Samyang Group Foundation Hosts 35th Awards Ceremony, Honoring Key Scientific Contributions

On the 27th, the Sudang Foundation, a scholarship organization affiliated with Samyang Group, announced the successful hosting of the 35th Sudang Award ceremony at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul. The event commenced with an address from Chairman Kim Yoon, followed by a progress report from Operating Committee Chairman Jin Jung-il, introductions of the awardees, and their respective acceptance speeches.

The Sudang Award, established to honor the industrial and educational legacy of Samyang Group's founder, Kim Yeon-soo, annually recognizes two researchers whose significant achievements contribute to national and societal development, with each recipient receiving a prize of 200 million KRW and a plaque.

This year, the awards were presented to Professor Huang Il-du from Pohang University of Science and Technology and Professor Cho Sung-bae from Yonsei University, reflecting a strategic emphasis on fostering innovation in scientific research. Professor Huang was lauded in the field of fundamental sciences for elucidating the signaling pathways critical to plant development and the evolutionary principles of vascular bundles, thus contributing to the advancement of plant biology.

Particularly noteworthy is Professor Huang's groundbreaking research that uncovered the signaling principles of 'cytokinin,' a key plant growth hormone. His findings demonstrated its decisive role in the development and aging of vascular bundles, marking a world-first achievement in this domain.

In his acceptance, Professor Huang emphasized the perseverance required in research, crediting his supportive family, and acknowledging the contributions of his students and colleagues in creating a conducive research environment. He expressed his commitment to conducting research with humility and diligence to further benefit society and academia.

Conversely, Professor Cho received recognition in the applied sciences category for his innovative contributions in artificial intelligence, specifically his work integrating convolutional neural networks and long short-term memory recurrent neural networks to address real-world industrial challenges. Notably, his work on energy demand forecasting within households earned recognition as a top 1% cited paper in the esteemed journal 'Energy' in 2020, showcasing the commercial relevance of his research.

In his remarks, Professor Cho advocated for a multi-faceted approach in problem-solving, believing that integrating diverse technologies is more aligned with the essence of artificial intelligence. He expressed a commitment to creating social value through AI, aiming for global competitiveness.

Chairman Kim Yoon praised both awardees for their relentless pursuit of knowledge and innovation, wishing for their continued contributions to academic growth and the nurturing of future talents. This aligns with the Sudang Foundation's mission to cultivate the spirit of education and research excellence established by Kim Yeon-soo.

The Sudang Award has its origins dating back to 1973 when it began as the Sudang Science Award under the Kyungbang Youth Development Association. It evolved through 14 awards, and in 2006, transitioned under the Sudang Foundation to cover broader categories, now distributing awards across fundamental science, humanities, and applied science sectors.