UNIST Holds Press Conference with Special Professor Lee Sedol... President Park Jongrae Unveils AI Campus Vision

UNIST (President Park Jongrae) held a press conference with Special Professor Lee Sedol at Engineering Building 110 on the 11th, announcing the background behind his appointment and unveiling the vision for an 'AI Smart Campus.'

Professor Lee, a legendary figure in the world of Go, is renowned for his victory against AlphaGo. Appointed as a special professor at UNIST in February, he is now sharing his experience of integrating AI and human creative thinking with students.

Special Lecturer Lee Sedol is conducting a lecture on 'Board Game Production for Scientists.' Provided by UNIST

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Starting this semester, Professor Lee Sedol is teaching the course 'Board Game Development for Scientists,' holding six-hour lectures every other Friday. Through this class, he helps students develop creative problem-solving skills. He emphasized, "The board game development course goes beyond simple games; it is a process that expands students' ways of thinking."

President Park Jongrae explained the rationale for inviting Professor Lee, stating, "His unique experiences will spread a spirit of challenge and innovation across the campus," and added, "Through research combining AI and Go, students will be able to enhance their scientific thinking and logical reasoning."

President Jongrae Park is presenting the UNIST AI Campus concept plan. Photo by UNIS

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He went on to introduce the operational plan for the 'UNIST AI Smart Campus.' This project is the first attempt by a Korean university to integrate advanced AI technologies across education, research, and administration. In particular, the strategy is to provide an AI-based interdisciplinary education and research environment, and to lead the digital transformation of the local industry in Ulsan through practical AI training for local businesses.

To drive AI-based educational innovation, UNIST plans to utilize artificial intelligence in various areas, including nurturing AIX interdisciplinary talent, expanding research infrastructure, and administrative innovation. From the first half of this year, pilot AI platform development and activation programs will begin, offering AI utilization training to faculty, staff, and students, as well as practical training for local industries.

Additionally, UNIST will strengthen its AI supercomputing infrastructure and expand its AI-based research environment by developing and building its own small language model (sLM) and an Autonomous Lab.

At the press conference, Professor Lee stated, "AI will influence not only Go but every field," adding, "I plan to share the inspiration I gained from my match against AlphaGo with many students and researchers at UNIST. In the future, it will be impossible to imagine a world without AI technology, but it is crucial for AI to advance for the public good. Humans need to utilize AI as a tool, collaborating with it based on creativity to achieve better outcomes."

President Park added, "This year, together with Professor Lee Sedol, UNIST will realize the AI Smart Campus and develop Ulsan into a hub of AI-driven manufacturing innovation."

With the appointment of Special Professor Lee Sedol, UNIST has signaled a new direction for research and value creation in education. UNIST is expected to lead practical AI research that connects the region, industry, and society.

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