"Engineering That Changes the World… Future Opportunities Lie in STEM Fields"
- Seokwon Choi, Top Graduate of SNU College of Engineering
- "Seeing the medical school craze, I felt the crisis in STEM fields.”
- "Active industry-academia collaboration abroad, including with Google.”
- "Studying power electronics in the U.S. to contribute to a better life.”

By Lee Yerim



“Engineering is a tool that can change the world.”

On February 26, 2025, at the 79th Seoul National University commencement ceremony, Seokwon Choi was named the College of Engineering’s top graduate of the year. While many in Korea pursue medical school, Choi emphasized his dream of researching power electronics. After completing his undergraduate studies, he chose to continue his academic journey at the University of California, Berkeley, where he plans to focus on improving power conversion efficiency.

Meeting Choi at SNU on the 20th, he shared, “Since high school, I only applied to engineering programs, and I never considered medical school.” A graduate of Seoul Science High School, he developed a deep passion for engineering throughout his university years. “Even among my classmates from science high school, many still pursued medical school,” he said, adding, “That’s when I first realized the crisis in STEM fields.”

Despite the declining popularity of STEM in Korea, Choi is confident that the future holds great opportunities in these fields. “With Artificial intelligence (AI),  1% of the world's power consumption comes from data centers,” he explained. “The technology I am currently researching, DC-DC converters, helps convert high voltage to low voltage in data centers. This is an area that major tech companies are paying close attention to.”


Seokwon Choi (26), who was selected as the College of Engineering’s top graduate at SNU this year, smiles brightly at the First Engineering Building in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, on the 20th. (Photo by Sangsoo Choi)

His decision to study abroad was clear-cut. “I heard that in other countries, students start internships at big tech companies or research labs as early as their undergraduate years,” he said. “In Korea, the academic environment tends to focus more on coursework, especially in the early undergraduate years.” His decision to pursue graduate studies at UC Berkeley was also driven by the opportunity for industry collaboration. “I thought that graduate school would give me a great opportunity to work directly with the rapidly growing industry in Silicon Valley,” he said. “I’m especially excited to join a research lab that actively collaborates with companies like NVIDIA, Intel, and Google.”

For younger students in STEM, Choi emphasized the value of engineering. “I strongly recommend pursuing engineering,” he said. “Technology is advancing at an astonishing pace, and it’s already shaping our daily lives. Engineering is essential for creating a better future.”


※ Resource : https://www.segye.com/newsView/20250226516545