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“Special Lecture by a Great Scholar with a Nobel Prize” Held with Professor Gerardus 't Hooft

“Special Lecture by a Great Scholar with a Nobel Prize” Held with Professor Gerardus 't Hooft Ewha Womans University, the leader in fostering female talent in next-generation science fields, invited Professor Gerardus 't Hooft, the co-winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Physics, and held a “Special Lecture by a Great Scholar with a Nobel Prize.” The lecture event took place both face-to-face and remotely through the Research Cooperation Building Jupiter Seminar Room on June 30. Undergraduate and graduate students from around 20 domestic and overseas universities joined Ewha students at the event and listened attentively to the message of one of the world’s most prominent scholars of quantum field theory. The “Special Lecture by a Great Scholar with a Nobel Prize” was jointly hosted by the Department of Physics, Research Institute for Basic Sciences, and Autonomous Priority Research Institute at Ewha and the Center for Quantum Nanoscience at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS). It was intended to provide Ewha students with opportunities for learning across a wide range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Prior to the lecture, Professor Gerardus 't Hooft reflected from the podium on female scientists who made great achievements in physics, such as Marie Curie and Emmy Noether, and conveyed to Ewha students that he hoped more women would enter science fields. In his special lecture on the theme of “Beyond the Textbooks: Where did the quantum come from?”, Professor Hooft introduced the historical background and meaning of the development of quantum mechanics. Towards the end of the lecture he turned to his new view on quantum theory. Professor Hooft argued that cell automation is a potential concept that provides a simpler theory that can explain the microscopic world, including elementary particles. In particular, he suggested a methodology for interpreting quantum mechanics from the classical point of view using cell automation and described how this interpretation would be compatible with Bell’s theorem. Professor Hooft remarked, “Historically, several problems in science were concluded with unexpected answers. I am continuously finding more astonishing and simpler theories to explain quantum mechanics and elementary particles.” After the lecture, a Q&A session was provided for students. “Good questions from when I studied physics 50 years ago might not be good ones anymore,” said Hooft in his closing remarks. “Pose questions without answers, questions only you can ask, and attempt to solve them.” Earlier in the day of the special lecture, President Eum Mee Kim spoke with Professor Hooft. Ewha has established a development strategy under its “Ewha Vision 2030+” that includes the theme “A Creative and Innovative Platform Leading to a Sustainable Society.” The school is particularly concentrating on building a creative research ecosystem and strengthening its status as a research-intensive university. During their conversation, President Kim discussed with Professor Hooft the importance of basic science, the roles of a research-intensive university, and fostering female scientists in the STEM fields.
- No.703
- Writer
- Date2023.07.05
- Views22171
702
Ewha Research Teams Selected for Advanced Research Center Program and Basic Research Laboratory

