Dongguk University Professor Lim Jung-yeon's research team develops new high-performance robot sensor nanomaterials

The research team of the Department of Mechanical, Robotics, and Energy Engineering Professor Lim Jung-yeon and Ph.D. candidate Kim Yeong-seong developed a new hybrid perovskite nanomaterial whose properties can be regulated by an external electric field at ambient temperature.The material outlined above can also be employed in artificial intelligence via robot sensors, quantum computing, and computer processing capability enhancement. Because it can be utilized for high-sensitivity, ultra-high-speed sensors, it may be used in actuators in various situations to perform precise and efficient robot motion control. Furthermore, mechanical energy can be turned into electrical energy because of the energy harvesting features."This research is instrumental as a sensor for future robots through a new nanostructured material, and in particular, it is planned to be applied to the flying robot being developed by the research foundation CRC Leading Research Center (7 years, 9.75 billion won)," said Professor Lim Jung-yeon, adding, "I expect that it will be used in various fields in the future."The findings will be published in the June 2023 issue of Materials Today Physics (IF=11.021), an incredibly renowned academic journal, as part of the Leading Research Center Project, funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Ministry of Science and ICT, among others.* Journal Title: Multiferroic-field coupling in ultrathin nanofilm halide perovskite at room temperature

Source technology for waste resource photoelectrochemical decomposition using solar energy

The research team led by Dongguk University Professor Lee Jae-joon and the State University of New York Professor Lim Gyu developed the source technology for the room-temperature photoelectrochemical decomposition system for lignin, a lignocellulosic waste.Selected as the cover of Sustainable Energy & Fuels, the highest professional journal in the field of renewable energy conversion○ A research team led by Professor Lee Jae-joon of Dongguk University and Professor Lim Gyu of State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry developed a system capable of photoelectrochemically decomposing lignin, a representative lignocellulosic waste, at room temperature by fusing a photoelectrode system based on a responsive photovoltaic cell and an organic catalyst.○ Unlike the existing catalyst-based electrochemical decomposition method, the joint research team led by Kang Hyeong-Cheol and Kim Saerona (co-first authors) achieved conditions for selective oxidative decomposition even at room temperature by utilizing a photoelectrochemical reaction using an organic dye-based sensitized photovoltaic cell.○ "The results of this study are expected to contribute to the use of various waste resources and the resolution of environmental pollution problems without additional energy consumption in the future by utilizing solar energy for the eco-friendly decomposition reactions of waste plastics and biomass," said Professor Lee Jae-joon.○ The research findings were chosen as the cover study of Sustainable Energy & Fuels, a world-renowned academic publication in the energy field, and were officially released on May 21. (7, 2339-2348) (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SE00194F)○ This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea's senior researcher support project and climate change response project (Development of Organic Matter-based Solar Cell Source Technology for Urban Distributed Power Generation) as well as the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture's McIntire Stennis project.

​Jongpil Kim, a Professor of Chemistry at Don...

