나는 내가 무엇을 좋아하고 무엇을 싫어하는지 잘 아는 사람이라고 생각했다. 자기소개 중 몇 번은 그것을 장점으로 내세우기도 했다. 너무 자신 있었던 나머지 나에 대한 고민이 없는 게 불안하기도 했다. 흔히 아프니까 청춘이라던데, 너무 안 아파서 빨리 늙어버리는 거 아닐까 하는 생각마저 들었다. 이 생각이 얼마 전에 깨졌다.시험 기간에는 모두가 ‘시험만 끝나면 무엇을 해야지’라는 계획을 세우지 않는가. 내 이번 계획은 △야식 먹고 밤새워서 드라마 보기 △멀리 걸어가서 가보고 싶었던 식당 가기 △오는 길에 커피와 디저트 사 먹기 △도서관에서 영화 DVD를 빌려와 보기였다. 전부 내가 좋아한다고 확신하는 것들이다. 그래서 시험이 끝난 날 밤, 배고프지도 않은데 컵라면을 꾸역꾸역 먹고 졸린데도 커피를 마시며 드라마를 봤다. 심지어 새벽 4시까지 본 드라마는 그다지 재미있지도 않았다. 아침에 일어나서는 컨디션이 좋지 않은 것을 느꼈지만, 계획을 깨기 싫어 밖으로 나갔다. 식당은 생각보다 더 멀었고, 몸이 무거워 더욱더 멀게 느껴졌다. 기껏 도착해서는 속이 안 좋아서 시킨 음식의 반도 못 먹었다. 비싸게 주고 산 쿠키는 달기만 하고 별로였다. 카페에서는 라테를 디카페인

모범생은 학생의 통상적 정의 범위 내에서 수행하는 행동이 타인의 모범이 되는 학생을 의미한다. 조금씩 차이는 있겠지만 대한민국에서 학업적 역량과 성과가 뛰어난 학생이 모범생이라는데 이견은 많지 않을 것이다. 그렇다면 모범적인 부모의 정의는 무엇인가? 모범적인 인공지능 엔지니어의 정의는 무엇인가? 모범적인 인생·사회·국가의 정의는 무엇인가? 선뜻 대답하기 어려운 질문들로, 모두 개별적인 담론이 필요하다. 그렇다면 모범생의 정의에 대한 답변은 왜 상대적으로 쉬워야 하는가? 쉽지 않은 질문을 너무 단순하게 생각하는 것은 아닌가?본 글은 대한민국의 교육 체계나 사교육의 폐해에 대해 논하는 것이 목적이 아니다. 우리 사회 모범생들의 학창 시절 이후에 대해 잠시 논하고자 한다. 모범생들의 양성은 장차 모범적인 사회인들의 출현을 야기하고, 나아가 모범적인 사회·국가 구성의 기본 전제가 된다는 논리는 교육의 중요성을 받치는 중요한 요소이다. 그리고 많은 폐해와 부작용의 출현 속에서도, 우리나라의 높은 교육열이 국가 발전의 주요 기인 요소였다는 것도 부인하기 어렵다. 국가 차원의 교육 체계 수립 입장에서 매우 설득력이 높은 엘리트 양성 접근법이다. 정량적이고 분명한 모범생의

지난 11일, 우리대학 알리미와 ‘포스텍 한 스푼(S.P.O.O.N.)’ 참가 학생들 간의 런치토크가 진행됐다. 우리대학에 관심이 있는 고등학생은 포스텍 한 스푼 프로그램을 통해 우리대학의 교육·연구 환경과 학교생활을 견학·체험해 볼 수 있다. 견학·체험 프로그램은 일정 주기로 변경되며 △가속기 투어 △메이커스페이스 체험 △생명과학과 랩 투어 △평면광학기술 연구소 투어 중 하나가 진행되며, 런치토크, 사정관 질의응답 등 평소 궁금했던 점을 물어볼 수 있는 자리도 마련된다. 참가를 원하는 학생은 우리대학 입학팀 홈페이지를 통해 신청할 수 있다.