Ewha Research Teams Selected for Advanced Research Center Program and Basic Research Laboratory Two Ewha research teams were recently selected for the Advanced Research Center Program and four more for the Basic Research Laboratory Program in the Korean government-supported “2023 Basic Research Project.” Ewha Womans University has been focusing on developing research capacity by carrying out diverse projects with the aim of building a creative research ecosystem for producing world-class outcomes, and a number of research teams from the school have been drawing attention by being selected for this project designed to enhance basic research capabilities. The Advanced Research Center Program is a project to improve the national basic research capacity by selecting creative and outstanding research groups and supporting core fields with the potential for global competitiveness and foster next-generation creative convergent researchers. In particular, reinforcing national basic research capacity, including the formulation of new academic theories and resolution of scientific challenges, by training outstanding research groups in the natural sciences is a priority for the project. The Multitasking Macrophage Research Center (MMRC) (PI: Professor Soo Young Lee, Department of Life Sciences [Graduate School]) was selected for the Science Research Center (SRC) program in recognition of the importance of the research subject in terms of basic science and the excellent research capacity demonstrated by the joint research team, including the director of the research center. The MMRC will receive KRW 10.53 billion in research funding over the next seven years (four + three years). The Environment Blind Spot Strategy Advanced Research Center (PI: Professor Ahjeong Son, Environmental Science and Engineering), which pursues the realization of social profit, was selected for the Convergence Research Center (CRC) program to receive research funding of up to approximately KRW 8 billion over seven years (two + two + three years) for conducting multidisciplinary convergence research. By identifying creative approaches and solutions for plastic-derived harmful micro-substances and environmental blind spots within society, the research team is expected to suggest a new paradigm for resolving environmental issues through cooperative efforts between engineering and the humanities and social sciences. In addition, the Department of Statistics, the Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience, the Department of Food Science & Biotechnology, and the Department of Cyber Security were selected for the Basic Research Laboratory (BAL) program, which is intended to drive the activation of joint research focused on certain research subjects. The selected teams will conduct convergence and in-depth research supported by a total of KRW 1.375 billion in funding over the coming 33 months (June 2023 – February 2026). Promoting the “Ewha Frontier 10-10 Project” to lead changes in the future of society and drive innovative growth, Ewha is intensively supporting project teams of “advancement fields” showing global competitiveness and promising “challenge fields” for the future. In addition, the school has been creating sustainable creative research environments and has established the Ewha Leading-edge Convergence Medi-healthcare Cluster (ELEC), through which it is raising its status and capacity as a world-class research-intensive university.
- No.701
- Writer
- Date2023.06.26
- Views22968
700
Farewell Ceremony Held for the 2023 First Semester International Exchange and Visiting Students A farewell ceremony fo

Farewell Ceremony Held for the 2023 First Semester International Exchange and Visiting Students A farewell ceremony for the 2023 first semester international exchange and visiting students was held by the Office of International Affairs (Vice President Inhan Kim) on June 13 at Lee Sam-bong Hall in the ECC building. The Office of International Affairs operates programs for international exchange and visiting students every semester. In the first semester of 2023, over 360 students from 41 countries around the world studied at Ewha and participated in diverse Korean-culture experience programs. The International Exchange Affairs team organized various field trips for international exchange and visiting students, such as cooking classes and attending baseball games and performances, to offer them opportunities to directly experience Korean culture. In addition, it hosted social gatherings to help the students adapt to life at Ewha and promote networking, and did a model shoot with the students, all of which earned warm responses. Evan Battick from the University of South Florida in the U.S. said, “This is the first time I’ve been so far away from my family, but I’ve been able to meet friends from different countries and made beautiful memories with them through this exchange student program.” He also shared his experience of having been selected as an exchange student model and taking part in the International Exchange Affairs team’s photo shoot and expressed gratitude to the team for preparing so many activities. Mandy Buerger from the University of Hagen in Germany related, “I was really pleased with the 2017 Ewha exchange student program, so I decided to take part again this semester.” She shared the joy she felt at the May Festival last spring and described how she has grown as a person through diverse group activities such as Peace Buddy and Movie Night. The International Exchange Affairs team is making efforts to raise the global status of Ewha through the development of diverse high-quality international programs and the enlargement of networks with prestigious overseas universities. It plans to operate the Ewha International Summer College Session I for one month starting June 26 (Mon.) and the Ewha International Summer College Session II for two weeks starting August 3 (Thur.), both providing a range of educational opportunities to students from overseas universities. Launched in 1971 as Korea’s first summer school, the Ewha International Summer College (https://summer.ewha.ac.kr/) has established a high level of satisfaction among participants by providing high-quality English lectures and Korean history and culture programs.
- No.699
- Writer
- Date2023.06.21
- Views19909
698
Professor Lee, Sang-Don Publishes Research on Shifts in Time of Flowering on the Korean Peninsula in the World-renowned