Jongpil Kim, a Professor of Chemistry at Dongguk University, together with colleagues, has developed a novel cell therapy for Alzheimer's disease by analyzing the single-cell transcriptome profile.Jongpil Kim, Professor of Chemistry, Dongguk UniversityThe research team discovered a core subset of stem cells that can be used to treat Alzheimer's disease and contribute to the development of personalized cell therapy for these patients.The findings were published online in Nature Communication, a sister journal to Nature, the world's top academic journal.○ A team of scientists, led by Professor Jongpil Kim of Dongguk University, has identified rare oligodendrocytes in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and mouse models using single-cell-level transcriptome profiling, which may offer the possibility of a new cell therapy for the control and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The results were reported in the February issue of Nature communication (IF:17.6).* Oligodendrocytes: Cells responsible for supporting neurons in the central nervous system of vertebrates.○ Using single-cell transcriptome profiling analysis, a state-of-the-art system biochemistry technique, the research team identified rare oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells that are specific to Alzheimer's disease. They have named these specific cells, “disease-associated oligodendrocytes (DAOs)”. * Single-cell transcriptome profiling analysis: the latest bioinformatics technique for isolating a “single" cell and analyzing its genomic features.○ In particular, by using pseudo-time analysis to analyze the single-cell data extracted from single-cell transcriptome profiling, the team identified an altered developmental lineage from oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to adult oligodendrocytes that are specific to the progression of dementia.○ Moreover, the team found that theErk signaling pathwayis abnormally activated during dementia progression. Treatment of mice with dementia with a drug that targets the Erksignaling pathway improved their overall cognitive performance on behavioral tests.○ Notably, Professor Jongpil Kim identified the role of similar cell populations in the brain, not only in mouse models, but also in patients with Alzheimer's disease, by applying correlation analysis to data on rare cortical dendritic cells obtained from patients with dementia.○ "This study is significant as it not only confirms the strong therapeutic effect of rare oligodendrocytes in Alzheimer’s disease but also sheds new light on the role and potential of oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocytes progenitor stem cells in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases," said study leader, Professor Jongpil Kim. "It is also significant that we have secured a new means forstem cell therapythat can be used to treat dementia, a disease for which there is currently no cure."○ The research was supported by the University Focused Research Center Program, the Interdepartmental Regenerative Medical Technology Development Project, and the Samsung Future Technology Development Program.○ The study findings were published in the online edition of Nature Communication (IF=17.9), a sister journal of Nature, the world's top academic journal.* Paper titleSingle-cell RNA-sequencing identifies disease-associated oligodendrocytes in male APP NL-G-F and 5XFAD mice

Research Team Led by Hyunsik Lim and Hyungsang..

Research Team Led by Hyunsik Lim and Hyungsang Kim, Professors at Dongguk University, Discovers a New Quantum Material via Spin Cloud CondensationLeft: Professor, Hyunsik Lim; Right: Professor, Hyungsang Kim- Successful discovery of a new Bose–Einstein condensate (Published in Nature Physics)○ A research team led by Hyunsik Lim, Professor of Physics and Semi-conductor Science at Dongguk University, has discovered and analyzed a new quantum material using the condensates of spin clouds in an ultracold silicon metal.* Spin cloud (also known as a “Kondo cloud”): Free electrons formed to screen the magneticity of a metal or semi-conductor※ Co-corresponding authors: Professor Eunkyu Kim, Professor Sangjin Shin (Hanyang University), Professor Yeonwook Jung (Sungkyunkwan University)Spin clouds play a major role in high-temperature superconductivity. Due to their vanishing resistance, spin clouds enable applications such as levitation trains (maglev) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Despite the theoretical and experimental interest, the study of new quantum materials formed by spin clouds and their interactions in the field of condensed matter physics face many unresolved challenges.While researching quantum computer components, a research team led by Professors Hyunsik Lim and Hyungsang Kim from Dongguk University inadvertently discovered an unusual signal in silicon metal. Upon initial investigation, they suspected it was not an error from the component or measurement device but instead a new quantum mechanical model.Although they faced significant experimental challenges such as the need to measure ultracold temperatures and overcome interpretation problems, which made preceding research on spin clouds extremely difficult, the research team has persisted in their effort since 2015.The team used spectroscopic and electrical conductivity measurements to determine that the observed signal in the silicon metal derived from a new material that exhibited the characteristics of the Bose–Einstein condensate, which is a phase of material discovered in 1990 that follows the solid, liquid, gas, and plasma phases.The research team successfully discovered and elucidated, for the first time in the world, that a new quantum material can be formed by condensing ultracold spin clouds (1[K], -272.15[℃]) using silicon metal.The discovery is expected to contribute to a greater understanding of spin–spin interactions in metals and semiconductors as well as the study of strongly correlated materials, including high-temperature superconductors.* Strongly correlated material: a material that exhibits unusual phenomena not seen in typical conductors and insulators due to the strong interactions between its constituent particles.Professor Lim stated, “If we can create and control another quantum condensed state through this research, it can be applied to quantum device technology.” He added, “Understanding the properties of various spin clouds in response to changes in the concentration of spin clouds in pure metals through follow-up research is important.”The team’s research was supported by the Basic Research Program (mid-career and basic laboratory) of the Ministry of Science and ICT. An article describing their achievement was published* in the international academic journal Nature Physics on February 7 (16:00 GMT, February 6 local time).* Title of the paper: Observation of Kondo condensation in a degenerately doped silicon metal

