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U.S. Ambassador Delivers a Special Lecture at KIST (7.8)
- Date : 2010-07-14
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U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens visited KIST on July 8, 2010, to deliver a special lecture.
After meeting with KIST President Hong Thomas Hahn to be updated on KIST’s current R&D status and future plans, Ambassador Stephens delivered a special lecture on “Science Diplomacy” at the Johnson Auditorium.
At the lecture, Ambassador Stephens shared the history behind the creation of KIST. In the spring of 1965, Korean President Park Chung-hee and U.S. President Lyndon Johnson had met to discuss the challenges and opportunities for education and economic development in Korea. There the idea of U.S. support for establishing an industrial research laboratory was suggested, leading to the establishment of KIST in 1966. The creation of KIST, then, was a product of science diplomacy, a product of the strong alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and a product of the shared belief that science is essential to the progress of any nation.
She further explored the role of science in facilitating diplomacy and international collaboration. She explained that science, serving as a common global language, is able to bridge deep political and religious divides. It also calls for international collaboration due to its international scope such as the ITER project, which is an international effort to harness the power of nuclear fusion as a possible new and viable energy sources.
Ambassador Stephens also stressed the importance of scientists and students and their role in science diplomacy. She encouraged the students of the KIST International R&D Academy, who are from all over the world, to make positive contributions to the scientific and economic development of their home countries with the training they receive at KIST.
Looking towards the future of science diplomacy, Ambassador Stephens concluded her lecture by expressing her sense of pride both for the Korean people and for the U.S.-Korea partnership.