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Special Lecture by Siegfried S. Hecker, a World-renowned Expert on the North Korean Nuclear Program

Special Lecture by Siegfried S. Hecker, a World-renowned Expert on the North Korean Nuclear Program The Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) invited Dr. Siegfried S. Hecker, a world-renowned expert on the North Korean nuclear program, to host a special lecture at Lee Sam-bong Hall of the ECC building on November 7, 2023 (Tue.). This special lecture was organized as part of the William J. Perry Lecture Series, which was launched in 2016 in collaboration between Ewha Womans University and the Pacific Century Institute (PCI), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, and named after William J. Perry, an elder statesman of U.S. foreign policy who served as Secretary of Defense and North Korea policy coordinator for the U.S. The program has offered insights for the promotion of peace and prosperity in the Korean Peninsula through a series of lectures by experts including former Secretary Perry. Dr. Hecker presented a special lecture under the theme of “Hinge Points: An Inside Look at North Korea’s Nuclear Program.” Siegfried S. Hecker is the world’s leading expert on the North Korean nuclear program and one of the world’s top nuclear physicists who is recognized for over 30 years of international expertise in denuclearization, nuclear weapon policy, and nuclear security. He is also an emeritus director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and professor emeritus of Stanford University. “Hinge Points,” the subject of the lecture, originated from the title of his new book that seeks to present incisive insight into the North Korean nuclear issue. In the special lecture, he delivered his latest opinions on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the mitigation of the nuclear crisis. Looking back at the history of North Korea’s nuclear development, Dr. Hecker indicated that previous U.S. administrations were erroneous in their decisions, hence creating the titular “hinge points” of his book. In particular, he expressed his concerns about the close ties developed by North Korea and Russia in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and also criticized Russia’s own actions with regard to its nuclear arsenal. The special lecture was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dean Brendan Howe of the GSIS. Panelists included Dr. Hecker, Professor Won Gon Park of the Department of North Korean Studies, Professor Min Hee Go of the Department of Political Science & International Relations, Professor Leif Eric Easley of the Department of International Studies, and Professor Lynn Sue Pyun of the Department of International Studies. There was also a Q&A session with students and other audience members participating in the discussion. Ewha Womans University has established an academic foundation for North Korean studies and fostered women scholars and experts in North Korean studies by introducing North Korean studies as an interdisciplinary program in 1998, launching the interdisciplinary major of North Korean Studies in the undergraduate program in 2000, and expanding it into the Department of North Korean Studies in 2013. In addition, the university has been leading and promoting the academic discipline and research of North Korean studies, for example, by launching the Yoon Hoo-Jung Unification Forum in 2013 to discuss the overcoming of the national division, one of the most urgent issues in our society.
- No.723
- Writer
- Date2023.11.09
- Views15521
722
The Brian Impact Foundation Donates Funds to Ewha Haktang to Improve Job Opportunities for the Severely Disabled

The Brian Impact Foundation Donates Funds to Ewha Haktang to Improve Job Opportunities for the Severely Disabled Based on its unique culture (“E-Culture”) of mutual respect and care, Ewha is taking the initiative in building an integrated society where people with and without disabilities live together, in an effort that is driving changes across society. Ewha Haktang has received KRW 870 million from the Brian Impact Foundation for the Leesu Management project, a subsidiary-type standard workplace for people with disabilities with the aim of improving employment among the severely disabled. The Brian Impact Foundation has been contributing to solving a range of social problems by supporting various projects and research as well as conducting projects to establish cooperation systems. This donation was decided when the Brian Impact Foundation agreed to support Ewha’s commitment to facilitate job creation and economic independence for persons with disabilities as a contribution to building a sustainable society. Ewha established Leesu Management as a subsidiary and operates it as a standard workplace for the disabled. Leesu Management is the largest organization of its kind to be established by a domestic university for the purpose of providing systematic job training and stable jobs to people with severe disabilities who are often isolated from society. Ewha Haktang resolved to establish Leesu Management last year and the company has since employed 65 people with severe disabilities for various jobs in three business divisions: Ewha Cookies Team producing cookies and bread, Ewha Stores Team operating convenience stores on the campus, and Medical Center Team supporting Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital’s administrative affairs. Ewha has established a safe space where women with severe disabilities can work with peace of mind. Offering stable jobs for the severely disabled in various business sectors such as Ewha Cookies Team, Ewha Stores Team, and Medical Center Team, employees of Leesu Management can choose a job according to their aptitudes and diligently fulfil their work-related roles. The donation received from the Brian Impact Foundation will be spent on the construction work for Ewha Stores, introduction of groupware and production management systems, establishment of work and break facilities for employees with disabilities, and support for club activities of employees with disabilities. After receiving the contribution from the Brian Impact Foundation in June 2023, Leesu Management commenced the construction work for Ewha Stores and provided job training to disabled employees to begin working at Ewha Stores. The newly selected Ewha Stores employees with disabilities have been working since September 2023. With the Brian Impact Foundation’s support, the university will create additional jobs for persons with disabilities both on campus and at Ewha Medical Center.
- No.721
- Writer
- Date2023.11.06
- Views9378
720
The Graduate School of Translation & Interpretation Hosts a Special Lecture by Nobel Laureate in Literature Le Clézio