Professor Lee, Sang-Don Publishes Research on Shifts in Time of Flowering on the Korean Peninsula in the World-renowned Journal New Phytologist An unprecedented century-long phenological record exists for South Korea. Korean Forsythia blooms 23 days earlier than it did a century ago; for Yoshino cherry the figure is 21 days and 53 days for Japanese apricot. Jointly with overseas research teams, Professor Lee Sang-Don of the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering released the results of research into nature’s response to climate change based on records of observations on flowering time in South Korea over the past 100 years. The results of his study, “Consistent linear phenological shifts across a century of observations in South Korea,” were published in New Phytologist, a top 3.2 percent internationally recognized journal in the field of phytology. The Korean Meteorological Agency (KMA) has been collecting data since 1922 on the flowering time of trees and shrubs in laboratory gardens at 74 weather stations distributed across the country. This globally unprecedented century-long record of phenological activities is considered important data for studies on global climate change. The research team consisting of Professor Lee and researchers from the U.K. and the U.S. analyzed the KMA data to demonstrate the sensitivity with which plants have been responding to climate change. The results show that the spring flowering time for the seven plant species studied (including Yoshino cherry and Korean forsythia) at weather stations across South Korea has become gradually earlier in response to record high temperatures. Compared with 100 years ago, Korean forsythia blooms approximately 23 days earlier, Yoshino cherry does so 21 days earlier, and Japanese apricot flowers about 53 days sooner than it once did. The research team discovered that different species are responding to global warming at different paces. For example, acacia trees flower roughly three days earlier for every 1℃ rise in average spring temperature while Japanese apricots blossom nearly six days earlier per degree. These different responses impact respective species’ vulnerability to frost, insect attacks, and summer drought. Other species that depend on the plants, such as insects and birds, may not be able to keep up with this rapid adaptation, potentially causing a decline in their ability to find the food and habitats they require in spring. In addition, plants may be flowering more than one month earlier, but at a certain point they will encounter critical situations such as the dry soil and shorter daylight hours of late winter. “We have been discussing how climate has been affecting plants over the past decades, but we do not have another 100 years to resolve the issues related to climate change,” said Professor Lee. “This study will help find ways for the ecosystem to more flexibly adapt to changes in flowering due to genetics and the environment.” The research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Ministry of Environment for the project “ICT-based environmental effects evaluation and ecosystem technology development.”
- No.697
- Writer
- Date2023.06.19
- Views22391
696
Ewha Ranks First in Gender Equality Among Korean Universities for Four Consecutive Years in the THE World University Imp

Ewha Ranks First in Gender Equality Among Korean Universities for Four Consecutive Years in the THE World University Impact Rankings Ewha has now ranked first among Korean universities for four consecutive years in the Gender Equality category of the “Times Higher Education (THE) World University Impact Rankings.” The THE World University Rankings launched its “THE Impact Rankings” in 2019 to assess universities’ social contributions and their efforts toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance have become salient topics around the world, the number and status of universities participating in “THE World University Impact Rankings” have steadily increased over the past four years. Ewha has once again demonstrated its vision and ability to lead change in society through the education of women by retaining its top ranking among Korean universities for gender equality for four consecutive years (2020-2023). The Gender Equality category assesses the outcomes of research on gender equality, the proportion of female administrators, and anti-discrimination policy in order to measure universities’ efforts towards achieving a gender-equal society. Among the 1,081 universities evaluated in this category, Ewha ranked first in Korea and tied for 51st in the world. The result differentiates Ewha from other Korean universities, all of which were ranked outside the top 300 in this area. According to the “Global Gender Gap Report 2023” published by the World Economic Forum, at the current pace it would take 132 years to eliminate the global gender gap. This gap has actually been widening in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, which are on the cutting-edge of the drivers of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and also in the fields of AI, data science, and semiconductor technology, which have recently been on the forefront of important advances. In her speech at the commemorative ceremony for Ewha's 137th anniversary, President Eun Mee Kim said, “We will establish Ewha as a world leader in addressing gender inequality through education and research grounded in our vocation and identity.” To this end, Ewha plans to actively engage in research, education, and social contributions to increase women’s participation in advanced fields such as STEM where women are underrepresented. It will also actively attract outstanding foreign students to foster global women leaders who will contribute to sustainable development and peace in the world.
- No.695
- Writer
- Date2023.06.12
- Views9586
694
Ewha Holds Its 137th Anniversary Ceremony

