To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the United States of America and the Republic of Korea, US Ambassador to Korea Philip S. Goldberg delivered a special lecture in the Yang Seungtaik Auditorium of the Academic Cultural Complex (E9) on May 18. In his lecture titled “Youth and the Comprehensive US-ROK Alliance”, Ambassador Goldberg acknowledged past collaborations between the two nations on the advancements of science and technology. He also raised key conclusions from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the US on April 26 and discussed the US’s plans for future cooperation with South Korea on key global issues. The lecture was hosted in hopes of inspiring KAISTians to “pursue [their] studies with a global mindset” and support the bilateral relationship between the US and South Korea.
Ambassador Goldberg began the lecture by highlighting the development of relations between the US and South Korea, which he described as “[having] flourished from a military relationship to a comprehensive global partnership”. The ambassador believes that both countries are now “working together closer than ever” for mutual prosperity and security, especially in the economic aspect. One accomplishment underlined by the ambassador which blossomed from the partnership is the US-Korea free trade agreement, which paved the way for Korean companies to sell their innovative products and created more opportunities in the Korean job market. He then accentuated the fruits of the partnership by bringing up collaboration in industry production lines, where resources such as mechanical parts are procured from South Korea, and are later assembled in the US.
Ambassador Goldberg alluded to greater cooperation between the two countries in opening up more opportunities for the youth to not only seek employment, but also take on crucial roles in the development of science and technology. He brought up joint efforts made by the US and South Korea on developing space technologies, as well as “new dialogues about [researching on] biotechnology and artificial intelligence”. Witnessing the achievements made by both parties over the past few decades, the ambassador further remarked his enthusiasm in the US and South Korea realizing the goal of combating climate change by further refining nuclear energy in the distant future, which can be seen through deals made by American and Korean companies in fields such as the semiconductor industry and green energy.
The ambassador concluded his lecture by encouraging KAISTians to work with the US and maintain the strong alliance between the two nations through student exchanges and conjoint research. One of the collaborations he was pleased to hear about was the NYU-KAIST joint campus partnership, which began in September 2022. He stressed the significant role that young individuals have played and will continue to play in the relationship between the US and South Korea, as well as the global society. Ambassador Goldberg expressed hopes that students will “continue developing new technologies that will power the global economy [and] pursue jobs in organizations making a positive impact on the world”.