KAIST and POSTECH to Hold Annual Exchange "Poka-jeon" in Daejeon This Month

The regular exchange competition between KAIST and POSTECH will be held in Daejeon this month.

On September 18, KAIST announced that the "POSTECH-KAIST Student Grand Festival" (hereinafter referred to as "Poka-jeon") will take place at KAIST from September 19 to 20. Poka-jeon is an annual exchange event between the two universities, held for the purpose of promoting interaction since 2002, and this year marks its 22nd edition.

Poster of the 22nd POSTECH-KAIST Student Grand Festival. Provided by KAIST

Each year, the two universities alternate hosting the exchange competition in September between Daejeon and Pohang. This year, following the tradition of naming the event after the visiting university, the competition is called "Poka-jeon." The event is also known by its nickname, "Science War." The main programs include science competitions, sports events, exchange performances, and broadcast festivals.

This year's Poka-jeon features three science competitions-hacking, artificial intelligence (AI) contest, and science quiz-and four sports events: baseball, soccer, basketball, and e-sports, with students from both universities competing in each category.

On the first day of Poka-jeon, the science competitions will begin with the hacking contest, which runs from 2 p.m. until 2 a.m. the following day. In the hacking contest, participants solve information security problems such as cryptography in rounds, earning points for each challenge solved to determine the winner.

Participants must solve the problems within the time limit, and all team members are required to participate sequentially. A distinctive feature is that the use of generative AI tools is permitted. Real-time scores and solution processes are displayed on broadcast screens, heightening the excitement for spectators at the venue.

On the same day at 5 p.m., the AI contest will be held at the Daejeon e-sports stadium. This competition is based on the car soccer game "Rocket League." Teams from both universities use AI programs they have developed themselves to control vehicles and score goals. The contest is played in a best-of-five format across multiple maps, with each set lasting five minutes.

On the second day in the afternoon, the science quiz will take place at the Ryu Geuncheol Sports Complex. Participants answer questions on scientific knowledge and recent research trends to earn points, and simultaneously compete using a modified version of the strategy card game "Battle Line," strategically placing soldier and strategy cards to capture flags. Strategic thinking and teamwork are key factors for victory in this event.

The sports competitions combine traditional sports and e-sports. Baseball, soccer, and basketball matches will be held at the KAIST campus sports fields, while the e-sports event (League of Legends) will be played in a best-of-three format. On-site events will be organized for each match to boost student and audience engagement.

The overall championship will be awarded to the university that wins at least four out of the seven events. To date, KAIST is leading with a record of 12 wins and 8 losses, having achieved three consecutive victories over POSTECH.

Lee Kwanghyung, President of KAIST, stated, "Poka-jeon is a festival where KAIST and POSTECH students interact through science and sports," adding, "I hope that through Poka-jeon, students from both universities will take pride in representing Korea's science and engineering community and find the momentum to shape the future of science and technology together."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.