As the type 3 of Ewha’s WCU project, Invitation of World-Renowned Scholars, Ewha invited world class scholars to give lectures to conduct associated experiments with Ewha professors’ research teams.
Starting this year, six scholars, including three Nobel laureates—José Ramos-Horta, the current president of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Muhammad Yunus, the founder of the Grameen Bank, and Robert H. Grubbs, a professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)— will conduct joint research and provide various special lectures. 2009 Ewha Nobel Lecture will invite Nobel Chemistry Prize laureate, Professor Grubbs and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Ewha will receive two billion won annually for each of the five research teams listed below.
1. Professor Park Kyung-seo (Ewha Academy for Advanced Studies): The Road to Active Peace – Direct, Structural, Cultural Peace and Korea’s Role
Based on case studies of Timor-Leste’s independence, democratization, extermination of poverty and instillation of the public’s self-reliance, Professor Park will carry out a research project with the Nobel Peace Prize laureates, President José Ramos-Horta and Muhammad Yunus. The purpose of the study is to support the idea of the settlement of peace on the Korean Peninsula as a universal task. The research focus in peace which not only prevent the recurrence of a war, but help overcome poverty, oppression, discrimination and mistrust.
2. Professor Cho Ji-hyung (History): A New World History and Earth History – Study of the Global Network Dynamics
Professor Cho and Professor David Christian (San Diego State University), a well-known scholar and the founder of the concept and methodology of ‘Big History’ will conduct research on world history and earth history. The study conducts research in a perspective of the earth history which dates back to the period of Big Bang and contains ecological environment. This study expects to combine the humanities and natural science into its concept of history.
3. Professor Choe Jae-chun (Life Science): Merging of Evolution Biology and Humanities and Social Sciences and Co-evoluation
The research team of Professor Choe will invite one of the great masters in the field of evolution biology, Sir Peter Crane (Chicago University). The team will not only examine evolution biology, but also plan communication and interaction with other scholastic fields. The work is expected to promote communication between the scholastic and public worlds.
4. Professor Han So-yeop (Chemistry): Catalysis and Synthesis
Professor Han’s research team and the 2005 Nobel Chemistry Prize laureate Robert Grubbs (Caltech) will conduct collaborative research on catalysis and the adaptation of it. They are the fundamental researchers for the development of advanced materials, environment and medicine manufacturing. This is expected to upgrade Korea’s technology level and activate related high-tech businesses.
5. Professor Lee Mee-jeong (Computer Science): Building and Specialization of Research Foundation for the Field of Embedded Systems
Professor Lee’s exchange with world scholar Shin Kang-gun (Michigan University) and the Embedded S/W Research Team, a Korean embedded software research team, intends to build a research foundation at Ewha and provide an opportunity to lead research at an international level. An embedded system is a subsidiary function or system that enables certain products to have additional functions.
Professor Shin is the first Korean researcher who was chosen as one of the highly cited researcher in the field of information technology by the Institute for Scientific Information. Shin presented a new paradigm called Cyber-Physical Systems.