Pohang University of Science and Technology POSTECH announced on the 1st that it will appoint novelist Kim Cho-yeop, a graduate of the Department of Chemistry, as a special professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, effective September 1. As a special professor, Kim will participate in various educational programs, including guest lectures in liberal arts courses, mentoring for creative writing and reading groups, and play a role in expanding students' creative thinking and humanistic imagination.
Professor Kim is a scientist who majored in chemistry at Pohang University of Science and Technology POSTECH and earned a master's degree in biochemistry. She has established herself as a representative writer of Korean science fiction literature. In 2017, she made her debut by winning both the Grand Prize and an honorable mention at the 2nd Korea Science Fiction Literature Award for her works "Lost Property" and "If We Can't Go at the Speed of Light," which drew significant attention at the time for being an unusual achievement in which a newcomer received two awards in a single contest.
Since then, her works, including "If We Can't Go at the Speed of Light (2019)" and "Greenhouse at the Edge of the Earth (2021)," have resonated deeply with readers both domestically and internationally. In 2023, she became the first non-Chinese author to simultaneously win the "Best Foreign Writer Award" and the "Golden Award" for translated works at the Chinese Galaxy Awards. Currently, her works are being translated and published in various countries, including the United States, China, Japan, and France, and they are increasingly recognized, even being included in high school textbooks in Korea.
Kim's literary world is well known for its unique narratives that combine scientific knowledge gained at Pohang University of Science and Technology POSTECH with literary imagination. In her recently published work "Bivalve Shells," she presents a universe that deftly blends scientific imagination and humanistic reflection, featuring beings desiring the skin of other species and two selves sharing one body. These perspectives are expected to help students cultivate a broader view that looks beyond science to include humanity and society in an era focused on technology.
Professor Kim Cho-yeop said, "During my time at my alma mater, I took not only science classes but also various humanities classes and creative lectures, and those moments have shaped who I am today," adding, "I want to help future students at my alma mater develop imagination and curiosity about the world and humanity based on a scientific perspective with an open mind."
Woo Jeong-ah, head of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Pohang University of Science and Technology POSTECH, noted, "With the appointment of Professor Kim Cho-yeop, we will actively support education that enhances humanistic imagination and creativity, allowing students to explore science and technology within the context of humanity and society comprehensively."