While reinforcing foundational education in basic sciences, mathematics, and the humanities, KAIST plans to ensure that students across all disciplines incorporate AI into their daily academic work.

A centerpiece of the plan is the creation of an "AI Native Campus," designed to integrate AI-driven interactive learning, autonomous research laboratories, and AI-assisted administrative systems. Bae said the objective is for KAIST to go beyond merely using AI effectively and instead position itself at the forefront of innovation in the technology itself.

KAIST also intends to broaden its research in physical AI — areas where artificial intelligence engages with the physical world through robotics, autonomous driving, and advanced manufacturing. Additional research priorities include humanistic, democratic, and agentic AI, along with strategic fields such as quantum technology, climate, and energy.

The AI emphasis forms one component of five broader development strategies Bae laid out for his presidency: education and research, deep-tech entrepreneurship, institutional reform, sustainability, and internationalization.

On the entrepreneurship front, KAIST aims to attract more corporate satellite laboratories and collaborative research centers while deepening industry cooperation in research and technology commercialization. The university will also roll out new entrepreneurship programs for incoming students.

Bae pledged to cut unnecessary regulations and streamline administrative procedures, arguing that AI-based digital administration could free up faculty and students to concentrate more fully on research and education. The campus will additionally serve as a testing ground for climate and energy technologies as the university works toward carbon neutrality.

Expanding KAIST's global footprint is another priority, with plans for dual-degree programs, overseas research partnerships, and stepped-up recruitment of international students and faculty. The push comes as universities across Asia, including Tsinghua in China and NUS in Singapore, intensify efforts to attract global AI talent amid an international competition for researchers.

"We will dramatically increase the number of international students by attracting more outstanding students through dual-degree programs, involve distinguished overseas scholars in dissertation evaluations, establish a global advisory group and encourage international joint research," Bae said.

Bae, who officially took office on July 1 and was formally inaugurated Monday, specializes in environmentally friendly energy and carbon-neutral power engineering. He earned his bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Seoul National University and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London.

Since joining KAIST in 1998, he has held senior positions including head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and dean of the College of Engineering.

Source: Korea Herald Business