The annual Sunrise Festival, one of Postechians’ most beloved Spring events, was an exciting blend of tradition and innovation, running from May 9 to 10 in front of the 78 Stairs. The 2024 Sunrise Festival was special, marking a significant milestone for the festival that has grown from a scaled-back Culture Days, due to the pandemic, into a much larger festival. The theme of the 2024 Sunrise Festival Organization Committee was “Spark”. As the festival approached, the Sunrise Festival Organization Committee introduced new entertainment, and Postechians looked forward to experiencing the spirit

On April 11, a special event was held at the CHANGeUP GROUND Pohang. The first workshop between POSTECH and Mahidol University in Thailand provided a valuable opportunity to discuss topics in various fields for the development of the start-up ecosystem. Entrepreneurs from each university gathered to share knowledge and experience on technology commercialization, entrepreneurship education, and cooperation. They also enjoyed a variety of other harmonious and challenging discussions. At this event, researchers, including professors from each university, came together to share their thoughts. Mah

POSTECH research team of Professor Dong-Woo Cho (ME), Jae Yun Kim (I-Bio), and Tugce Sen (ME) developed a supportive material that quickly ceases bleeding and facilitates wound closure inside the kidney, through collaborative research with the team of Prof. Jae Yeon Lee at the Department of Companion Animal Health in Daegu Haany University. The research was published in Biomaterials, a peer-reviewed journal covering biomaterials. The kidney is an important organ that removes waste products and controls blood pressure. Although the kidney is known as the “silent organ,” due to the absence of su

The research team of Professor Jong Kyoung Kim (LIFE) and Integrated Ph.D Candidate Yujin Jeong (LIFE) revealed the mechanism that regulates the inflammation and metabolic dysfunction triggered by obesity through joint research with teams of Prof. Yun-Hee Lee (SNU Pharmacy), Prof. Young-Min Hyun (YU Medicine), Prof. Granneman (WSU), and Prof. Young-Suk Jung (PNU Pharmacy). The research was published in the international journal, Nature Communications. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the obese population took up 16% of the whole population in 2022. Obesity is one of the fastes

On April 16, local time, the United Kingdom passed a tobacco and e-cigarette bill to create a smoke-free generation by a vote of 383 in favor and 67 against. According to the bill proposed by the government to create a “smoke-free generation,” the legal age to purchase tobacco will be increased by one year annually, meaning that individuals born on or after Jan. 1, 2009 (currently 15 years old) will never be able to buy tobacco in the UK legally. This measure effectively prohibits the sale of tobacco to anyone below a certain age. The bill also includes provisions that ban disposable e-cigaret

These days, most university students are relying on electronic devices like mobile phones, tablet PCs, and laptops, during lectures. Rather than buying paper textbooks, they simply load textbook files onto their devices. Only a few students are accessing these textbook files through legitimate means. Furthermore, some students purchase or sell these files through illegal channels. In extreme cases, it has been reported that some students even share previous exam questions without any permission from the professor. All of these are acts of copyright infringement, but most students are either un

About the smart biomaterials design research our lab is conducting In our Smart Biomaterials Design Lab, we are conducting a research that integrates biomimetic materials, microfluidics/bioreactor technologies, and cell biology to develop ex vivo models and microdevices that mimic human physiological and pathological states in the fields of tissue engineering and organ-on-chip devices development. In tissue engineering, we use cells, scaffolds, and bioactive molecules to restore, maintain, or enhance damaged tissues or organs. From a materials perspective, scaffolds are particularly important

The Spring that I had never expected in this land has finally arrived now, and sunshine rather than a gloomy sky features throughout the day. The landscape is filled with buildings that have no preponderance of aesthetics of slowness that; Something that I never experienced so far. And the coexistence of the park where chirping birds are and strongly packed in vigorous crowds. The country that includes all things herein is Denmark, and it has been more than three months since I arrived. I was truly busy processing a bunch of duties like residence permit, bank account opening, and joining vario

Two people on one land. Israel and Palestine continue to wage a life-threatening war. In April, there was an Israeli attack that killed World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-government organization, workers. U.S. President Biden strictly urged Israel to protect civilians, and although the aid has been extended, both civilians are still endangered. A large pro-Palestinian protest was held at Columbia University, while some students at Seoul National University posted a poster supporting Palestine. Despite the fact that it is a long-standing ethnic conflict based on history and religion, it is stil

