SNU Emeritus Professor Mooyoung Han Wins Best Poster Award at IWA International Conference


▲ Mooyoung Han, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at SNU

Mooyoung Han, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Seoul National University, received the Best Poster Award for his research on rainwater-based drinking water systems at the IWA Water and Development Congress & Exhibition 2025 (WDCE 2025), held in Bangkok, Thailand, in December 2025.

The award not only recognizes the high academic quality of Prof. Han’s presentation, titled “Innovative Rainwater for Drinking (RFD) Systems for Health Care Facilities in the Mekong Region,” but also serves as an international acknowledgment that engineering-based approaches can deliver tangible improvements to the lives of vulnerable communities worldwide.

Prof. Han’s research is based on six years of operational data collected from a Rainwater for Drinking (RFD) system installed in 2019 at a health care center in Ly Nhan, Vietnam. Developed through collaboration among the World Health Organization (WHO), Seoul National University, and Vietnamese health and environmental agencies, the system provides a stable supply of safe drinking water by leveraging basic engineering principles and appropriate technology, rather than relying on costly infrastructure.

Commenting on the award, Prof. Han stated, “The knowledge taught in colleges of engineering should not be used solely for developing new technologies, but also for making the most fundamental necessities possible for those who need them most,” adding, “This recognition is particularly meaningful in that it demonstrates how engineering can serve as a practical solution to drinking water challenges faced by hundreds of millions of people around the world.”