KAIST, NYU to operate joint campus in New York City from 2023

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea's most prestigious national research university, and New York University will establish a joint campus in New York City to begin operation in the first half of 2023.  

The two universities closed a partnership deal for the joint campus on Sept. 21 at New York University (NYU), KAIST said on Sept. 22. The Korean university also signed a cooperation agreement with the city.     

The attendees included Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Korean Science Minister Lee Jong-ho, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYU Board of Trustees Chair William Berkley, NYU President Andrew Hamilton and KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung.

The new campus will focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics with strong convergence research on artificial intelligence and neuroscience, cybersecurity with AI applications and sustainable smart cities. It is also planning to provide engineering education programs for undergraduates.

The two universities have kicked off selecting faculty for the joint campus, which will be the headquarters for joint research. KAIST will also set up a space at its main campus in Daejeon, Korea, for cooperation with NYU personnel.     

“The joint campus will create an innovative education model for problem-solving in engineering that will address global challenges. We will form the education program with exclusive quality, based on the two universities’ strengths in research and entrepreneurship,” said KAIST President Lee.

KAIST originally planned to build its own US campus in New York, as they announced in December 2021.

At the time, the Korean university said it would establish the campus with the aid of New York-based real estate investment firm Big Continent Inc. The firm's CEO, Korean American entrepreneur Bae Hee-nam planned to donate a 33,000-square-meter site for the new campus, KAIST said last December.  

But KAIST had to alter the plan due to tax and legal issues, caused by high reliance on an individual donor. Accordingly, KAIST and NYU signed a memorandum of understanding in June to establish the joint campus in June.

To boost entrepreneurship at the joint campus, KAIST will soon begin relevant processes such as implementing feasibility studies, setting up concrete schemes and holding board meetings to review the plans, the Korean university said.

Additionally, KAIST and New York City will cooperate in some areas such as education, society and culture, thus providing a bridgehead for KAIST students, faculty and startups to enter the US market.

Write to Jin-Won Kim at jin1@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.