New York University and KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) today celebrated their new partnership at an event that included South Korean President Yook Suk-yeol, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYU Board of Trustees Chair William R. Berkley, NYU President Andrew Hamilton, and KAIST President Lee Kwang Hyung. The event also included the signing of a cooperation agreement with the City of New York by the KAIST delegation.
The NYU-KAIST partnership was memorialized in a memorandum of understanding signed in June 2022. The partnership was marked at today’s event, where the two institutions unveiled the signage for the anticipated joint New York campus.
The partnership will focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, humanities, and mathematics. It will begin with a series of research collaborations involving some 50 faculty members from the two institutions in areas such as biomedical engineering, AI convergence, neuroscience, next-gen wireless communications, cyber security, and sustainability, among other areas. In addition, discussions have begun between faculty of the two institutions about the possibility of establishing a joint undergraduate engineering degree program, as well as a study away program that would include an intensive hands-on learning environment and industry experience in both countries.
The two universities have already identified dedicated space on each campus for their nascent joint collaborations. In New York, the NYU-KAIST offices will be located at One Metrotech Center, in the heart of NYU’s engineering/tech/new media/arts corridor in Brooklyn; KAIST will provide space for NYU personnel on their campus. With an eye towards establishing a campus in New York City by 2025, KAIST has also been in discussion with New York City officials about its plans.
“We’re proud to have helped facilitate this partnership between KAIST and New York University, which will be a real win for students and help drive continued innovation in our city,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “From the time that senior members of our administration learned about this opportunity during a recent trip to South Korea, we have worked closely with KAIST to develop strategies for increasing their presence and investments in New York. This is the start of a relationship that I am confident will bring even more academic, business, and technological opportunities to the five boroughs.”
“We’re delighted by our newly established partnership with KAIST,” said NYU President Andrew Hamilton. “We see great potential in the opportunities to collaborate on the development of courses, research, cutting-edge technologies, entrepreneurship initiatives and industrial partnerships, and exchanges. We believe this partnership is very much in line with NYU’s commitment to global engagement and will make important contributions to New York’s tech sector. It’s exciting to think how much NYU and KAIST have to learn from one another, and how much we may accomplish together.”
“We are very excited to have our institution come together with NYU to begin pursuing a common vision: Joining forces to advance technology-based research and education; playing a leading role in addressing global challenges and problems through science and technology; and building stronger ties between Korea and the United States,” said KAIST President Kwang Hyung Lee. “This partnership with an institution that shares our sense of cutting-edge research and global social responsibility recalls the spirit of international partnership and assistance that led to the creation of KAIST in 1971.”
About KAIST
Since KAIST was established in 1971, KAIST and its alumni have been the gateway to advanced science and technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship and have made a significant contribution to creating the dynamic economy of today’s Korea. KAIST has now emerged as one of the most innovative universities; it ranked 1st among the Most Innovative Universities in Asia from 2016 to 2018 and 11th in the World’s Most Innovative Universities in 2018 by Thomson Reuters. KAIST was named as one of the Global 100 Innovators in 2021 by Clarivate, the only university listed. QS ranked KAIST the 20th-best university in engineering and technology in 2022, and the Nature Index’s Young University Ranking placed KAIST 4th in the world. KAIST continues to spearhead innovation and lead the advance of science and technology in Korea and beyond, and aims to contribute to the development of new dynamic engines of growth and innovation through collaboration with NYU to foster more future-oriented, creative global talents, young researchers, and entrepreneurs in the creative environment of New York City.
About New York University
New York University, established in 1831, is one of the world's leading research universities/a member of the selective Association of American Universities, and one of the small number of US universities whose yearly research expenditures exceed $1 billion. One of the largest private universities in the US, NYU conducts research and provides education in the humanities, the social sciences, the sciences, law, medicine, business, dentistry, engineering, mathematical and data sciences, education, nursing, the cinematic and performing arts, music and studio arts, public administration, social work, and continuing and professional studies, among other areas. Its faculty includes winners of the Nobel Prize, the Abel Prize, the Turing Prize, the Pulitzer, Oscars, Tonys, and Grammys, among other honors. NYU is arguably the most global of US universities, with degree-granting campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai; 12 other global academic sites; and more students studying abroad and more international students than any other US university.
