Lam Research Korea said on the 14th that it hosted the finals of the Lam Research Robo Challenge, a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education program for high school students, at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry international conference hall in Seoul.
Hosted by Lam Research Korea and organized by the social cooperative Seedcoop, the competition held on the 13th was sponsored by the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity (KOSAC). High school students who passed regional qualifiers in five areas nationwide—southern Gyeonggi, northern Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang—participated.
Students carried out robot missions based on code they wrote themselves. Within a limited time, they modified their code and repeatedly tested the robots, competing in problem-solving skills and logical thinking. Students gathered from across the country also shared views on future technologies and career paths, including robots, artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors.
Science communicator "Gwhedo" gave a special lecture on the theme "The new world that robots, AI and semiconductors will open." The lecture introduced how AI and robot technologies are changing industry and daily life, and the semiconductor technologies that support them.
Beyond the Robo Challenge, Lam Research Korea runs the Memory Academy (MEMORY Academy) with the Korean Society of Semiconductor & Display Technology and takes part in "WISET Global Mentoring" for women in science and technology. With the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association (KSIA) and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technolog (KIAT), it operates semiconductor process design training and a tech academy using Semiverse Solutions, offering semiconductor talent development programs for high school students, university and graduate students, and job seekers.
Park Jun-hong, CEO of Lam Research Korea, said, "The students who made the finals are not a generation that will consume future technologies, but one that will create them," adding, "We hope students, at the center of changes driven by AI, semiconductors and Robotics, will discover possibilities and pursue bigger dreams."
Jeong Woo-seong, chair of the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity (KOSAC), said, "Providing students with practical hands-on opportunities based on the technologies and on-site experience of corporations helps with career exploration and understanding of industry," and added, "We expect education models based on industry-academia cooperation to expand."