Nobel Laureates Omar Yaghi and Susumu Kitagawa Join Korea University as Distinguished Professors

Two Founders of MOF Accelerate the Establishment of a Global Research Hub
for Energy, Environment, and Bio-Convergence

Two world-renowned scholars in the field of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), who jointly received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, will join Korea University.

On December 11, Korea University announced that Professor Omar M. Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, and Professor Susumu Kitagawa of Kyoto University, both recipients of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, will be appointed as distinguished professors at the KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology. They will collaborate with Korea University researchers on interdisciplinary research in energy, environment, and bio-convergence.

Professor Omar M. Yaghi. UC Berkeley Homepage

With their participation, Korea University plans to accelerate the establishment of a global innovation research platform aimed at solving humanity's grand challenges.

Since last year, Korea University has been promoting the “Crimson Project,” an international cooperation-focused research program. Both scholars had agreed to join the project and accept their distinguished professorship appointments before receiving the Nobel Prize. The news of their Nobel Prize win on October 8 greatly enhanced the project's symbolic significance and momentum, serving as a pivotal moment for expanding the research ecosystem.

Professor Yaghi is the pioneering researcher who conceptualized MOFs and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), leading advancements in future technologies such as energy storage and conversion, environmental remediation, and bio-convergent materials. At Korea University, he is expected to engage in a wide range of activities, including joint research, research strategy consulting, and mentoring graduate students and early-career researchers. In particular, he will deliver a special lecture on next-generation MOF/COF-based material technologies at the “Next Intelligence Forum,” an academic event hosted by Korea University in April next year.

Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University iCeMS Laboratory. Courtesy of Korea University

Professor Kitagawa is a leading researcher who was the first in the world to experimentally elucidate the high-pressure gas adsorption properties of MOFs and has continued to expand research on the structure and function of MOFs. At Korea University, he plans to strengthen research and education by pioneering new applications for functional MOFs, organizing regular seminars and graduate lectures, and establishing international collaborative research frameworks.

Korea University expects that the addition of these two Nobel laureate distinguished professors will drive a qualitative leap in the university's research capabilities. Their global networks and mentoring experience will provide direct growth opportunities not only for Korea University researchers but also for the next generation of science and technology talent, significantly expanding the university’s academic and social roles in the international community.

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