KAIST NEREC Program 2022
Asia Pacific New Voices

KAIST NEREC Program 2022

APLN was delighted to sponsor the 2022 Summer Fellows Program of Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center (NEREC) of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which took place from July 11 to August 12 in Daejeon, Seoul and Gyeongju.

With 27 fellows from 14 countries, the program provides an intensive education and training course on nuclear nonproliferation for undergraduate and graduate students with the aim of nurturing the next generation of leaders and experts in nuclear issues.

APLN is proud to be a sponsor for the third year running of the KAIST-NEREC program. The program is part of APLN efforts to cultivate new voices and experts in the Asia-Pacific.

PROGRAMS

NEREC Summer Fellows Program

The NEREC Summer Fellows Program, an intensive short-term education and training course of nuclear nonproliferation for undergraduate/graduate students, aims to train and nurture next generation international leaders in nuclear nonproliferation. For five weeks, Fellow students from various majors such as nuclear engineering, international relations, economics and others from major universities at home and abroad will participate in various educational and research activities including lectures, group research projects, and field trips to government agencies, think-tanks and nuclear facilities in Korea and abroad (including virtual meetings and workshops). The program will provide opportunities not only for interacting with other fellow colleagues, but also for meeting (including on-line) face-to-face with experts and leaders in the field, which will contribute to build networks for further collaboration and achievement. Together, we will build a better world for the global community.

Alumni from 2014 to 2021: 207 students representing 84 universities from 43 countries

2022 NEREC Summer Fellows Program

  • Date: July 11 to August 12, 2022
  • Place: Daejeon, Seoul and Gyeongju (on-site)
  • Participants: 27 fellows from 14 countries
  • Sponsors: The Stanton Foundation, and KONICOF

NEREC Research Fellows Program

NEREC Research Fellows Program is a one-year fellowship to enhance the nuclear policy research capabilities of Korean students in political or social science domain and to build national capacity for nuclear policy development in Korea. The program provides a select group of fellows in the political or social science domain with research funding and one-on-one mentoring by NEREC faculty members. With this support, they are expected to publishing one paper at the end of the program. Since its start in 2016, we have trained 30 Research Fellows and this year additional five new Fellows will be selected and begin conducting their research. Their research addresses domestic and international issues on global nuclear nonproliferation and security for the peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as North Koreas nuclear problem.

Alumni from 2016 to 2021: 30 Korean students representing 10 universities

2022 NEREC Research Fellows Program

  • Duration: March to December, 2022
  • Participants: 5 fellows from Seoul National University, Korea University and Korea Defense University
  • Sponsor: MSIT

NEREC Conference on Nuclear Nonproliferation

The NEREC Conference on Nuclear Nonproliferation is an annual international conference of established nuclear scientists and policy researchers to discuss their current research and global nonproliferation issues. It is a multi-session conference with invited guests, and is open to undergraduate/graduate students. The NEREC Conference on Nuclear Nonproliferation aims to share knowledge and insights of current nuclear nonproliferation research and to develop further ideas, and to promote global nuclear nonproliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy. The conference will provide a highly-stimulating environment for in-depth discussion and informal networking among nuclear nonproliferation experts home and abroad.

2022 NEREC Conference on Nuclear Nonproliferation

  • Date: August 2-3, 2022
  • Place: The Sejong Institute (On/off-line hybrid)
  • Held as a joint conference with the Sejong Institute

NEREC Alumni Network Development Program

A total of 237 students representing 84 universities from 43 different countries have been trained from the offering of the NEREC Summer Fellows Program and the NEREC Research Fellows Program since 2014. NEREC has been building up a truly global network of NEREC alumni. NEREC alumni represent diverse groups of countries and consist of global network based on understanding and trust among themselves who are potential nuclear nonproliferation leaders of their country of origin. Such a friendship-based network is expected to contribute to promoting nuclear nonproliferation and security in the world.

NEREC tries to support continued development of such a global network of NEREC alumni by expanding the alumni network both online and offline, and running programs of career development and capacity-building for the alumni to grow into the next generation global leaders in the field of nuclear nonproliferation.

2022 NEREC Alumni Annual Meeting

  • Date: July 29, 2022
  • Place: Hoam Faculty House, Seoul National University
  • Sponsor: APLN

2022 NEREC Alumni Regional Workshop

  • Date: November, 2022 (Tentative)
  • Place: Virtual Meeting (Europe, Middle East and North Africa)
  • Sponsor: APLN

Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center (NEREC)

Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center (NEREC) of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), established in April 2014, is currently the sole university organization for nuclear non-proliferation research and training. The center has been run as a think tank undertaking education and research to foster global nuclear non-proliferation conducive to peaceful use of nuclear technology.

