POSTECH ranked at the top in the Asia’s Specialized Universities category in the assessment of the Asian University Ranking 2010 conducted by the Chosun Ilbo and QS, the global university evaluation institute of the U.K.POSTECH showed significant improvement this year by jumping from 17th to 14th in the overall ranking. POSTECH ranked the eighth for ‘papers per faculty’, and 14 that the ‘citation per paper’ which helped POSTECH to receive higher grading.“POSTECH’s innovative policies such as implementation of the bilingual campus as part of its 3-year ..

* Link : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2010/05/133_65287.htmlA lightweight magnesium alloy has been garnering attention for its potential as material for low-emission, fuel-efficient cars of the future.Now, a team of Korean researchers are claiming a breakthrough in expanding the use of the alloy in car parts and frames by creating a technique to improve the life and durability of this promising light metal.Pure magnesium is about one-third lighter than aluminum and two-thirds lighter than steel, and in cars, lighter weight translates into greater fuel efficiency. Automakers are al..

- Prof. Kwang Soo Kim and Prof. Hong Gil Nam are two of five "National Scientists"named by the National Research Foundation of KoreaProf. Kwang Soo Kim (Chemistry, 60) and Prof. Hong Gil Nam (Life Science, 53) of POSTECH have been named "National Scientists", the highest honor that is accorded to scientists of greatest achievement.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation of Korea announced on April 28, that five scientists including the two from POSTECH were nominated as National Scientists for their original, world-class research achievements. The..

* Link : http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/328/5977/414-bInternationalization: Max Planck Tests the Korean WatersDennis Normile and Gretchen VogelIn another sign of the Max Planck Society's desire to extend its reach beyond Germany, it is negotiating with Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) to establish two joint research centers there. The South Korean side would like to see the centers evolve into a full-fledged Max Planck Institute. But because of some hard-learned lessons, Max Planck is being cautious about its commitment, and officials warn that the deal is not ..

Professor Jin Kon Kim (Department of Chemical Engineering) and his group have succeeded in developing macromolecule materials which use pressure to store terabit-scale ultrahigh-density data at room temperature, as well as the supporting technology to write, read, and erase the ultrahighdensity array of nanoscopic indentations.The existing technology for fabricating nanopatterns, developed by IBM, was based on a thermomechanical recording system, using a heated atomic force microscope (AFM) tip at about 350°C. However, in addition to the difficulties in the fabrication of heated AFM tips, ..

Professor Kijung Yong (Department of Chemical Engineering) and his group have succeeded in developing an original technology utilizing the lotus effect, which may be used toward development of a variety of applications using coated surfaces.Leaves of the lotus flower have very high water repellency due to the complex, nanoscopic structure of their surface. Superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces, such as the lotus leaf, have shown potential for a variety of applications, including microfluidics in biotechnology, fog-resistant coatings, impermeable textiles, anti-contamination, and self-cleani..

Despite its potential risks, general anesthesia and how it leads human brain to unconsciousness is still not known. A POSTECH research group has been investigating the nature of consciousness as well as control of the level of consciousness through anesthesia, whose effort has drawn much attention of the academia.Professor Seunghwan Kim (Department of Physics) and his team, in a joint study with POSTECH graduate Doctor UnCheol Lee of University of Michigan and a Seoul Asan Medical Center team, have presented evidence that the transition from consciousness to unconsciousness occurs by the suppr..

Many studies have addressed the effect of sugar in the diet on obesity and diabetes. Professor Seung-Jae Lee (Division of IT Convergence Engineering, Department of Life Science, School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering) and his group report that it might also be taking years off the life span.Professor Lee’s group, in collaboration with Professor Cynthia Kenyon of the University of California, San Francisco, discovered that glucose inhibits the activities of the glycerol channel in C. elegans, shortening the life span of the worm by about 20 percent. The group traces the..

* Link : http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2010/02/24/201002240048.aspAs Korean universities strive to become world-class universities, the number of courses instructed in English has dramatically increased as of late. Some universities require that even the departments of Korean literature and Korean history offer courses taught in English. Some professors are in favor of these "globalizing" changes, while others are doubtful.Amid the controversy, Pohang University of Science and Technology or POSTECH recently announced that it will transform into an English-only zone withi..

* Link : http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/02/117_61241.htmlPohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in Pohang City, North Gyeongsang Province, has unveiled a 150 billion won project to push itself to join the ranks of the world's top 50 universities.Its plan centers around hiring 10 Nobel Prize or Fields Medal winners in science and math, and setting up a world-class education environment by spending a total of 150 billion won over the next three years. It is the second initiative to be announced by President Baik Sung-gi in recent days. However, the school's plan ..