On Jul. 25, POSTECH and the National Cancer Center (NCC) announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for training cancer specialists.

“I am expected to create more synergy effect of world class basic science of POSTECH and top-notch clinics and researches of NCC, which might open up a whole new world of cancer treatment through this program,” said former President Sunggi Baik.

For the cancer program scheduled to start in 2012, POSTECH will select students to perform research related to cancer and teach the major subjects involved. On the other hand, NCC will provide laboratories and equipment for the research. After completing the course at POSTECH, students will be sent to NCC to work as cancer specialists.

The partnership reflects a growing trend of medical research in which academic institutions are becoming more directly involved in medical treatment. For academic institutions, this means playing a more active role in cancer-related research as well as training medical experts through the partnership with NCC. Also, NCC is expected to gain stable researchers trained at POSTECH.

NCC is a government-funded institution founded on the basis of the ‘National Cancer Center Act’ in Mar. 2000. Since its inception, NCC has served to lessen the burden of cancer for Koreans by conducting basic and clinical research on cancer, providing medical care services for cancer patients, assisting in the National Cancer Control Initiatives, and finally, offering education and training for health professionals.