Ewha held its 137th anniversary ceremony on Wednesday, May 31 at Welch-Ryang Auditorium. The event was attended by about two thousand guests, including distinguished figures such as Ewha Womans University Board of Trustees Chairperson Chang Myong-sue, President Eun Mee Kim, President of the Ewha Alumnae Association Lee Myeong-kyeong, former Ewha Presidents Chang Sang, Shin In-ryung, Lee Bae Yong, Kim Sun-Uk and Kim Heisook, former and incumbent alumna lawmakers, and longtime faculty members. President Kim emphasized in her commemorative speech that among all the women’s schools established by missionaries from the US Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (WFMS of the MEC) in India, China, Japan, and Korea, only Ewha made the near-miraculous achievement of growing into an international university of scale and excellence. This was only possible because of the call of God and the commitment of all the alumni who dedicated themselves to Ewha. “Moving beyond the 137th anniversary of the school, we would like to march forward and prepare faithfully for the 150th anniversary with all of you together,” the president declared. “We will endeavor to share the history of Ewha's growth with the world, reaffirm our calling, further solidify our global leadership in addressing gender inequality, and establish our status as a research university by building infrastructure to support a creative and innovative platform that leads to a more sustainable society." Following the president’s address, a ceremony was held for recipients of Lifetime Service Awards, Pride of Ewha Awards, and Ewha Academic Awards. The “21st Pride of Ewha Award” was conferred on Park Jung-ja (honorary graduate), who has made history in the theatrical world and on Kim Sun-Duk (English Language and Literature, graduated in 1984), a senior reporter and columnist at The Dong-a Ilbo. The “19th Ewha Academic Award” was presented to Professor Yong Pyo Kim of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, and Professor Kyung Lim Lee of Pharmacy. After the commemoration ceremony, a luncheon was hosted by President Kim at the Lee Sam-bong Hall of the ECC building, and the “Alumnae Day” event organized by the Ewha Alumnae Association was held at Welch-Ryang Auditorium from 2 p.m.
- No.693
- Writer
- Date2023.05.31
- Views11940
692
Ewha Womans University Museum Holds Special Exhibition “Ewha, 1970, Jeong Mijo” to Commemorate Ewha’s 137th Anniversary

