POSTECH
Founded in 1985 at the south eastern city of Pohang,
Korea to educate future leaders in science and engineering, the university provides full scholarship to all the students.
Professors who are leaders in their field are devoting themselves to teaching and R&D activities with well equipped lab and environment.
Nanotechnology research is pursued in Chemistry, Physics, EE, ChE and ME departments as well as at NCNT which draws from the faculty of all of the above departments. The Division of Information Technology Convergence Engineering (ITCE) promotes the application of Nanotechnology to life quality improvements, by developing the nano-sensing/processing/transmitting system.
Links:
– POSTECH
– National Center for Nanomaterials Technology
Interview:
Q: In which countries does your organization have a presence?
Korea.
Q: How many students attend your university, your department?
POSTECH has 3,057 students in total, 25 in the department.
Q: How many faculty members are focused on nanotechnology?
Seven at ITCE, there are 17 more faculty members in various departments and NCNT.
Q: Please provide a short paragraph outlining the history of your organization.
Along with Korea’s industrialization, Korea needed self-reliance in science and technology to launch itself into the high technology era. Pohang Iron and Steel Company’s (POSCO) founding chairman, Tae-Joon Park, recognized this and committed to establishing a science and technology research-oriented university, Postech, in 1985. POSTECH believes in keeping a strong alliance of academia with industry, and and other R&D Centers including POSCO and Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST). Also, Postech hosts several other leading National Facilities such as Korea’s only synchrotron radiation facility, the Pohang Light Source, Korea’s largest biotechnology research center, the POSTECH Biotech Center, the National Center for Nanomaterials and Technology and the only intelligent robot research center in the country, the Pohang Institute of Intelligent Robotics. Furthermore, the world’s only Graduate Institute of Ferrous Technology offers leading training in the specialized area of ferrous technology.
Q: Explain the role of nanotechnology in the development of your organization or department.
As one of the key areas for future technology, POSTECH got government support for developing nanomaterials and established the National Center for Nanomaterials Technology (NCNT). Areas of focus include: nano-bio/chemical sensors, signal processing and RF CMOS system development including Nanoscale memories, nanomaterials for various applications, carbon nanotubes and inorganic nanowires, and nanodevices.
Q: Do you offer a degree in nanotechnoloy? Please describe:
Graduate students majoring in electrical engineering, chemistry, physics and materials science background have the opportunity to conduct research in nanotechnology and get their MS and Ph.D Degrees.
Q: What key markets or industries does the work of your university reach?
New electronics devices, logic and memory development, system design for u-health. Also, NCNT serves industry in nanomaterials development, Nanodevices development and analysis tools for materials and devices.
Q: How has nanotechnology impacted the research or focus of work done at your university?
First impact was to build a research infrastructure for this new field, and the Korean government sponsored the establishment of NCNT. The other impact was bringing people from diverse backgrounds such as chemistry, physics, biology and various disciplines of engineering to solve problems of common interest to Korean economy ranging from electronics to health and environment issues.
Q: Has your university made any significant contributions to nanotechnology?
We helped to promote this new discipline to Korean government to enhance the technology development. With government help, NCNT was founded to support the Korean industry in nanomaterials development and analysis. Postech professors have also made a high order impact on nanomaterial development such as carbon nanotubes and inorganic nanowires and application development, evidenced by publications in high impact journals, strong patent portfolio and industry collaboration.
Q: Briefly describe a current project involving nanotechnology, and what your anticipated outcome will be (new process, new product, etc.)
1. Nanobiosensors: Goal is to analyze biological samples for biomedical needs, and once this is successful, efficient, low cost lab-on-a-chip device will be available to the health market.
2. Nanowire based Phase Change Random Access Memory: this new innovative device is an alternative to the traditional Flash memory. It will provide much more endurance and scalability.
Q: Where do you see nanotechnology applications leading in the future?
Addressing health care needs of a growing population of the world: where human body conditions can be monitored early for any functional irregularities and providing faster response by health-care institutions. Environmental monitoring: early warning to society about pollution, health hazards, and other threats.
Q: What advice would you offer to someone who wanted to work at your university with a focus on nanotechnology in the next 3-5 years?
Nano-bio sensor system development, biomedical engineering, nanodevice and system development are all fields that will be in demand in the coming years. Postech offers opportunities for interdisciplinary studies in these areas with extraordinary facilities and human resources to shape the next generation scientists and engineers.
Q: What advice would you offer to someone who wanted to study nanotechnology at your university ?
Get a strong knowledge of the basics in physics, chemistry and biology. Then work on developing a broader view in nanotechnology by encompassing the basics with the knowledge of making functional materials, devices, etc. and integrating them together as a system to meet the needs of the applications.
Q: What industry do you think has the greatest future potential to be impacted by nanotechnology? Why?
Nothing in particular as these developments to market normally take a decade or more.
Q: What industry do you think has the greatest future potential to be impacted by nanotechnology? Why?
Health and medicine. The need is there plus the potential of various nanomaterials for early warning sensors, diagnostics and theraputics, better drug delivery systems, artificial muscles and other parts and many other needs in the biomedical sector is staggering.