The 2024 Sunrise Festival, under the motto of “SPARK”, clearly made our fellow Postechians’ hearts spark with passion and youth. The two-day festival, held May 9 to 10, was full of eventful activities, breathtaking performances, and the staging produced and performed by our school members was certainly one of the biggest highlights of the festival. It was school stage clubs that lit up the stage with various performances on the first day. Singing club VOCES marked the beginning of the staging, filling the campus with enchanting music. Songs beloved by the public, including “Confession” by 4MEN

During the Sunrise Festival, a wide variety of booths provided unforgettable experiences for Postechians. These booths were run by various organizations related to POSTECH: The Advisory Committee of the Sunrise Festival (ACSF), the General Affairs and Safety, and Student Clubs. From 12 P.M. to 6 P.M., many kinds of booths offered students interesting activities. Also, between 7 P.M. and 1:30 A.M. of the next day, a lot of departments and clubs opened pubs. Some booths, such as “Street Karaoke” and “Ask Anything,” were run all day long, from 12 P.M. to 11:30 P.M. After enjoying a booth experien

As spring comes, with a new mindset, campus facilities are being reorganized. The reconstruction aims to inspect facilities in order to resolve students’ safety and discomfort. The 78 stairs, that most students pass to go to lectures, continued to shake; and the steps were repaired to solve this problem. The usage rate of stairs has decreased due to the construction of Haedong 78 Tower, but many people still use the stairs during school hours. Safety concerns were steadily raised due to the loss or shaking of stones despite continued frequent use. The scheduled three-day construction was exten

The vision of personal robots, once confined to the realms of science fiction, is materializing into reality. Before now, our fascination with robots was long-fueled by cinematic portrayals of intelligent and versatile machines: going on a wild adventure with Baymax in “Big Hero 6” or enjoying a peaceful afternoon teatime with adorable WALL-E in the eponymous film. Yet, until recently, the robots we encountered were largely single-purpose entities, lacking the sophistication or autonomy to fulfill our imaginations. However, the landscape of robotics is undergoing a profound transformation. Eng

South Korea has very steep prices for agricultural products, especially for fruits. According to the Korea National Statistical Office (KNSO), the consumer price index (CPI) of apples and pears in April rose 80.8% and 102.9%, respectively, compared to the prices in the same month last year. These steep prices are related to many causes, but fundamentally due to three main reasons: high production costs, high import prices, and distribution structure. The high production cost due to limited sites suited for agriculture and the high labor cost from small-scaled private orchards makes it hard to

When someone passes by your side, the magic of scents unfolds, which quells a loud atmosphere for a moment. The wind carries the scent of fine flowers, and the sunlight wraps around the warm perfume. You feel that this street is like a scene from a novel, and at the heart of its beauty is fragrance. Fragrances give us new senses to our emotions, as if they are magical journeys. They may make someone stand out in themselves. Fragrances have long been in our lives. Ancient Egyptians considered them sacred, and in medieval Europe, they symbolized passion and love. Even today, scents play an impor

지난달 13일, 총학생회와 대학원총학생회가 학우들의 애로사항을 전달하고 해결 방법을 도모하고자 ‘총장님께 대신 건의해드립니다’ 대담회가 올해 처음으로 개최됐다. 총 2부로 진행된 본 대담회는 1부에는 총학생회를 대표해 △고태영(신소재 20) 총학생회장 △박현용(컴공 20) 부학생회장 △김원호(무은재 23) 소통연결국장이, 2부에는 대학원총학생회를 대표해 임효경(전자 통합) 대학원총학생회장이 참석했다. 대학 측에서는 김성근 총장을 비롯해 △이강복 입학학생처장 △류기선 행정처장 △최명용 학생지원팀장 △학생지원팀 손혜진 씨가 자리에 함께했다. 참석자들은 지난달 4일부터 11일까지 8일간 우리대학 구성원들을 대상으로 진행된 설문조사 결과를 바탕으로 1부는 학부생, 2부는 대학원생과 관련된 사안들에 관해 이야기를 나눴다. 1부에서는 △먹거리 부족 및 대기시간 장기화 △주차 공간 부족 △소통 부재에 대한 문제들이 제기됐다. 이어서 △오프캠퍼스 진행 현황 △학부생 바우처 진행 상황 △1조 2천억 자금 이용 방안에 대한 문의와 함께 △학교 홍보 강화 △인프라 개선 △증명서 발급 비용 감축에 대해 토의했다. 대학원총학생회가 주최를 한 2부에서는 앞서 언급됐던 주차 공간 부족