SNU Professor Joo Young-Chang Becomes First Korean to Be Elected President of the Materials Research Society

World's Largest Materials Society with Over 13,000 Members

By Jung-Hoon Park, Chosun Ilbo

▲ Prof. Joo Young-Chang of Seoul National University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Professor Joo Young-Chang of Seoul National University's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, who previously served as the inaugural head of the Ministry of Science and ICT's Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, has been elected president of the Materials Research Society (MRS), the world’s largest materials science society. Professor Joo will serve as the vice president of the society next year and will officially take on the role of president starting in 2026.

According to Seoul National University, Professor Joo was elected last month during the MRS presidential election, becoming the first Korean to lead global materials research. The MRS, founded in 1973, is a major organization for discussing technologies related to artificial intelligence, semiconductors, bioengineering, energy, and sustainability. It boasts the largest scale and influence in the field of materials science, with over 13,000 researchers from more than 70 countries, spanning disciplines such as physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and life sciences.

Considering that major scientific and technological society presidents have traditionally been researchers from the U.S. or Europe, Professor Joo's election is seen as a remarkable achievement. A Seoul National University official commented, "Professor Joo's election as president of the MRS is significant as it reflects the international recognition of Korea's achievements in materials research."

Professor Joo received his bachelor's and master's degrees in metallurgical engineering from Seoul National University and earned his PhD in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After working at Germany’s Max Planck Research Institute and the U.S. semiconductor company AMD, he returned to Seoul National University in 1999 as a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He has since served in various roles, including head of SNU's University-Industry Technology Support Center and director of the Institute of Next Generation Convergence Technology. He also served as the inaugural head of the Office of Science, Technology, and Innovation under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.