KIHASA and GIST Signed Agreement to Promote Joint Research and Industry-Academia Cooperation in Health and Welfare

• ■The signing ceremony was held on Friday, January 16 at the Administrative Building of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST).

• ■By linking research in artificial intelligence (AI), biomedical sciences, and health policy, the KIHASA-GIST collaboration is expected to foster innovation and deliver meaningful contributions to national health and welfare policies.

• ■A joint task force will be established between KIHASA’s Healthcare Policy Research Department and GIST’s Graduate School of Management and Technology to build a substantive cooperation framework.

KIHASA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology on Friday, January 16, at the main conference room of GIST’s Administrative Building. The MoU aims to promote mutual exchange and industry-academia cooperation in the fields of health and welfare.

The agreement aims to produce tangible research outcomes and advance national health and welfare policies by leveraging KIHASA’s policy research expertise and GIST’s research capabilities in advanced science and technology.

The signing ceremony was attended by 11 participants. Representing KIHASA were Shin Youngseok, President; Shin Hyun-woong, Director of the Healthcare Policy Research Department; Kim Hee-nyeon, Associate Research Fellow; Lee Hye-seon, Head of the Public Relations Unit; and Seo Myung-soo, Public Relations Specialist. GIST attendees included Lim Ki-chul, President; Chung Yong-hwa, Vice President for External Affairs; Lee Eun-ji, Director of External Cooperation; Kim Sang-ho, Dean of the Graduate School of Management and Technology; Kim Ki-bae, Professor at the Graduate School of AI Policy and Strategy; and Jung Eui-heon, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering.

Key areas of cooperation under the MoU include joint research, commercialization of research outcomes, and the co-hosting of academic conferences and related events. Under this agreement, the two institutions plan to establish a cooperative model, on a step-by-step basis, incorporating artificial intelligence, biomedical science, and health policy. In particular, KIHASA’s Healthcare Policy Research Department and GIST’s Graduate School of Management and Technology will establish a joint task force to build a systematic framework for cooperation that covers the entire research process from planning to dissemination.

KIHASA President Shin Youngseok said, “This agreement represents a meaningful starting point for linking science- and technology-based research with health and welfare policy. I hope that this formal commitment to cooperation will lead to substantive outcomes grounded in the synergy between the research capacities and expertise of KIHASA and GIST.”

GIST President Lim Ki-chul noted that the agreement marks an important step toward bridging science- and technology-driven research with real-world health and welfare policies and industries. He also expressed his hope that combining GIST’s strengths in AI and biomedical research with KIHASA’s policy expertise will contribute to improving the public’s quality of life.

Following the signing ceremony, participants toured the biomedical research laboratories and attended the opening ceremony of the Graduate School of Management and Technology. The two institutions will soon begin exploring opportunities for joint research and implementing personnel exchanges.