Global 5-5-10 Fields Selected Into the Global Top 10 in at Least Five Fields within the Next Five Years Korean Studies, Chemistry, Astronomy, Biomedical Science, Material Science, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metabolism Disorders, Nanomedical Research, Aging Studies, Medical Engineering In 2005, commemorating its 120th anniversary, Yonsei University announced the “Yonsei Vision 2020” project together with the “Global 5-5-10” program, the numbers indicating Yonsei’s goals to achieve global top 10 ranking in at least five fields within the next five years. 33 fields from eight divisions (Humanities, Social Sciences, Korean Studies, Science, Engineering, Human Ecology, Medicine, Life Science-Wonju) responded to calls for application to the “Global 5-5-10” program, and twelve (listed above) were selected on April 4, based on current international status, competitiveness, clarity of objectives, and research plans. Channeling Resources into Competitive Fields With the “Global 5-5-10,” the university will “select and concentrate” on certain fields that have the potential to rank in the global top 10. A total of 20 billion won (approx. $20 million) from university funds will be invested in these areas in the next five years, and other modes of support, such as expanding the Advanced Science and Technology Center and investing heavily into the infrastructure of the selected research fields, will also be provided. Dean Park Jin Bae of the Office of Research Affairs explained, “The achievements of Korean universities are generally underestimated. Some fields at Yonsei are already highly competitive internationally, but our reputation or recognition is far below what it should be. If we succeed in improving our image through the Global 5-5-10 Project, it is highly probable that we will be able to rank in the global top 10.” Current Status of Yonsei’s Global Competitiveness - Ranked 104th internationally according to the Scientific Citation Index (SCI) of 2005 (2,025 items) - 2006 external funding contract amount 200.4 billion won (approx. 200 million won) - 160 patents registered in 2006 / 1.4 billon won in technology transfer (according to contract amounts) - Full-time faculty: 3,408 / Foreign full-time faculty: 101 (as of January 1, 2007) - Domestic Students: 36,366 / Foreign Students: 4,534 (as of January 1, 2007) - 129 internal research institutions (as of March 2007) - Seven institutions designated as National Core Research Center (NCRC), Science Research Center (SRC), Engineering Research Center (ERC), and Medical Sciences and Engineering Research Center (MRC) and receiving 8.55 billion won in government funds annually; research value at 71.3 billion won (as of March 2007) - Second stage of Brain Korea 21: 33 teams receiving a total of 25 billion won annually in government funds - Hosted Yonsei Nobel Forum (2006): Eight Nobel Laureates in economics, medicine, physics, and chemistry invited to speak Nano-bio Molecular Aggregate Center (Chemistry) International Top 15: 2005 Faculty SCI IF 29.1 Yonsei is most hopeful that Chemistry will rank in the global top 10 by the year 2011. The department has been especially productive over the last three years, and the faculty is exceptionally competent. Director Kim Dong-ho of the Center is considered most likely to receive the Nobel Prize among Korean scientists, having published nearly 200 SCI papers and having been cited 3,500 times. Yonsei Astronomy Research Center (Astronomy) Ranking in the Top 20: Participating in the NASA GALEX Project, Studying the History of Star Evolution and Giant Black Holes The Department of Astronomy was the first at Yonsei to publish articles in “Nature” and “Science,” and possesses the Y2 isochrones model, the most frequently cited constellation evolution model. According to the standards of the National Research Council of the U.S., Yonsei’s Department of Astronomy is ranked in the top 20, and the IF (impact factor) and citation of its articles is rated to be in the top 10. Professor Lee Young-wook of the Center has been working with NASA on the GALEX ultraviolet space telescope project since 1997, and his papers have been cited nearly 3,000 times. Institute of Physics and Applied Physics (Physics) Currently Ranking in the Top 10 for Faculty Research Results Physics studies at Yonsei are ranked in the top 10 in faculty research results. The achievements include publication of 104 papers in the Physical Review Letters, the most prestigious physics journal. The physics team is planning to focus on nanophysics, a fast-developing subset of quantum mechanics. Humantronics Information Material Center (Material Science) Numbers indicate that this field is potentially at least 10th internationally for faculty SCI articles and IF. The Center registered twelve international patents in three years, and was very visible in the international scene. TMS IT Global 5-5-10 Center (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) Registered 12 international patents in three years. The faculty includes 13 foreign full-time professors and currently ranks 20th internationally in number of faculty SCI articles and IF. Nanomicro Application Mechanical Technology Personnel Training Center (Mechanical Engineering) Number of faculty SCI articles and IF for this field are estimated to be in the international top 10. 20 top-class international businesses participate in this Center, which has produced three international patents in the past four years. Center for Discovering the Causes and Cures of Metabolism Disorders (Metabolism Disorders) This Center was established to promote research into diabetes and endocrine metabolic disorders. It is showing outstanding results, with 10.3 SCI articles per faculty, a 25.2 IF, and three international patents. Nanomedical Research Center Successfully integrating medicine, physics, and engineering, nanomedical research in Yonsei is gaining momentum in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of illnesses through nanotechnology. Head of the Center Professor Yoo Kyungwha’s papers have been cited 2500 times. Aging Research Center Aging research brings together medicine, life science, natural science, and engineering. The annual SCI IF average of the Center’s faculty is 21.06, the tenth highest in the world. Three international patents were registered in six years. Yonsei Bio-medial Engineering Center (Medical Engineering) The medical engineering field at Yonsei is especially competitive in academic-industrial cooperation and commercialization. Two international patents were registered in the past three years. It is ranked 35th internationally for faculty dissertations and IF, and 20th in research projects and research funding contracts. Korean Studies The Committee for the Promotion of Korean Studies will continue its role of directing Korean Studies at Yonsei. The 5-5-10 Project will channel more funding in the areas of the Korean humanities, social sciences, business and economics. Life Science and Biotechnology (Biomedical Science) Yonsei University is an international power in the field of biomedical science, especially in the area of proteomics. Yonsei has functioned as the nexus of proteomics in Asia through the Yonsei Proteome Research Center (YPRC) and Human Proteome Organization (HUPO). Research will center on development of new drugs, virus research and vaccine development, and disease modeling system development.