“Efficacy of Ganhwa Seon” is the first to be ...

“Efficacy of Ganhwa Seon” is the first to be published in an internationally renowned SCI academic journal(On the left) Monk Jeong Do, Director, Institute for Study of Jogye Order, Dongguk University; (On the right) Yu-ri Kim, Associate Researcher, Institute for Study of Jogye Order, Dongguk University Study by research team of Institute for Study of Jogye Order, Dongguk University published inEvidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine○ A collaborative study from the research group of the Institute for Study of Jogye Order, Dongguk University (Monk Jeong Do, Director) was published in the SCI international journal “Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.” Yu-ri Kim, an associate researcher, Institute for Study of Jogye Order, Dongguk University is the lead author of “Efficacy of Ganhwa Seon,” which is the first paper to be published in an internationally renowned SCI journal. Ganhwa Seon is a traditional practice in Korean Buddhism.○ The study titled “The Effects of Mindfulness and Buddhist Meditation Coaching on Mental Health Outcomes in College Students” intends to determine whether Dongguk University’s meditation curriculum can be a useful tool in relation to the mental health of university students. It is aimed at university students who participated in the “Self and Meditation” course, a program of Dongguk University, which is a Buddhist missionary institution. It examines the changes before and after 15 weeks of the course and consists of the applied meditation and traditional meditation (Ganhwa Seon) programs. In this respect, it carries academic significance.○ This study, which is the first to examine the combined effect of applied meditation (mindfulness) and Ganhwa Seon, a traditional Korean Buddhist practice, substantiated that the ‘Ego and Meditation’ course significantly improved adult ADHD and self-identity. ○ In particular, in this study, the meditation instructors who teach the courses are one of the strong points of Dongguk University’s unique meditation curriculum. As a drawback, previous studies conducted abroad have highlighted the differences in efficacy of meditation courses due to the varying competence of meditation instructors. In Dongguk University’s meditation curriculum, the instructors, who are monks preparing for the Buddhist priesthood, led the classes by completing the doctoral course at the same university. Moreover, there is an integrated guidebook for conducting the “Self and Meditation” course. This approach to teaching meditation can close the gap between the various meditation instructors for each class, which has been identified in prior studies abroad as a barrier to the efficacy of meditation classes. This can be considered an advantage of the meditation curriculum of Dongguk University, which is a Buddhist missionary university looking for standardization and advancement of meditation teaching approaches. ○ Yu-ri Kim, associate researcher, Institute for Study of Jogye Order, Dongguk University said, “I have been studying meditation coaching from the perspective of practice beyond the functional use of meditation. This issue was discussed during the “Meditation Talk” of the “3rd Seoul International Meditation Expo,” and I am delighted to publish it as a paper. This result, in my opinion, was made possible with the assistance of the supervisor and co-corresponding author Monk Jeong Do, who also serves as the director of the Institute for Study of Jogye Order, Professor Nana Keum of the Department of Food Science and Technology, and Jaewon Gil, co-author and student of the Department of Food Science and Technology. Thank you.” ○ Dongguk University’s Institute for Study of Jogye Order, which opened in March 2011, has been talking about the role of Buddhism in modern society. Monk Jeong Do, Director, Institute for Study of Jogye Order, Dongguk University said, “[We] will play a role in discovering and arranging meanings in various areas such as the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Dongguk University, and the practice, culture, history, and ideology of Korean Buddhism.”

