Three exceptional graduate students from UNIST were honored with Silver Awards at the 31st Samsung Human Tech Paper Awards Ceremony for their groundbreaking research in the fields of energy, environment, signal processing, and basic science—areas poised to impact society and industry.
Since 2015, UNIST has demonstrated its research excellence by producing winners of the Samsung Human Tech Paper Awards every year. Over the past decade, a total of 91 teams have received accolades, including one Grand Prize and 11 Gold Awards, underscoring the university’s commitment to pioneering research.
YunSeok Kang, a graduate student in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering (Advisor: Professor Jungki Ryu), has developed an innovative technology to enhance the efficiency of hydrogen production. By optimizing the design of the “Porous Transport Layer (PTL),” Kang has successfully controlled liquid and gas flow, significantly boosting hydrogen production. This technology can be seamlessly integrated into existing water electrolysis systems. “We hope this research will play a vital role in advancing next-generation water electrolysis technology,” Kang stated. “I am deeply grateful to Professors Ryu Jung-ki and Lee Dong-wook for their invaluable support.”
Jun Su Kim, a graduate student in the Graduate School of Artificial Intelligence (Advisor: Professor Kyeongdon Joo), introduced a novel camera-based technology for predicting 3D space occupancy. By employing a deep learning network that utilizes vanishing points, Kim’s research presents a new method for inferring 3D space from 2D images effectively. The study received high praise for its innovative approach to handling perspective in 3D space inference. “We believe this research will significantly contribute to the advancement of cognitive technologies in autonomous vehicles and robotics,” Kim said.
Gangseon Ji, also a graduate student in the Department of Physics (Advisor: Professor Hyong-Ryeol Park), conducted a groundbreaking study that accelerated ferroelectric electropolarization switching speed by more than 1,000 times, reducing it from conventional nanoseconds (10⁻⁹ seconds) to picoseconds (10⁻¹² seconds). His research identified previously unrecognized ferroelectric characteristics, highlighting the potential for developing next-generation ultra-high-speed, low-power memory devices. “It was remarkable to discover that ferroelectric materials can react much faster than anticipated,” Ji remarked. “We plan to further investigate ferroelectric ultra-high-speed dynamics and explore their potential applications in real devices.”
The Samsung Human Tech Paper Awards is South Korea’s largest academic competition, held annually since 1994 to discover and nurture talented individuals in the fields of science and technology.
