The Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) said on the 23rd it has elected last year's Nobel chemistry laureate, Kitagawa Susumu of Kyoto University in Japan, Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, and 2012 Nobel chemistry laureate Brian Kobilka of Stanford University as foreign members for 2026.
Professor Kitagawa is a pioneer in porous coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks (MOF), laying an innovative foundation for gas storage and separation and energy and environmental applications, and expanding the horizons of modern materials science.
He said, "I am very pleased and honored to be elected a foreign member of KAST," adding, "I will contribute to society through science in the future."
Professor Yaghi is a chemist who has led research on MOF and covalent organic frameworks (COF), and is a world-renowned scholar who has contributed to responding to the climate crisis and advancing eco-friendly energy technologies, including water and carbon capture, energy storage, and harvesting moisture from air.
Professor Yaghi said, "I am deeply grateful for the honor of being elected a foreign member of KAST and for the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in Korea," adding, "I look forward to visiting Korea and engaging in exchanges in the near future."
Professor Kobilka identified the structure and operating principles of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), a cell membrane protein, ushering in an era of structure-based drug development.
Professor Kobilka said, "Being elected a foreign member of KAST is a great honor," adding, "I am very pleased to have been able to conduct research in the past with outstanding young scientists from Korea, and I look forward to visiting Korea and collaborating going forward."
Meanwhile, KAST currently has 59 foreign members, including 33 Nobel and Fields medal laureates, who have contributed to nurturing talent in Korea and revitalizing international academic exchange. KAST plans to leverage its foreign members to support academic exchange and network building for next-generation scientists, and to actively promote youth talent development programs and public lectures.
President Jeong Jin-ho said, "Electing Nobel laureates as foreign members will not only strengthen the academy's international standing and science diplomacy capabilities, but also expand the global influence of Korea's science and technology," adding, "We will actively utilize foreign members' experience, insight, and networks in the academy's policy advice, international cooperation projects, and programs to foster next-generation scientists."