Novel Electrode Material Boosts Supercapacitor..

Novel Electrode Material Boosts Supercapacitor Performance for Electric VehiclesResearchers at Dongguk University have designed and synthesized a novel hybrid composite electrode material that significantly enhances the performance of supercapacitors for use in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). This composite electrode is comprised of cobalt selenide nanorod-copper selenide polyhedron-decorated over graphene oxide (CCS@GO) and offers unprecedented electrochemical properties. The researchers demonstrated an ecofriendly, economical fabrication, improved charge storage and retention, increased energy and power density attributable to the unique morphology of the electrode material.Next-generation electronic devices and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) need excellent charge storage devices to function well. Currently, majority of the charge storage devices are made from conventional metal sulfide or metal oxide-based supercapacitor electrodes. However, poor electrical conductivity and low energy density are major challenges in the use of supercapacitors, limiting their commercial applications. In contrast, transition metal selenides offer several enhanced electrochemical properties due to their in-built advantageous physicochemical properties including high chemical stability, a narrow bandgap, and low electronegativity that leads to a faster electron-conducting rate than that of metal sulfides and oxides. “A composite formed by the combination of metal selenides and carbon template is a fascinating approach to tune the properties of electrodes for electrochemical applications. Based on this idea, we have designed and constructed a new hybrid composite electrode comprising cobalt selenide nanorod-copper selenide polyhedron-decorated over graphene oxide (CCS@GO), using a wet-chemical strategy”, explains Professor Hyun-Seok Kim from the Division of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea, who has been actively researching 2D materials and nano- and micro-electronics for energy and sensor devices.In a recent article made available online on August 9, 2021, and published in volume 427 of Chemical Engineering Journal, Prof. Kim and his research team demonstrated that the resultant composite electrode provides abundant space for migration of ions, and allows swift faradaic redox reactions leading to high storage performance in an electrochemical cell. The team attributed the enhanced electrochemical features to the unique morphology and high surface area of the novel electrode material. They established that the synthesized electrode has outstanding electrochemical charge storage and retention properties. Using the electrodes, they constructed an asymmetric supercapacitor device with a capacitance of 192.8 Fg-1 @ 1A g-1; energy density of 54.6 Wh kg-1; power density 700 W kg-1, and capacitance retention of about 82.5% over 10,000 cycles. “We achieved our ultimate goal of constructing an electrochemical supercapacitor with improved electrochemical activity and long-term durability,” notes an excited Prof. Kim.Moreover, the team employed an ecofriendly, cost-effective, energy-efficient, wet-chemical fabrication method with earth-abundant copper and cobalt source materials for developing the new electrodes. Taken together, this development paves the way for user-free, non-flammable energy storage materials for next generation electronic and electrical devices.ReferenceAuthors: K. Karuppasamy1, Dhanasekaran Vikraman1, Sajjad Hussain2, Ganesh Kumar Veerasubramani3, P. Santhoshkumar4, Sang-Hoon Lee1, Ranjith Bose5, A. Kathalingam4, Hyun-Seok Kim1Title of original paper: Unveiling a binary metal selenide composite of CuSe polyhedrons/CoSe2nanorods decorated graphene oxide as an active electrode material forhigh-performance hybrid supercapacitorsJournal: Chemical Engineering JournalDOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.131535Affiliations: 1Division of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea 2Department of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea 3Department of Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea 4Millimeter-Wave Innovation Technology (MINT) Research Center, Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea 5Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 1277*Corresponding author’s email: hyunseokk@dongguk.eduAbout Dongguk UniversityDongguk University, founded in 1906, is located in Seoul, South Korea. It comprises 13 colleges that cover a variety of disciplines and has local campuses in Gyeongju, Goyang, and Los Angeles. The university has 1300 professors who conduct independent research and 18000 students undertaking studies in a variety of disciplines. Interaction between disciplines is one of the strengths on which Dongguk prides itself; the university encourages researchers to work across disciplines in Information Technology, Bio Technology, CT, and Buddhism.Website: https://www.dongguk.edu/eng/About the authorDr. Hyun-Seok Kim (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA) is a Professor who teaches at the Division of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea. His research interests include 2D materials and nano- and micro-electronics for energy and sensor devices. Prior to his current role, he served as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a senior R&D engineer at Intel Corporation, USA. In recent times, along with his colleagues, particularly Dr. K. Karuppasamy and Dr. Dhanasekaran Vikraman, Dr. Kim is actively developing 2D-material-based nanostructures for energy storage and conversion applications.