Ewha Womans University Museum Holds Special Exhibition “Ewha, 1970, Jeong Mijo” to Commemorate Ewha’s 137th Anniversary From Wednesday, May 17 to Tuesday, October 31, Ewha Womans University Museum is hosting an exhibition in its Special Exhibition Hall (2nd floor) entitled “Ewha, 1970, Jeong Mijo.” The exhibition is part of the commemoration of Ewha’s 137th anniversary. The museum has been carefully collecting and showcasing both contemporary artworks and traditional Korean cultural assets with great historical and aesthetic value. In reflection of these efforts, the museum has organized this special exhibition in order to provide a glimpse into aspects of Ewha Womans University and popular culture from the 1970s thanks to singer and artist Jeong Mijo’s donation of her paintings and some stage costumes designed by André Kim that she wore on stage. The opening ceremony for the exhibition was held in the museum lounge on Wednesday, May 17 and was celebrated with distinguished guests from within and outside of the university, including Chang Myong-Sue, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Ewha Womans University, President Kim Eun Mee, Kim Jong-gyu, Honorary Chairman of the Korean Museum Association, and Yoo Heeyoung, President of the National Academy of Arts. Following the ceremony, a special program of viewing the exhibition with a curator was offered, and the event “Generational Empathy Concert: The 1970s Revisited at the Museum” was held in the museum auditorium to celebrate the special exhibition. Artist Jeong Mijo graduated from the Department of Paining at Ewha Womans University and went on to become a Korean pop diva in the 1970s. After leaving behind her singing career to study further in France, Jeong returned to Korea and served as a professor at the University of Suwon College of Art & Design until her retirement. In a contemporary world where the boundaries between fine art and popular culture are blurred, Jeong has presented herself as the embodiment of a multi-artist, a new type of creator who crosses between the worlds of music and art. The exhibition “Ewha, 1970, Jeong Mijo” presents a selection of works that includes a work by Jeong awarded a Special Prize in the National University Art Exhibition (1971), Parisian Landscape (1979-1981), By the Seine (1981), and Champs-Élysées (1981), which were created during her studies in Paris, Montmartre (1981) which won the 16th Monte Carlo International Grand Prix Contemporary Art Exhibition in Monaco in 1982, and abstract paintings such as City-Night (2004), Festival-Night (2004), and Running (2004), which depict the light to be found in the urban nightscape. It also presents the Night View in Seoul Series (2012-2014), which depicts night views of Seoul, and other works such as self-portraits, portraits, and drawings. The exhibition also features photographs, some of Jeong Mijo’s recordings on vinyl, and stage costumes created by André Kim. By also showcasing the artist’s career as a singer, it allows visitors to explore her art and music together. In addition, it presents artifacts, photographs, and videos that illustrate the history of Ewha Womans University in the 1970s, a time when it served as a center for women's education and produced female artists like Jeong. The special exhibition and the opening event were partially funded by the “2023 University Museum Promotion Support Project” organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and supervised by the Korean Association of University Museums. With a novel program that spans the realms of fine art and popular culture, the exhibition allows visitors to enjoy a variety of experiences while enjoying artworks donated by Jeong, photographs and videos of Ewha in the 1970s, and musical performances.
- No.691
- Writer
- Date2023.05.19
- Views47383
690
Ewha Law School Produces Twelve Judicial Researchers and Law Clerks Along with Six Newly-appointed Public Prosecutors

Ewha Law School Produces Twelve Judicial Researchers and Law Clerks Along with Six Newly-appointed Public Prosecutors On May 1, twelve graduates from the twelfth cohort of students at Ewha Law School were appointed as law clerks and as judicial researchers for the Supreme Court. This total of twelve sets an all-time record for the school and places Ewha Law School third among law schools across the nation. The Supreme Court has appointed four new Supreme Court judicial researchers and 125 law clerks who graduated from law schools this year. Supreme Court judicial researchers research and otherwise examine Supreme Court appellate cases to provide important reference materials for the justices as they make final judgements. Law clerks perform a wide scope of investigations and research to assist judges, such as preparing all kinds of legal documents, researching legal principles and judicial precedents, and conducting legal research. On the same day as the appointment, six graduates from the twelfth cohort of students from Ewha Law School were appointed as new public prosecutors through the “2023 Public Prosecutor Recruitment.” This number of appointees ranks Ewha Law School in fourth place among law schools nationwide. The Ministry of Justice appointed 76 new public prosecutors from among those who passed the twelfth bar exam. The Ministry of Justice appoints individuals equipped with various expertise as prosecutors to help fulfill the purpose of the law school system, which was introduced to nurture legal practitioners with diverse professional backgrounds able to provide high-quality legal services to the public. After completing the intensive education and training course required for fulfilling their duties as prosecutors over six months at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, the newly-appointed prosecutors will be dispatched to prosecutors’ offices in November of this year to begin their prosecutorial duties in earnest.
- No.689
- Writer
- Date2023.05.15
- Views45698
688
Ewha Signs an MOU with IOM for Joint Research on Migration Policy and Fostering Talented Individuals

