The university, North Gyeonsang Province, and Pohang City will jointly establish the Korean branch of the Institute, or MPI-Korea, with Max-Planck Gesellschaft. After establishing two research centers for attosecond spectroscopy and complex phase materials, these centers are planned to expand by 2015 to develop into a member institute of MPI.
The establishment details were delineated for 21 months since the formation of the committee for organizing MPI-Korea in July 2008. The initial plan is to run two research centers for attosecond spectroscopy and complex phase materials for five years and to construct a high-tech beam line and attosecond spectroscopy in the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory in collaboration with the German Institute.
Within the next month, the basic agreement will be signed for the establishment. After final adjustments between the Max-Planck Gesselschaft and the Korean government, two independent research centers will be incorporated and promote talented young scientists from in and out of Korea for research by the end of the first half of the year.
The foundation of MPI acknowledges the potential of building a successful science industry complex in Pohang, where POSTECH and its accelerator are situated, which is similar to Dresden in Germany, where economic growth was stimulated through the formation of a science complex centered around MPI and the university.
President Baik projected, “This news will greatly benefit the university’s plan of globalisation. Creating a global science complex with the MPI and coordinating with the industry complex around POSCO will also foster the nation’s development.”