New Metal Oxyhydroxides as Catalysts...

New Metal Oxyhydroxides as Catalysts for Efficient Water ElectrolysisScientists at Dongguk University investigated a synthetic method to develop new metal oxyhydroxides electrocatalysts for efficient water electrolysis. Their findings were published in a study, which provides a detailed insight into the process demonstrating the long-term stability and performance of the synthesized catalysts. These can be used to obtain hydrogen (H2) and manufacture hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative to fossil fuels.Electrolysis of water is an efficient and sustainable method for the production of hydrogen. It involves two main reactions—the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Notably, materials used as catalysts for the OER are expensive, and demonstrate poor efficiency and stability. Recent studies have indicated lattice oxygen mechanism (LOM) as a potential pathway to increase the speed and efficiency of the OER. However, LOM uses transition metal (oxy)hydroxides (TMOxHy) with iron (Fe)-based compounds as catalysts. This is not ideal, because the dissolution of Fe atoms results in the loss of long-term stability and performance, especially under high current density.To address this gap, a team of scientists led by Professor Jung Inn Sohn from Dongguk University investigated a new bismuth (Bi) metal (BM)-based catalyst for LOM. “The water electrolysis technology is a promising way for sustainable hydrogen generation. However, stable OER performance at a practical and high-level current density requires a new catalyst material with high performance and durability,” says Prof. Sohn while discussing the team’s motivation behind the study. Their research findings were published in Volume 315 in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental on November 15, 2022.First, the team proposed the synthesis of a Fe-introduced Bi-(oxy)hydroxide-based electrocatalyst, which was prepared through solvothermal synthesis at 140 ℃ for 12 hours. The controlled reduction of the synthetic intermediates allowed for the formation of amorphous BM/BiFeOxHy with abundant lattice vacancies. The team found that the BM/BiFeOxHy electrode had low overpotentials of 232 and 359 mV at a current density of 10 and 1000 mA cm-2.Further analysis also validated the long-term stability pf BM/BiFeOxHy. The team attributed this to the balanced hybridization of Bi/Fe-O, resulting in catalytic stability for up to 1000 hours at a current density of 1000 mA cm-2, without the dissolution of Fe atoms! “Our report, containing a truly promising OER candidate with an efficient catalytic performance and stability, will have an impact on the rapid development of advanced electrocatalysts for water electrolyzers,” concludes Prof. Sohn.We are certain that soon enough, we will witness this catalyst being used in zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells!ReferenceAuthors: Seunghwan Joa, Woon Bae Parkb, Keon Beom Leea, Hyeonggeun Choia, Kug-Seung Leec, Docheon Ahnc, Young-Woo Leed, Kee-Sun Sohne, John Hongf,, Jung Inn Sohna,*Title of original paper: Bi/BiFe(oxy)hydroxide for sustainable lattice oxygen-boosted electrocatalysis at a practical high current densityJournal: Applied Catalysis B: EnvironmentalDOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2022.121685Affiliations: aDivision of Physics and Semiconductor Science, Dongguk University, Korea bDepartment of Printed Electronics Engineering, Sunchon National University, Korea cKorea Beamline Research Division, Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Korea dDepartment of Energy Systems Engineering, Soonchunhyang University, Korea eDepartment of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Engineering, Sejong University, Korea fSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Kookmin University, Korea*Corresponding author’s email: johnhong@kookmin.ac.kr, junginn.sohn@dongguk.eduAbout Dongguk UniversityDongguk University, founded in 1906, is located in Seoul, South Korea. It comprises 13 colleges that cover a variety of disciplines and has local campuses in Gyeongju, Goyang, and Los Angeles. The university has 1300 professors who conduct independent research and 18000 students undertaking studies in a variety of disciplines. Interaction between disciplines is one of the strengths on which Dongguk prides itself; the university encourages researchers to work across disciplines in Information Technology, Bio Technology, CT, and Buddhism.Website: https://www.dongguk.edu/eng/About the authorDr. Jung Inn Sohn is currently a Professor in the Division of Physics and Semiconductor Science at Dongguk University, Korea. His research group is developing new low-dimensional materials and exploring their fundamental physical properties and new functions for potential applications in energy and optoelectronics. He was formerly an academic faculty at the University of Oxford and a senior researcher at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge. His research is described in more than 150 SCI articles in top journals including Nature, Nature Communications, Energy & Environ. Sci., as well as 18 cover picture articles and 4 review articles. He has an h-index of 41 and 26 patents to his name.

