Kim Jeong-a, a professor at the University of Florida (third from left, front row), and Nobel Physics laureate William Phillips (fifth from left) pose for a photo with 15 science and technology scholarship recipients. [Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation]
Kim Jeong-a, a professor at the University of Florida (third from left, front row), and Nobel Physics laureate William Phillips (fifth from left) pose for a photo with 15 science and technology scholarship recipients. [Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation]

The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation announced Friday that it successfully held the CMK Forum under the theme "Science and Technology Innovation to Solve Social Challenges" at the 39th US-Korea Conference on Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship (UKC 2026) in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday (local time).

Now in its 39th year, UKC 2026 is jointly organized by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association and the Korea-US Science Cooperation Center. Running Wednesday through Saturday at the Omni Resort in Orlando, the conference draws 1,000 to 2,000 leading scholars, next-generation researchers and entrepreneurs from South Korea and the United States each year to explore technological innovation and global partnerships. This year's edition was held under the overarching theme "From Imagination to Innovation — and Into Reality," marking the 55th anniversary of the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association.

The foundation attended the conference with 15 recipients of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Scholarship in science and technology, organizing the forum to demonstrate how the scholars' innovative research can translate into real-world solutions to pressing social challenges.

Moderated by Kim Jeong-a, a professor at the University of Florida, the forum featured presentations by three scholarship recipients — Kang Yu-ri (integrated master's-doctoral program, Pohang University of Science and Technology), Kim Gyeong-hyeon (master's program, Hongik University) and Choi Yu-rim (integrated master's-doctoral program, Pohang University of Science and Technology) — who introduced their interdisciplinary research findings.

In her opening remarks, Professor Kim said the forum would be "a meaningful occasion to witness how the imagination of next-generation science and technology leaders develops beyond innovation into practical solutions to the challenges facing humanity."

In the first presentation, Kang introduced a drug delivery system that uses dual-responsive gelatin microspheres — reactive to both ultrasound and enzymes — to enable precise external control over the timing of anticancer drug release.

Kim Gyeong-hyeon then presented research on "designing non-flammable clay-type solid electrolytes through Lewis acid-base interactions," followed by Choi Yu-rim, who spoke on "overcoming mechanical discontinuity: a bioinspired stress-distribution interface for body-integrated materials and devices."

A discussion session followed, featuring a question-and-answer exchange between William Phillips — a fellow at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology and distinguished professor of physics at the University of Maryland, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics — and the presenting scholars as well as Korean and American graduate students.

A foundation official said the forum confirmed that "the creative imagination and research achievements of next-generation science and technology leaders can be realized as practical solutions to the challenges facing humanity," adding that the foundation would "continue to provide full support so that our science and technology talent can make their mark on the global stage."

UKC 2026 also featured keynote addresses from prominent figures including Phillips; Chris Malachowsky, a fellow and co-founder of Nvidia; and Lee Ji-hyeon, a professor at the University of Florida and former president of the American Statistical Association.

Meanwhile, the foundation has been actively cultivating next-generation science and technology researchers, recently establishing the CMK Science and Technology Fellows program and selecting its first eight recipients.


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