A school-wide event that opens laboratories to the general public, ‘OPEN KAIST 2010’ was held on November 4 and 5. This biennial event, which began in 2001 and is held in tandem with ‘SEE KAIST,’ has now held its 6th event. It is one of a few representative programs opened in KAIST for the public that promotes popularization of science and scientific culture.

In this year’s event, a grand total of 17 departments, laboratories, and lab centers participated. Unlike ‘SEE KAIST,’ which displays the outcomes of scientific research in limited locations such as the gymnasium, ‘OPEN KAIST’ opens up the actual laboratories to the public.

Many creative and fun programs were prepared for this event. From the engineering departments the programs included: ‘Immersing in Virtual Reality System (iCAVE) experience’ from the Department of Marine System Engineering, ‘Demonstration of ‘Korea’s Advanced Technologies of MEMS in Display, Memory, and Wireless Communication Fields’ from the Department of Electrical Engineering, ‘If Other Departments Are Coffee, Industry and System Engineering Is TOP (a premium coffee product in Korea)’ from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and ‘KAIST Industrial Design that Creates Tomorrow’s Life Style’ from the Department of Industrial Design.

From the natural sciences fields, the programs included: ‘Looking at Brain Activities through Mathematics’ from the Department of Mathematical Sciences, ‘Observation and Discharging of Low Temperature Plasma’ by the Department of Physics, and ‘Chemistry Making New Dreams’ from the Department of Chemistry.

Also, considering the high interest coming from the launching of the carrier rocket “Naro-1,” the Department of Aerospace Engineering prepared special programs introducing Korea’s aerospace industry and space development. The most eye-catching attraction of Open KAIST 2010 was ‘Hubo 2,’ the walking humanoid robot which was developed at KAIST in 2009.

Many students from elementary, middle and high schools came from the Daejeon area to take the opportunity to experience what all is happening in KAIST laboratories and around the campus in general as well. “I had high expectations coming to visit KAIST,” Jinwoo Juhn from Sungnamseo high school said, “and my expectations were met with the big exciting campus, and interesting programs.”

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