QS top-100 university scholars apply for IBS directorships 

52 professors apply to the IBS

Press Release: March 5, 2012

Public Relations & Coordination Team, IBS

The IBS said on February 29, 2012 that 52 professors belonging to the QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) top-100 universities, and leading scientists at Max Planck Institutes (MPI), had applied for directorships at IBS research centers.

Professors and researchers from 17 top universities, including UC Berkeley, Harvard University, the University of Illinois, Johns Hopkins, Georgia Tech, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Toronto, have submitted applications for the directorial positions. 

A number of leading scientists at world-renowned institutes also applied, including from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire: CERN), Brookhaven National Lab, and MPI, which the IBS has used as a benchmark.

Top Korean scientists have also applied for directorships. All applicants from Korea’s prestigious universities (including Seoul National University, KAIST, and POSTECH) have superb credentials in their respective fields.    

With 32 non-Korean scientists among the 101 applicants, the IBS is likely to achieve its goal of filling 30% of the directorial positions with renowned, non-Korean scientists.

Among the non-Korean applicants are 21 scientists from the U.S., four from Germany, three from Japan, and one each from the U.K., Italy, Poland, and Canada. 

Applicants have been placed in categories according to their research fields: 37 applicants are from the fields of physics, astronomy, or life sciences; 34 are from life sciences (including medical science and engineering); 19 are from fields of chemistry (including nanoscience); 11 are from fields of mathematics (including computer science).

Applicants applied to one of the three IBS research centers, which are located separately either at IBS HQ, on campuses, or at extramural institutions: 17 applicants applied to IBS HQ research centers; 42 to campus research centers (24 to the KAIST Alliance, 14 to the D.U.P. Alliance (comprising DGIST, INIST and POSTECH); 4 applied to GIST; 42 applied to extramural research centers (comprising 19 universities and research institutes, and featuring Seoul National University).

The average age of the applicants was 54, and the youngest applicant was born in 1971. The highest citation frequency of an applicant stood at 31,000.

To help clarify its selection and evaluation process, the IBS is holding a press conference headed by Professor Peter Fulde, Chairman of the Selection and Evaluation Committee (the SEC). The prees conference will take place at 11 a.m. on March 6, 2012 in Mae-hwa Hall, on the 19th floor of the Korea Press Center. 

 Applicants by Research Center

 Applicants by Field