DGIST is a place that knows no boundaries between academic disciplines in Korea and around the world.
The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST) (under President Kunwoo Lee) announced that it held a ceremony to appoint a science communicator, known as ‘Orbit’ (Korean name ‘Gwedo’, hereinafter referred to as ‘Orbit’)” as a Specially Appointed Professor of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at RYSE Autograph Collection in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
This appointment was made in an effort to practice DGIST’s interdisciplinary education philosophy more broadly while expanding the public value of science and technology, serving as an affirmation of the institution’s direction and trajectory of “developing talented interdisciplinary individuals across boundaries.”
“DGIST is flexible because it chooses not to delineate boundaries between departments. The modern scenario demands a transcendence of conventional boundaries in the interest of progress. DGIST is an institution for the entire world, not just Korea,” said Orbit. “I will do everything in my capacity to help DGIST students grow into (i) interdisciplinary talents who can solve problems beyond their major; (ii) creative talents who explore connections with society, culture, and art beyond science and technology; and (iii) global talents who use technology to expand their reach across the world, not just Korea.”
“DGIST’s education philosophy is ‘developing talented interdisciplinary individuals,’ and our appointment of Orbit is not simply about the institution of a special office, but is intended to serve as an important opportunity to inculcate the essential arts of ‘interdisciplinary thinking’ and ‘skills to communicate with the world’ into our curriculum,” DGIST President Kunwoo Lee said. “DGIST will continue to create new value through interdisciplinarity, creation, and innovation, and take the lead in developing talent that can thrive in the global landscape.”
DGIST’s interdisciplinary education system was central to the appointment of Orbit as a Specially Appointed Professor at DGIST.
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies at DGIST employs a track-based self-design system, rather than a traditional department-centred academic structure. Under this system, students are allowed to take two or more majors (tracks) and design their own curriculum with no boundaries between majors.
Based on broad interdisciplinary education across basic sciences, engineering, and humanities and social sciences, students can select a major (track) and double major suitable for their career path or an autonomous track in which they design their own curriculum. Students receive full support for practical education, such as research, internships and global exchanges. As described above, DGIST enables students to develop thinking and problem-solving skills across boundaries through its flexible academic system.
Meanwhile, Specially Appointed Professor Orbit will support students in improving their science communication skills and provide career counselling through mentoring, instead of delivering lectures directly to students. With this appointment, DGIST plans to continue to actively help its students become “talented DGIST individuals”, with a particular competency in interdisciplinary thinking.