Ewha Womans University held an opening ceremony for the Institute for Multiscale Matter and Systems (IMMS) on January 22 at Lee Sam-bong Hall in the Ewha Campus Complex. The occasion marked the official launch of the institute, which has been selected for the 2025 National Research Laboratory (NRL 2.0) program, a major government grant from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education. Through transdisciplinary convergence research spanning chemistry, physics, materials science, and artificial intelligence, Ewha IMMS aims to drive innovation in integrated multiscale research and technology development, from atomic- and molecular-level materials design to nano- and micro-scale structures and systems. Backed by a block grant of KRW 10 billion per year for the next decade, totaling KRW 100 billion, the institute plans to integrate experimental, theoretical, AI-driven, and data-driven approaches to conduct leading research in national strategic areas, including next-generation energy materials, functional advanced materials, and intelligent systems.
To mark the occasion of the institute’s launch, the opening ceremony was attended by Ewha President Hyang-Sook Lee, Chairperson Eun Mee Kim of the Board of Trustees of Ewha Womans University and IMMS Director Hoi Ri Moon, along with key figures from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Education, the National Research Foundation of Korea, government-funded research institutes, and from across the industry. In her welcoming remarks, President Lee emphasized that the launch will serve as an important turning point in further expanding Ewha’s role as a research university and pledged the university’s full support in ensuring IMMS’s sustainable research outcomes and its contribution to addressing national challenges. Government officials and representatives from relevant organizations also expressed high expectations for the institute’s growth into a key research hub linking university-led research innovation with Korea’s national research strategies.
In her introduction, IMMS Director Hoi Ri Moon announced “One Platform, Infinite Impact” as the institute’s vision and outlined three core goals: generating world-leading research outcomes, establishing a transdisciplinary research platform, and nurturing global talents in science. She also shared plans to develop AI-based precision materials design technologies and an AI-driven autonomous laboratory, aiming to contribute to addressing challenges in climate and energy as well as advanced semiconductor fields. With the opening of its new national research laboratory IMMS, Ewha plans to further strengthen its standing as a research university and to accelerate global collaborative research and talent development in advanced fields.
