I want to meaningfully grow semiconductors in Korea... I will focus on low-power artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors and telecommunications.
Professor Woogeun Rhee (57), a semiconductor and information technology expert who has worked in academia and industry in the United States and China for 34 years, will take up a position in August at the Department of Semiconductor Convergence Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University. In an email interview, he expressed his aspiration to create more meaningful achievements in Korea based on all his experiences.
Professor Rhee is a world-renowned researcher representing the fields of semiconductor integrated circuits (IC) and system semiconductor design. The field of semiconductor integrated circuits focuses on researching technologies that integrate electronic devices and circuits on a miniature chip to implement high-performance and low-power electronic devices. System semiconductors refer to semiconductors that play a processing role, rather than storing information, and are known as non-memory semiconductors.
After graduating from Seoul National University with a degree in electrical engineering in 1991, Professor Rhee studied abroad in the United States, earning his master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and his doctorate from the University of Illinois. He gained practical experience in the industry as a lead engineer at Conexant Systems and as a researcher at IBM Watson Research Center. He is currently a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and serves on the Committee of Fellows, which appoints 50 individuals worldwide each year. He is also the first Korean to serve as editor of the IEEE Open Journal of the Solid-State Circuits Society.
Professor Rhee became a professor at Tsinghua University in China in 2005, during a time when the country's overseas talent attraction policy had not yet fully developed. He said, "Seeing China grow rapidly, I saw the possibility of being an influential researcher in China, similar to the role that Jewish individuals play in the U.S. industry and academia." He has been recognized as a prominent foreign scholar in China, having been invited to a meeting of foreign experts hosted by Chinese Premier Li Qiang last February.
After 20 years, Professor Rhee chose to return to Korea. He noted, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, I could not freely travel between Korea and China, leading me to often think about returning home along with my retirement plans," adding, "After much contemplation, I determined that it was time to give back to Korea my experiences from the U.S. and China." He expressed, "Personally, considering my age, my parents' age, and various life circumstances, I felt it was time to start a new challenge in Korea."
Professor Rhee said he will focus on practical research and education to activate system semiconductors in the future. In particular, he unveiled plans to lead hands-on projects in areas such as low-power artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors and transceivers for wireless and wired communication technologies, as well as input/output interface design.
He plans to establish undergraduate courses related to integrated circuit design to support students in combining theory and practical skills. Professor Rhee said, "I want to teach semiconductor technologies that can be immediately applied in the industry, not just research for writing papers," adding, "I am considering practical projects that can be undertaken at the university from various angles."
Professor Rhee honestly conveyed that he feels both excitement and tension returning to academia in Korea after a long time abroad. He remarked, "Since completing my undergraduate studies in Korea, I have done all my professional work overseas," adding, "I am somewhat worried about adapting back to Korea, but thanks to the warm encouragement from my colleagues at Sungkyunkwan University, I am expecting good teamwork. I want to leave behind meaningful research outcomes in semiconductors during this time."
Professor Rhee expressed a desire to apply the good systems and culture he experienced at Tsinghua University in China to Korea. In 2021, amid the ongoing semiconductor sanctions from the U.S., Tsinghua University established the Institute of Integrated Circuits (Graduate School of Semiconductors), which reportedly recruits around 1,000 students each year. He stated, "The Institute of Integrated Circuits at Tsinghua University operates flexible master's and doctoral programs for various university-industry collaborations," adding, "The programs designed to connect research and industry naturally can also be tried in Korea."
Professor Rhee suggested that to enhance global competitiveness, Korean universities need to actively recruit overseas scholars, stating, "A national-level strategy for attracting global talent, similar to China's large-scale overseas talent recruitment project, the Thousand Talents Program, is necessary."