Ewha Signs an MOU with IOM for Joint Research on Migration Policy and Fostering Talented Individuals Ewha signed an MOU with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a specialized agency of the UN, on April 26 regarding mutual cooperation on joint research in the field of migration policy. The IOM is a UN agency responsible for matters related to migration. In an effort to promote regular, safe, and orderly migration, the organization has been performing various activities such as migration management, crisis response, international cooperation, forging partnerships, and data analysis and research. By 2020, the number of migrants in the world had increased dramatically to 281 million, accounting for about 3.6 percent of the world's population. As the types of migration have expanded to include refugees uprooted by war or economic and environmental issues as well as voluntary migrants such as laborers and students, the role and influence of the IOM has been growing significantly. As its major projects, IOM Korea has been promoting international migration, engaging in counter-trafficking efforts, supporting the resettlement of refugees, and providing humanitarian aid. Notably, it has been cooperating with Ewha Graduate School of International Studies in the fields of education and research. Based on this agreement, the two organizations will jointly carry out various projects such as joint research in the field of domestic and international migration policy, sharing research data on migration status and policy, and operating internships. “I hope this agreement helps us establish greater awareness of the IOM’s role within the UN and its implications, cooperate actively in joint research and policy development, and provide opportunities for Ewha students to attain practical experience at international organizations,” commented President Eun Mee Kim. “This agreement represents a reconfirmation of the relationship established between Ewha and the IOM over the past years of cooperation,” said Steven Hamilton, the IOM ROK Chief of Mission. “We will continue to work together on groundbreaking projects and solidify our cooperative relationship.”
- No.687
- Writer
- Date2023.05.02
- Views44589
686
Project Teams from Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management Selected for R&D Project Funded...

Project Teams from Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management Selected for R&D Project Funded by Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Professor Kwang Suk Ko and Professor Oran Kwon Research teams led by Professor Kwang Suk Ko and Professor Oran Kwon, who is also the CEO of Log(Me) Inc., from the Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management, have been chosen to spearhead projects within the “Establishment of Foundations for Proper Intake of Health Functional Foods Based on Smart Food Safety Management and Big Data” program. This initiative falls under the inaugural 2023 R&D project funded by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Professor Ko’s team will receive approximately KRW 2.764 billion of funding over the five years through 2027 to conduct research on “Development and Application of Safety Prediction Algorithm for Duplicate and Combined Intake of Health Functional Foods.” The research team plans to compile big data by collecting data on the ingredients and toxicity of functional raw materials and integrating data on intake amount by age in an effort to help create a safer environment for the intake of health functional foods. It will also develop a safety prediction system by developing scenarios for duplicated or combined intake of functional ingredients by various age groups by utilizing AI technology. Log (Me) Inc., overseen by Professor Oran Kwon, has been selected for the “Development and Application of Evaluation Technology for Big Data-based Personalized Proper Intake” project. Over the span of five years, until 2027, the company will receive around KRW 2.214 billion in funding. Operating as one of the subsidiaries under Ewha’s technology holdings, Log (Me) Inc. is in the process of establishing an AI platform. This platform empowers individuals to assess their health status and access tailored dietary and nutrition solutions. This endeavor draws on the company’s original technology. Professor Kwon and her research team will spearhead the development of personalized nutrition curation technology. This technology takes into account an individual’s unique health characteristics, utilizing AI to analyze intricate person-specific big data. The Department of Nutritional Science and Food Management, selected for the fourth phase of the Brain Korea 21 (BK21) Project, hosted by the Ministry of Education, in conjunction with its Education Research Center for 4IR-based Healthcare Professional Training (headed by Professor Oran Kwon), has been at the forefront of education and research in core healthcare technologies. Notably, the department has, once again, showcased its exceptional research power within the realm of health functional foods. This achievement is evidenced by its comprehensive execution of all sub-projects encompassed within the “Smart Food Safety Management” initiative, overseen by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
- No.685
- Writer
- Date2023.04.24
- Views48615

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