The Graduate School of Translation & Interpretation Hosts a Special Lecture by Nobel Laureate in Literature Le Clézio The Graduate School of Translation & Interpretation (GSTI) hosted a special lecture by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, a French writer and winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature, at the LG Convention Hall in the International Education Building on October 30, 2023 (Mon.). This special lecture, co-organized by the GSTI and the Daesan Foundation, came to an arrangement when Le Clézio willingly accepted the request for a lecture based on his experience of working as a chair professor at Ewha Womans University and a unique bond with Professor Mikyung Choi, an acknowledged leading expert in French translation and interpretation. Author Le Clézio taught French literature and culture for a year as a chair professor at Ewha Womans University in 2007, and in this special lecture titled “My Memories of the Ascetic’s Cabin,” he discussed his year-long stay in Seoul including experiences that became inspirations for writing books such as Bitna, sous le ciel de Séoul (Bitna: Under the Sky of Seoul) and Tempête: Deux novellas, and his memories in the Ewha dormitory Hanwoori House, which he referred to as an “ascetic’s cabin.” He also drew interest among Ewha students by detailing his stray thoughts and episodes on aspects such as life at Hanwoori House, his exploration of every corner of the building, and daily life with dormmates. Next, he mentioned poet Yoon Dong-ju and a select number of female writers such as Kim Ae-ran of My Brilliant Life and Han Kang of The Vegetarian to give his opinions on the characteristics of Korean literature and its role for the future. He emphasized in particular, “Modern Korean literature will breathe fresh air and pump the blood of youth into world literature.” Le Clézio also demonstrated his modesty by remarking that he has learned much from interacting with Professor Emeritus Ki-Jeong Song of the Department of French Language & Literature at Ewha Womans University who has translated his works with great passion and perfectionism and Professor Mikyung Choi of the Department of Interpreting & Translation (Korean-French language) at the GSTI who has introduced Korean literature to France by translating into French and publishing a number of works written by famous Korean authors such as Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Seung-u, Han Kang, and Kim Ae-ran.
- No.719
- Writer
- Date2023.11.02
- Views8831
718
Remarkable Performance in the 2023 State Exams, Producing a Top-place Candidate in the Diplomatic Service Exam

Remarkable Performance in the 2023 State Exams, Producing a Top-place Candidate in the Diplomatic Service Exam Ewha Womans University marked the outstanding achievement of producing ten successful candidates in state examinations: eight in the 2023 Open Competitive Examination for National Public Service for Grade V Positions and two in the Diplomatic Service Examination including a top-place candidate. On October 23, 2023 (Mon.), the Ministry of Personnel Management announced 361 successful candidates in the 2023 Open Competitive Examination for National Public Service for Grade V Positions and the Diplomatic Service Examination. Ewha produced five successful candidates for general administrative positions, one for an education administrative position, and two for technical positions in National Public Service for Grade V Positions, and two successful candidates in the Diplomatic Service Examination, thereby reaffirming Ewha’s reputation as a prestigious private university capable of steadily producing elite female public officials. The successful candidates in the Diplomatic Service Examination will be appointed as diplomats after a year of training at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. Despite a slight decrease in the ratio of successful female candidates for Grade V administrative positions compared to the last year, Ewha made the remarkable achievement of producing six successful candidates in Grade V administrative positions and two in Grade V technical positions. The Career Development Center actively supports Ewha students’ careers as public servants by offering various programs including state exam preparation classes, public corporation EDU, and LEET EDU. This enthusiastic support has led Ewha to join the ranks of top universities in Korea in producing many successful candidates in state examinations, including the youngest successful candidate in the 2013 Diplomatic Service Examination; top scorers for general administrative positions in the 2015 National Legislation Examination and for education administrative positions in the 2015 Civil Service Examination; three final successful candidates in the 2016 Diplomatic Service Examination; the top scorer for finance and economy positions in the 2016 Civil Service Examination; the top scorer for education administrative positions in 2020 National Public Service for Grade V Positions; a successful candidate who passed both the 2021 National Legislation Examination and the 2021 Open Competitive Examination for National Public Service for Grade V Positions; and top scorers in general administrative positions and education administrative positions in 2022 National Public Service for Grade V Positions. These achievements have consolidated Ewha’s status as a university that leads the empowerment of women in state examinations.
- No.717
- Writer
- Date2023.10.27
- Views12431
716
Ewha Research Team Leads the Development of a New, World-leading Type of Quantum Computer