Scientists at Dongguk University propose a net..

Scientists at Dongguk University propose a network effect-based model that enhances business intelligenceIt utilizes the influence-based social exchange and two-step flow of information theories to collect reliable user dataThere is a need to improve the quality of user data for making effective business decisions. To this end, researchers in Korea propose a network effect-based reasoning model that directly collects meaningful data by applying the influence-based social exchange and two-step flow of information theories. The model can enhance business intelligence and facilitate big data analysis.In the age of big data, corporations are increasingly using business intelligence—collecting, analyzing, and utilizing user data—for decision-making. It has been made possible through social media platforms and technological innovations, which enable easy data accumulation and storage at low costs.The effectiveness of business intelligence depends upon the quality of data. Big data has a lot of noise, and only meaningful inputs can lead to meaningful outputs. Therefore, reliable user data is essential. The existing ways to improve the reliability of already collected data, however, are not efficient.To address this issue, Dr. Kihwan Nam, Assistant professor of Management Information Systems in the Business School of Dongguk University, Korea, and his colleague have recently presented a new theoretical model that secures meaningful information by improving data reliability during the collection stage. Their study reporting the model was made available online on 1 June 2022 and published in Volume 205 of Expert Systems With Applications on 1 November 2022.“The model, based on the network effect, applies both the influence-based social exchange theory and the two-step flow of information theory. In it, initially, a user evaluates and recommends a product to a group. Its recommendation range depends on the user’s influence. The user, aware of their influence, will try to increase it by getting positive feedback from the group, thereby acting as an ‘opinion leader’ and generating data that reliably indicates popular products,” explains Dr. Nam.The researchers verified the effectiveness of their reasoning model by collecting user data from an online media content platform and applying the model to its recommendation system. They found that its performance—data quality and user satisfaction—improved two to five times. That led to an upsurge in the number of users on the platform.Dr. Nam is hopeful about the future potential of their work. “It demonstrates theoretical, technical, and practical aspects of reliable data collection, making it valuable for corporations. Not only will our proposed model enhance business intelligence, but it will also help extract meaningful information for various other applications involving big data analysis.”ReferenceAuthors: Nohkyum Kyeong1, Kihwan Nam2Title of original paper: Mechanism design for data reliability improvement through network-based reasoning modelJournal: Expert Systems With ApplicationsDOI: 10.1016/j.eswa.2022.117660Affiliations: 1College of Business Management Engineering Department, KAIST, Korea2Management Information Systems, Business School, Dongguk University, Korea*Corresponding author’s email: namkh@dongguk.edu*Corresponding author’s home page: https://sites.google.com/view/namkiAbout Dongguk UniversityDongguk University, founded in 1906, is located in Seoul, South Korea. It comprises 13 colleges that cover a variety of disciplines and has local campuses in Gyeongju, Goyang, and Los Angeles. The university has 1300 professors who conduct independent research and 18000 students undertaking studies in a variety of disciplines. Interaction between disciplines is one of the strengths on which Dongguk prides itself; the university encourages researchers to work across disciplines in Information Technology, Biotechnology, CT, and Buddhism.Website: https://www.dongguk.edu/eng/About the authorKihwan Nam is an Assistant Professor at the Management Information Systems, Business School, Dongguk University, and Adjunct Professor at the College of Business, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). His research interests include Quantitative Marketing, Recommender System, Big Data Analytics, Data Mining, Statistical Analysis, and Applications of Machine Learning and Deep Learning in Business Analytics and Econometric Model. He is also a data scientist. In addition to his academic research, he is making a positive contribution to both academia and industry by successfully carrying out various projects in a big international company.

