Professor Son Chang-sik of Silla University Elected as Chair of the 9th World Solar Congress Organizing Committee ... 'Solar Olympics' to be Held in Daejeon in 2026

Professor Son Chang-sik, Department of New Materials Engineering, Silla University.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Professor Son Chang-sik of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Silla University was elected as the organizing committee chairman of the 9th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC-9) on the 26th of last month.

The World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion is an international academic conference attended by photovoltaic industry-academia-research experts worldwide, held once every four years, and is known as the "Photovoltaic Olympics," the largest event related to renewable energy globally.

The WCPEC-9 bidding committee, in which Professor Son Chang-sik served as vice chairman, secured Daejeon as the host city for the 9th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion in 2026 on July 13, after three years of intense preparation and effort, defeating strong competitors Chiba, Japan, and Beijing, China.

Professor Son served as the 8th president of the Korean Photovoltaic Society, the leading domestic energy academic society with over 2,000 members from industry, academia, and research, which is also the host organization of the conference. He currently serves as an advisor to the society.

The organizing committee for the 9th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, led by Professor Son, aims to have more than 4,000 pure participants including members under the motto "Make WCPEC-9 a true World Conference." The organizers plan to prepare the best academic sessions ever and various programs to expand the base of photovoltaics.

The conference is expected to attract about 4,500 participants to Daejeon in 2026, including approximately 2,000 photovoltaic industry-academia-research stakeholders from 40 countries overseas and about 2,500 domestic participants, generating significant economic ripple effects.

Professor Son Chang-sik stated, "We plan to provide exceptional support for emerging countries and student researchers," adding, "We will prepare the conference by establishing close cooperative relationships with government ministries such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Ministry of Environment, as well as Daejeon City, energy-related organizations, and industries as a national event."

The World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion was first held in 1994 in Hawaii, USA, and the 8th conference will be held this September in Milan, Italy. The 9th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion is scheduled to be held as a national event in Daejeon in October 2026.

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