Ewha Research Team Leads the Development of a New, World-leading Type of Quantum Computer A research team from the Center for Quantum Nanoscience under the Institute for Basic Science (IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience), led by Director Andreas Heinrich, a chair professor of the Department of Physics at Ewha Womans University, has been garnering international attention upon proposing a new type of quantum computing platform through international joint research with teams from Japan, Spain, and the U.S. The joint teams used an innovative design method that is completely different from existing quantum computers. The research result was published in Science, one of the world’s most prestigious academic journals, on October 6, 2023. Professor Heinrich’s team held a press conference at the Research Cooperation Building on the Ewha campus on October 5, 2023, where he presented the new quantum platform using electron spins of single atoms on a solid surface and announced that his team had successfully established a multi-qubit (quantum bit) system by using three electron spins. With this groundbreaking achievement, the research team is expected to take the initiative in opening a new era of quantum information science for the future. As a research leader on the quantum properties of single atoms placed on a solid surface, the research team of the IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience published the research finding in May 2023 that they were able to control single-atom electron spins and harness them as qubits by using the “scanning tunneling microscope in combination with electron spin resonance (ESR-STM),” a state-of-the-art instrument that the team had independently developed. In a previous study, Heinrich’s team had also proposed a method to “remotely control” the spin state of remote atoms, as opposed to the atoms directly interacting with a probe tip. This time, they were successful in establishing a “multi-qubit” system to allow the application of the previous study’s finding to a multi-qubit structure. The qubit platform proposed by the research team consists of a structure in which a number of titanium atoms are placed on the surface of a thin magnesium oxide insulator. First, the researchers manipulated each atom’s position with precision using the probe tip of the scanning tunneling microscope to construct a structure of multiple titanium atoms to enable interactions between the spinning atoms. They then set the probe tip at the titanium atom to serve as a sensor in the structure and applied the remote control method, thereby successfully controlling and measuring multiple distant qubits simultaneously using only a single probe tip. The greatest advantage of the proposed platform is that it can control information exchanges between qubits more precisely down to the atomic scale through a bottom-up integration method using a probe tip. This platform differs from existing ones in that it can prevent crystal defects in the solid material and enable the implementation of atomic integrated circuits with individual qubits of 1 nanometer or less in size. The platform can also select various atoms as materials for qubits, as opposed to other platforms that need to use specific materials such as superconductors.
- No.715
- Writer
- Date2023.10.10
- Views13254
714
Special Lecture by Professor George F. Smoot, 2006 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics

Special Lecture by Professor George F. Smoot, 2006 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics On September 25, 2023 (Mon.), the College of Natural Sciences invited Professor George F. Smoot, the 2006 Nobel laureate in physics, to give a special lecture on the theme of “Cosmology Today” at the Science Building. Professor George F. Smoot, one of the top scholars in modern physics today, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2006 alongside joint laureate John C. Mather for “their discovery of the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation.” With the support of the World Class University (WCU) project, Smoot was invited as a chair professor of Ewha Womans University in 2008 and served as the inaugural director of the Institute for the Early Universe (IEU), which was established to explore the principles and processes behind the creation of the universe. In the special lecture, Professor Smoot described the history of the development and challenges of observational cosmology in an interesting and compelling manner to the level of the student audience. He explained the significance of cosmology as fundamental research in understanding the universe and finding answers to the important questions on the universe, and highlighted that our understanding of the universe we know it today is the outcome of theories, observations, and technological developments, which have been amassed over the past decades. Professor Smoot also remarked on the role of quantum mechanics in the study of cosmology: “When we talk about cosmology, given that it refers to the study of the universe, it’s easy to think that the focus is on the big things, but in the theoretical sense, quantum mechanics or ‘the theory of the microscopic world,’ is a crucial part of understanding the early universe, while the importance of understanding quantum mechanics is growing by the day, especially when it comes to the ultra-precise observation tools of today.” After the lecture, a Q&A session was held between Professor Smoot and the students in attendance. This special lecture was held as part of the Nobel Prize Dialogue Seoul 2023 event co-organized by the Korean Academy of Science and Technology and the Nobel Prize Outreach, an affiliated organization of the Nobel Foundation of Sweden. Ewha has hosted a number of academic events with top world-renowned scholars including Nobel laureates in physics Gerard 't Hooft and George F. Smoot as convergent and constructive opportunities to network with exceptional scientists and communicate with students.
- No.713
- Writer
- Date2023.10.03
- Views11048
712
Ewha Research Teams Conduct Research Projects in the Fields of Artificial Intelligence and Media

