Chang pledges to build a 'Discovery Hub' where new questions and findings take root

Chang Sukbok delivers his inaugural address as the fourth president of the Institute for Basic Science. [IBS]
Chang Sukbok delivers his inaugural address as the fourth president of the Institute for Basic Science. [IBS]

"Over the next five years, we will establish more than 10 'pioneer research groups' so that new discoveries and new concepts can flourish at IBS, greatly strengthening the dynamism and diversity of our research ecosystem."

Chang Sukbok, the fourth president of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), laid out his vision for running the organization at his inauguration ceremony Thursday.

Chang is one of IBS's most prominent researchers, having been selected as a research group director in 2012 — shortly after the institute was founded — and leading the Center for Molecular-Level Control of Organic Reactions ever since. He is widely regarded as a researcher who understands IBS's philosophy and laboratory culture more deeply than anyone, and has been credited with advancing both research group operations and the institution's broader development. His term runs through June 2031.

Chang said that while IBS has spent the past 15 years building world-class research capabilities, the institute must now move beyond excellence alone and place new discoveries and new concepts at the center of its mission. He also presented a vision of IBS evolving into a "Discovery Hub" — an institution that ventures into uncharted territory first, rather than accumulating results in already-established fields, and that sets new questions and new research directions.

To that end, he outlined five key operational priorities: introducing pioneer research groups, building an open research group system, strengthening the competitiveness of the main campus and research infrastructure, charting future-oriented research directions, and fostering a healthy organizational culture grounded in public trust.

In particular, he said IBS would introduce "pioneer research groups" to support young and innovative researchers, reinforcing systems to identify and nurture talent with world-class potential.

Guests and IBS research group directors pose for a group photo at the inauguration ceremony for the institute's fourth president, held at IBS headquarters in Daejeon. [IBS]
Guests and IBS research group directors pose for a group photo at the inauguration ceremony for the institute's fourth president, held at IBS headquarters in Daejeon. [IBS]

Chang said he would focus on strengthening research competitiveness centered on the main campus, creating an environment that attracts top researchers from home and abroad around the recently completed second headquarters building, and expanding research infrastructure. He also said he would work to stabilize operations at the heavy-ion accelerator facility so it can become a flagship research installation actively used by scientists in Korea and internationally.

"IBS will sustain its excellence only when researchers who hold on to long-standing problems to the very end, a culture that does not fear failure, and the best administrative and technical support all come together," Chang said. "I will do my utmost to help IBS grow into a research institution that earns the trust and support of the public and points science in a new direction for the world."

Chang was born in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province in 1962. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Korea University in 1985, a master's degree in chemistry from KAIST in 1987, and a doctorate from Harvard University in 1996.

He is recognized as the foremost authority in Korea in the field of organic chemistry and catalytic reactions, and is regarded internationally as a top-tier researcher. He has been named to Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers list — which identifies the world's top 1 percent of researchers — for eight consecutive years, and currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com