The US-Korean Conference on Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship (UKC 2011) began on August 10 at the Canyons Resort, Park City, Utah, attended by more than 1,000 Korean and Korean-American scientists and engineers. The event will be held from 10 to 14 August.
President Lee Myung-bak, in his remarks read by Vice Minister Kim Chang-kyung, congratulated the successful holding of the conference and the 40th anniversary of the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA). The President said that scientists and engineers in the two countries are good partners in serving the welfare of humanity and should be ready to make the history of the next 40 years now. He added that he hopes the UKC will go far beyond bilateral cooperation and become a greater conference that will lead global science and technology trends.
The KSEA and The Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) have been co-hosting the conference every year since 1999, and this year's conference features a special event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the KSEA.
Philip Coyle, Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, Prof. Mario R. Capecchi of Utah University, a 2007 Nobel laureate, Prof. Jim Gates, a member of President Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, are scheduled to give keynote speeches and presentations.
The Conference will feature many prominent scientists, including Prof. Philip Kim of Columbia University (Physics), one of the world's leading Graphene experts, and Prof. V. Narry Kim of Seoul National University (Biological Science). They will deliver presentations on the topics of "Physical Properties of Graphene and Related Materials" and "Regulation of MicroRNA" respectively. Graphene is a carbon nanomaterial made from graphite, which is commonly used in pencils. Graphene is flexible, transparent, and has current carrying capability 100 times that of copper, therefore can be used in cell phones, displays, and other electronics.
The theme of UKC 2011 is the "US-Korea Summit on Science and Engineering", and 17 invited sessions, 13 technical sessions, and poster sessions will be organized under three tracks.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) said the UKC 2011 will be a meaningful event that will contribute significantly to the advancement and globalization of Korea's science and technology as well as to strengthening of mutual cooperation through exchange of cutting-edge technologies and lively academic discussions.
source: Mest
