SNU Professors Hyuk Jae Lee, Young-Chang Joo, and Jong-Chan Lee Receive 2025 Excellent Engineering Professors Awards
- Education Award winner Hyuk Jae Lee recognized for nurturing talent in semiconductor engineering
- Academic Award winner Young-Chang Joo honored for contributions to next-generation semiconductor research
- Industry-Academia Cooperation Award winner Jong-Chan Lee credited for advancing industrial technology in polymer chemistry and engineering


▲ (From left) Professor Hyuk Jae Lee (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SNU), Dean Young-oh Kim (College of Engineering, SNU), Professor Young-Chang Joo (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, SNU), and Professor Jong-Chan Lee (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, SNU)

Seoul National University College of Engineering has announced the recipients of the 2025 Excellent Engineering Professors Awards: Professor Hyuk Jae Lee of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Education Award), Professor Young-Chang Joo of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Academic Award), and Professor Jong-Chan Lee of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (Industry-Academia Cooperation Award).

The award ceremony was held on May 21 at the Engineer House on SNU’s Gwanak campus.

The Excellent Engineering Professors Awards were established in July 1992 with contributions from the 15th graduating class of SNU College of Engineering. The awards aim to promote research activities and the advancement of industrial technology. Since 2014, the program has recognized winners in three categories: Education, Academic, and Industry-Academia Cooperation. To date, 81 professors have been honored. The Education Award is given to faculty members dedicated to creative and forward-thinking education; the Academic Award recognizes outstanding academic achievements; and the Industry-Academia Cooperation Award celebrates those with significant contributions to industrial technological progress through collaborative initiatives.

Professor Hyuk Jae Lee, winner of this year’s Education Award, joined SNU as an assistant professor in March 2001 and has focused his teaching and research on semiconductor engineering within the field of electronic engineering. He developed a general education course titled "Semiconductors in Everyday Life," enabling students from diverse disciplines to learn the fundamentals and applications of semiconductors.

He has also led convergence education initiatives in AI and semiconductors, contributing to the launch of interdisciplinary programs such as the ‘System Semiconductor Engineering For AI’ and ‘Interdisciplinary Major in Artificial Intelligence.’ Over the past 24 years, he has supervised 36 PhD and 60 master’s students and developed graduate-level courses in System on Chip (SoC) for image processing, thereby strengthening the professional competencies of SNU’s graduate students in electrical and computer engineering.

Professor Lee remarked, "I find meaning in having expanded educational opportunities by creating general education courses for non-majors and helping establish interdisciplinary programs. I see this award as encouragement to continue dedicating myself to student growth.“

Professor Young-Chang Joo, recipient of the Academic Award, joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at SNU in September 1999. He has made significant contributions to talent development and academic advancement through active research, education, and public service in the field of next-generation semiconductor development and applications. He has led numerous national research projects, including the development of high-reliability semiconductors, and has published over 230 academic papers in prestigious international journals. In 2016, he received the LS Academic Award from the Korean Institute of Metals and Materials.

Additionally, he served as Director of the Advanced Institute for Convergence Technology from 2020 to February 2022, and until February 2024, held the position of Director-General of Science and Technology Innovation at the Ministry of Science and ICT. In 2024, he became the first Korean researcher elected President of the Materials Research Society (MRS), raising the global profile of Korean materials science.

Professor Joo shared his gratitude, stating, "I would like to thank my colleagues and research team members who have been with me throughout my 25-year career. In the face of intensifying global technological competition, I will work with fellow professors to ensure SNU Engineering leads innovation and contributes to Korea's national development.“

Professor Jong-Chan Lee, winner of the Industry-Academia Cooperation Award, began his tenure at SNU as a lecturer in March 1999 and has dedicated his career to research and education in polymer chemistry and engineering. He has conducted industry-academia collaborative research across diverse sectors, including liquid crystal displays, fuel cells, batteries, water treatment, antimicrobial materials, and composites. His work has resulted in 18 registered international patents and 41 applications, totaling 81 patent outcomes.

He has also served as an advisor and outside director for several companies, providing guidance on technological development and public-sector R&D strategies. In addition, he played a key role in the establishment of the LG Chem-SNU Next-Generation Materials Cooperation Center in 2023 and the LG Energy Solution-SNU Industry-Academia Cooperation Center in 2025.

Professor Lee commented, "It is an honor to receive this award in recognition of my research supporting the polymer needs of industries such as petrochemicals, automotive, displays, semiconductors, and batteries since becoming a faculty member at SNU Engineering. I will continue conducting research that contributes to the advancement of Korea’s industries."


▲ (From left) Professor Hyuk Jae Lee (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, SNU), Professor Young-Chang Joo (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, SNU), and Professor Jong-Chan Lee (Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, SNU)