Activities

The 7th ASPIRE Undergraduate Research Academy (UGRA)

Date:: July 9th, 2021

Hosted by:: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) International Relations Team (IRT)

Venue:: Online (via Zoom)

Theme:: Better Living for All through Innovative Technologies

Overview

Due to the COVID-19 situation, KAIST conducted the 7th ASPIRE Undergraduate Research Academy (UGRA) in an online format. The program, organized around the theme “Better Living for All through Innovative Technologies,” was organized as a one-day program on July 9th, with a day of orientation on July 2nd. This was the fourth consecutive ASPIRE UGRA conducted by KAIST. The program was first launched in 2014 by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU).

A total of nine students from four ASPIRE League member universities participated in the 2021 ASPIRE UGRA. The program was designed for undergraduate students currently working on research projects related to the program theme, and group presentations by the participants are a key element of the program. In 2021, the groups gathered online to prepare their presentations in the week between the orientation and July 9th.

The one-day program comprised the group presentations, special lectures, and an online cultural field trip to the South Korea regions of Daejeon and Jeonju. After the presentations, each group received feedback from KAIST lecturers and fellow UGRA participants. KAIST faculty members Professor KIM Young Chul, an expert on urban design and planning, and Professor MYUNG Jae Wook, an expert on waste-innovating technologies, provided special lectures. The program enabled participants to learn about the latest developments in innovative technology research and to improve their communication, presentation, creative-thinking and problem-solving skills.