Lee Kwang-hyung, president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), stated in his 2025 New Year's message that globalization should expand the stage to the world.
In the New Year's address, he noted, "I feel that KAIST's international standing has improved, and the trust of the public has also increased," adding, "However, with low birth rates and an aging population, Korea's population is declining, and KAIST may also face limits to its growth."
He mentioned, "The decline in population may make it difficult to secure excellent students and faculty, and the government's research funding will also be limited, leading to constraints on physical resources," comparing the situation to "a plant growing in a small pot." He added, "To grow the plant larger, the size of the pot is necessary."
He said, "Some people ask how Korean universities can become world-class institutions. However, just as Samsung surpassed Sony and Hynix overwhelmed Intel, I believe the day will come when KAIST will outshine the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)."
He forecasted that based on the transformation KAIST achieved last year, it would be able to actively participate on the international stage. KAIST has been pursuing a new cultural strategy called 'QAIST' over the past year, establishing a question (Q)-centered education system, expanding its artificial intelligence (A) research capabilities, and creating a joint campus with New York University through internationalization (I). It also strengthened technology commercialization (S), increasing the number of startup companies to 13 and ranking 12th in U.S. registered patents. Based on trust (T), it also achieved fundraising of over 100 million won a day.
He expressed, "Now we must send our students abroad with the world as the stage and attract excellent students from overseas," stating, "I will position KAIST as a global center for education and research."