The new sun of 2022, the Year of the Black Tiger, breaks through the deep blue sea and darkness, awakening the sleepy land as it rises. With the energy from this sun that shines its rays in the morning, I wish for a healthy new year for every member of our POSTECH family.
We are ushering in a new year again amidst the pandemic that has lingered on, longer than expected. However, 2021 was not a year of uncertainties or limitations for POSTECH, but rather a year of affirming the possibilities of expanding into new realms.
Under the new banner of metaversity—a combination of the words “metaverse” and “university”—POSTECH has taken bold steps for the expansion of our university and the campus. We are working alongside the members of our faculty, staff, students, and affiliated organizations on our move to the metaverse beyond the physical campus via IT technology, virtual and augmented reality. I am grateful to all of you for taking this road together, an unpaved road not traveled by any other university before. 
It may be too early to tell, but POSTECH is getting ready to reap the fruits of our labor. It began with Apple. POSTECH is the only Korean university that has partnered with Apple so far. Following suit, Samsung Electronics and Google Cloud—companies leading the global economy— have chosen POSTECH as their partner. Remember that underlying these accomplishments are POSTECH’s unmatched competence and potential that we have proven to ourselves and the world, despite an ongoing global crisis.
Dear members of the POSTECH community!
POSTECH continues to take on new challenges this year. I am sure you have already heard the news on establishing a Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering and an engineering-based research-oriented medical school at POSTECH through various channels.
Leading a healthy life and longevity will be hot topics in the world following COVID-19 and the 4th industrial revolution in which the elderly will account for over 20% of the population. Considering the burden that an aging society will have on the younger generation, the preparations for medical innovations may be already too late. 
In the past year, I had the chance to visit a smart hospital and an engineering-based research-focused medical school that had a successful soft landing in the U.S.. It is there I became convinced that the medical school and smart hospital we will build at POSTECH would be the best infrastructure to conduct biomedical and healthcare convergence research, and the best way POSTECH will take the global lead in science and technology. This challenging endeavor will be a turning point for our university, which already has a lot of technology transfer income in the biomedical sector, as well as excellent researchers and world-class research infrastructure. 
Many looked on with doubt when a small city of Pohang took on the challenge to open a world-leading research university 35 years ago. But the results exceeded everyone’s expectations. Perhaps a more arduous journey awaits us. However, our challenge must continue as this is POSTECH’s new leap forward and we are called to contribute to the future advancement of Korea and humanity. 
This huge project needs to be pursued step by step with a long-term vision. Above all else, now is an important time to lay down a solid foundation—we will undoubtedly need the insight and expertise from our POSTECH community. For this, we will have opportunities in the new year to freely share ideas and hear from our members on university policy, including the establishment of the medical school. 
There are also plans for students to lead a more enjoyable campus life. The “e-Sports Colosseum”, where students from all over the world can mingle in the metaverse, will open soon. A community center will be built in the dorms and the Log Cabin will be remodeled to provide more space for students to come together. Other improvements include remodeling the Graduate Students Apartments and other residential areas. 
2022 is the Year of the Tiger. It is said that a tiger on a hunt makes a fierce run in early mornings. Let us face the new year with this spirit of the tiger to courageously overcome the obstacles that surround us for a brighter future of POSTECH and our members.
May your new year be happy, healthy, and prosperous.

 

January 1, 2022
Moo Hwan Kim
President of POSTECH