Fostering Collaborations in Daegu, Korea

During the week of March 26-30 ISR Prof. Walt Scacchi visited with Daegu, Korea government officials, industry leaders, and academic colleagues to discuss establishment of a long-term research collaboration with ISR.  The visits included a 30 minute meeting with the Mayor of Daegu City, Kim Bumil, who conveyed his personal interest in recognizing the win-win value of a long-term research relationship between Daegu and UCI.  Daegu City has been designated by the Korean national government as the IT Convergence Center for South Korea, which will focus on research, development, and commercialization of software-based systems for advanced health care and medical research, green energy, advanced manufacturing, embedded software applications for consumer electronics and automotive systems, and computer games and 3D virtual worlds.

Dr. Scacchi also presented an invited lecture on the future of research in computer games and virtual worlds that was simultaneously translated to a standing room only audience of more than 150 participants at the Digital Industry Promotion (DIP) Agency headquarters in Daegu.  Previously DIP has supported research of Scacchi and others at ISR, including Professor Robert Nideffer, during 2007-2010.  Dr. Scacchi also met at length with the President of DIP, Jay Chae, to discuss potential new collaborative research projects between DIP and ISR.  Among the most exciting of these possibilities is DIP’s interest in seeking to create a Software Convergence Center in a new multi-building complex, supported by the Korean national government.  Such a center would include a building dedicated to software research, and another building hosting dozens of new or existing software companies focused on developing new applications informed by research knowledge produced or brought into their software research institute.  Mr. Chae expressed great interest in seeing ISR as a model and lead collaboration partner in establishing this new software research institute, as well as in creating new collaborative software research projects between Daegu and UCI.  Accordingly, ISR is poised to work with our friends in Daegu and elsewhere in South Korea to create international partnerships and collaborative research projects that can mutually benefit the participating parties.