Ewha Research Teams Conduct Research Projects in the Fields of Artificial Intelligence and Media With Ewha’s establishment of the “Ewha Vision 2030+” development strategy and dedication of its utmost efforts toward building a creative research ecosystem to produce world-class achievements, Ewha research teams from the Department of Content Convergence and the Division of Communication & Media have respectively performed major government-supported research projects based on their outstanding research capabilities, thereby strengthening Ewha’s status as a research-intensive university. The team led by Professor Myoung Jun Kim from the Department of Content Convergence has been selected as the lead organization for the 2023 Future-oriented Cultural Industry Technology Development Project. The team will conduct research to “develop AI-based technology to analyze broadcasting content stories and predict their ripple effect” with a total research funding of KRW 3.4 billion over the next three years. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and supported by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the Future-oriented Cultural Industry Technology Development Project aims to develop key technologies that facilitate the advancement of the content industry. Assigned to the only AI-based research and development task out of the seven tasks selected, the team plans to develop an AI model to predict the success potential of Korean films and series, which are currently gaining international attention. Professor Kim’s team will work with Kotech Co., Ltd. to carry out this challenging research to develop AI technology with the capacity to understand and analyze the story content of movies and dramas. A research team from the Division of Communication & Media (Principal Investigator: Professor Yun Jung Choi) has successfully completed the first phase of the Social Sciences Korea (SSK) project supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and will undertake the second phase of the project with additional research funding of approximately KRW 900 million. The research team for the development and application of the Children Media Quality Index (CMQI) was selected in September 2020 for a development project scheduled to be conducted in three phases over the next ten years. Designed to complement the limitations of the existing rating system, the CMQI enables the more specific measurement of video content in terms of language, violence, emotional expressions, etc. In the first phase of the project, the team conducted academic research on children’s media using various methodologies to develop the CMQI. In this second phase of the project, the research team will place greater emphasis on establishing a research hub for children’s media for the first time in Asia under the vision of “creating a healthy media environment through the advancement and dissemination of the CMQI.”
- No.711
- Writer
- Date2023.09.25
- Views15214
710
Ewha’s Global Programs Firing Up the Summer of 2023

During the summer vacation in 2023, Ewha launched various global programs across the world including the Americas, Europe, and Asia to broaden Ewha members’ global experiences and support the nurturing of global female talent. Under the 2023 Ewha Summer Global Frontier Program supported by the Office of Student Affairs, 28 participants in seven teams travelled to the U.S. and eight European nations to conduct overseas exploration activities during the summer vacation. The “Ewha Global Frontier” is a short-term overseas exploratory program designed to foster well-rounded global female leaders with a daring spirit, outstanding drive, and problem-solving skills. Through the program, students independently select a topic and plan for exploration in teams and then visit international bodies, public institutions, global corporations, and universities to explore their chosen topic, with airfare and exploration expenses funded as a scholarship. The program has been met with a high satisfaction rate among participating students. Meanwhile, a total of 65 participants in six teams have successfully completed their activities under the Faculty-led Study Abroad Program for First Half of 2023. Supported by the Office of International Affairs to strengthen Ewha students’ global competency, the Faculty-led Study Abroad Program is an overseas learning program in which professors travel overseas with their students during vacation time to conduct joint classes and seminars with prominent overseas universities and institutions. The program is highly popular among students, not least for the opportunity to earn extra credits. As part of the program, Ewha’s faculty-led teams, such as from the Department of Architecture, the Department of Climate and Energy Systems Engineering, the Division of Design, the Division of Nursing, the Department of International Studies, and the Department of Global Korean Studies, have visited various countries including the U.S., Canada, and Japan to perform a range of learning activities. The 2023 Ewha-CUHK Global Student Partnership (GSP), an academic and cultural exchange program jointly organized by Ewha and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), has been successfully conducted in both Hong Kong and Seoul. The GSP, a short-term special exchange program conducted with a foreign university, is a program optimized for cultivating students’ global competencies in that it allows participants to take the initiative in the overall process of the program from planning to execution. Following the Ewha-Harvard College in Asia Program (HCAP), which has been jointly conducted with Harvard University since 2007, Ewha has been running the GSP with the CUHK since 2019. A total of 16 students from Ewha and the CUHK gathered on the Ewha campus in July and on the CUHK campus in August, respectively, where they planned and held conferences and various cultural, social, and academic exchange programs on their own initiative under the theme of “Sustainability and Waste Recycling,” thereby contributing to the development of global leadership, networking, and experiences.
- No.709
- Writer
- Date2023.09.18
- Views39695
708
International Conference Trans-Pacific Sustainability Dialogue Held