The Center has three objectives:

  1. To train and nurture non-proliferation human resources.
  2. To conduct non-proliferation policy research combining technical expertise and policy insights.
  3. To engage in discussions on the peaceful use of nuclear technology and various aspects of nuclear non-proliferation.

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

KAIST is the first and top science & technology research university in Korea. Founded in 1971 to raise elites in science & technology, critical for Korea’s economic takeoff, KAIST has been the gateway to advanced science & technology, innovation, and a driving engine for the development of Korea for past 5 decades. KAIST has always been touted as Korea’s top-notch research university of science wunderkinds and world-famous faculty members. KAIST strives to address global challenges facing humanity through competitive research innovation and convergence. According to the Clarivate analytics, KAIST is the only university included in the 100 Most Innovative Companies in the world in 2021. In order to meet the new demands of producing young talents who care for global citizenship and social responsibility, KAIST now offers cross-disciplinary academic and research. KAIST fosters the innovation and creativity of global “thought leaders” who no longer abide by the boundaries between disciplines and departments, but instead work under the greater umbrella of interdisciplinary academic convergence.

Director of NEREC

Dr. Man-Sung Yim is Donald E. Bentley and Agnes Muszynska Endowed Chair Professor of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Director of Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center (NEREC), Director of Center for Global Strategies and Planning, Head of the Office of Global Initiatives, and Associate Vice President of the International Office, KAIST. Formerly, he worked at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, and taught at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and MIT. He was also a joint faculty between Oak Ridge National Lab (Global Nuclear Security Technology Division) and NCSU, Sam Nunn International Security Fellow at Georgia Tech, a member of North Carolina Science Advisory Board on Air Toxics Emissions, and a member of Nuclear Nonproliferation External Steering Committee of Idaho National Laboratory.

NEREC Faculty

Dr. Hojin-ryu is an Associate Professor of the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering and Deputy Director of Nuclear Nonproliferation Education and Research Center at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Dr. Ryu is Head of Nuclear Fuel Materials Laboratory of KAIST.

Dr. So-young Kim is the associate professor and the former head of the Graduate School of Science & Technology Policy at KAIST. Prof. Kim worked as a data archivist for the Social Science Computing Center at the University of Chicago and taught as an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University before joining KAIST.

Dr. Sungyeol Choi is Associate Professor of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Seoul National University. Previously he was Assistant Professor of the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering and Deputy Director of KAIST NEREC.

Dr. Sang-hyun Lee is President of the Sejong Institute, and President of Korea Nuclear Policy Society. He recently served as Director General of Policy Planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROK. His research areas include international politics and security, ROK-US relations, inter-Korean relations and security in the East Asia.

Dr. Bong-geun Jun is Professor and Director-general of the Department of National Security and Unification Studies at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. Previously, he was a policy advisor to the Minister of Unification, and secretary to the president for international affairs at the Presidential Office. His research areas include the North Korean nuclear issue, inter-Korean relations, non-proliferation, nuclear security, and nuclear energy policies.

Dr. Kwang Seok-lee has over 25 years of experiences in policy issues surrounding the use of nuclear technology. He recently served as Director of Policy Analysis at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute.

Overseas Advisory Board

Dr. Scott D. Sagan is the Caroline S.G. Munro Professor of Political Science, the Mimi and Peter Haas University Fellow in Undergraduate Education, and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation and the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University. He also serves as Chairman of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Committee on International Security Studies.

Dr. Steven E. Miller is Director of the International Security Program, Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly journal, International Security and also co-editor of the International Security Program’s book series, Belfer Center Studies in International Security (which is published by the MIT Press). Miller is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, where he is a member of their Committee on International Security Studies (CISS). He currently co-directs the Academy’s project on the Global Nuclear Future. Miller is also co-chair of the U.S. Pugwash Committee and a member of the Council of International Pugwash.

Sponsors

Program Sponsors

NEREC Summer Fellows Program: The Stanton Foundation Korea Nuclear International Cooperation Foundation (KONICOF)

NEREC Research Fellows Program: Ministry of Science and ICT, ROK (MSIT)

NEREC Conference: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROK (MOFA) Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., LTD (KHNP)

Alumni Network Development Program: Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for (APLN)

For more information, please visit the NEREC website.

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