The second day of events for the Trans-Pacific Sustainability Dialogue, a venue for discussions on sustainable development and climate crisis issues in Asia, was held at Lee Sam-bong Hall of the ECC building on September 14, 2023 (Thu.). The Trans-Pacific Sustainability Dialogue, co-organized by the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) at Stanford University and the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, was established in 2015 to accelerate the progress of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2022, expert panels have been organized and held by Ewha’s Center for Climate/Environment Change Prediction Research, along with Samsung Electronics America, Inc., the APARC and Yonsei University. This event, which commenced on September 13, 2023 (Wed.), discussed the concept of carbon neutrality, the achievement of SDGs and the environment under the theme of “energy security,” and in the second day of the event on September 14, 2023 (Thu.), the expert session was held at Ewha under the theme of “efficient energy technology” with the attendance of President Eun Mee Kim and international experts in various fields such as Chairperson Ban Ki-moon of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future and Director Gi-Wook Shin of the APARC. At the expert session, the participants discussed such themes as “Pursuit of energy security: Efficient energy technologies and solutions,” “Political economy and energy security of renewable energy,” “The environment and energy security: Dialogue with future generations,” “Education and energy security: Dialogue with future generations,” and “Equality and energy security: Dialogue with future generations.” With the establishment of the Department of Climate and Energy Systems Engineering in 2017, Ewha Womans University has taken the lead in nurturing convergence talent in line with environmental changes in various energy industries such as transitions to sustainable energy and energy digital transformation. Moreover, Ewha is active in responding to climate change and achieving carbon neutral goals by conducting world-class research through the Center for Climate/Environment Change Prediction Research, a priority research institute in the science and engineering field, while promoting the development of international climate risk management models.
- No.707
- Writer
- Date2023.09.15
- Views36919
706
Research of Professor Suyeon Cho-led Team Selected as the Cover of World-Renowned Scientific Journal Chemical Reviews

Research of Professor Suyeon Cho-led Team Selected as the Cover of World-Renowned Scientific Journal Chemical Reviews The research team led by Professor Suyeon Cho of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science has published a groundbreaking review paper on designing low-dimensional materials (LDMs) to build ultra-high-speed, high-density semiconductor devices required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The research paper by Professor Cho’s team has been selected for the cover of the international scientific journal Chemical Reviews (IF: 72.087). It was co-authored by Seungyeon Lee from the Graduate Program in System Health Science and Engineering of Ewha’s BK 21 FOUR program, in collaboration with the team led by Professor Yang Heejun of KAIST’s Department of Physics. The paper, titled “Phase-Engineering of 2D Materials,” was published online on August 17, 2023 (Thu.). The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized as ICT technologies ranging from AI and 5G mobile communication services to autonomous vehicles and robots, is closely linked to the development of system semiconductors. To realize the development of ultra-small, high-performance system semiconductors, biomimetic semiconductor devices with ultra-low power, high density and high response speed are attracting great expectations as an innovative way to reduce the load incurred by communication and calculation. With the aim to develop next-generation semiconductor devices with high density and high response speed, such as biomimetic semiconductor devices, the paper published by Professor Cho’s team reported various research findings and introduced their significance in terms of controlling diverse structural phases and movements of low-dimensional materials at the nanoscale. The paper also reported that numerous follow-up studies on low-dimensional materials will be able to utilize not only metal-insulator transitions but also magnetism of 2D materials, strongly correlated band structures and phase transitions resulting from changes in topological relations. Notably, the paper verified that structural phase engineering using electrical, optical and plasma post-processing could form a new low-dimensional phase boundary, possibly leading to the development of new materials. The utilization of this technology is expected to enable fast data processing, which may enhance the ease of use for technologies requiring high response speed in real time, such as 5G service-based, massive real-time services and autonomous vehicle technologies.
- No.705
- Writer
- Date2023.09.08
- Views39182

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