‘Improvements in incentives and financial per...

‘Improvements in incentives and financial performance following ESG performance’... Proven through research resultsDongguk University (President Yoon Sung-Yee) announced on the 11th November that the research by Professor Jeong Seon-moon of the Department of Accounting at Dongguk University Business School was published in the October 2022 issue (Volume 68, No. 10) of “Management Science,” the world’s most prestigious academic journal of business administration.“Management Science” is one of the world's most prestigious academic journals in the field of business administration. It is an academic journal that has published many papers by world-renowned economists and management scholars including Nobel Prize winners Merton Miller, Franco Modigliani, Kenneth Arrow, Robert Lucas, James Heckman, Daniel Kahneman, Eugene Fama, Harry Markowitz, and William Sharp (SSCI, IF=6.172).Professor Jeong participated as the first author of this thesis, and the corresponding author, Seoul National University Business School Professor Shin Jae-yong, co-authored the paper. (Thesis source: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.4232)Providing financial rewards for ESG performance, an effective ESG improvement method... Proven by domestic researchers for the first timeThe significance of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) management is becoming more prominent as the importance of non-financial performance management grows worldwide. Domestic and foreign companies are making various efforts, such as expanding ESG-related disclosures externally and establishing ESG-related board committees internally.Through this study, Professor Jeong studied the effectiveness of financial reward methods to improve ESG performance more systematically. According to Professor Jeong's research, it has been scientifically proven that social performance increases significantly when the social performance of social enterprises is measured and financial reward is provided in proportion to the measured performance. For the first time, a domestic research team has proven that systematically measuring ESG performance and providing financial compensation is an effective ESG improvement method.Professor Jeong's research was conducted based on the data of companies subject to the SPC (Social Performance Compensation) project, which was implemented by SK Group's Social Value Research Institute in 2015. The SPC project is a project that quantifies the performance of social enterprises based on the systematic social performance measurement system developed by SK, and grants financial incentives proportional to the performance measured in currency basis. For example, if the social performance related to the employment of a social enterprise that employs people with developmental disabilities is measured as KRW 1 billion according to a sophisticated measurement formula, KRW 250 million, equivalent to 25% of the KRW 1 billion, is paid as an incentive.Professor Jeong emphasized that "the ultimate goal of measurement-based incentives is motivation." In other words, if ESG performance can be quantified with a standardized evaluation and measurement system, it is possible to provide financial rewards for ESG performance in the same way as providing bonuses for financial performance. “Just as managers work hard to increase financial profits when they receive bonuses in proportion to ROA (return on assets), they will naturally work hard to increase social performance if social performance is properly measured and rewarded,” he argued. The research also proved that the social performance of social enterprises improved statistically significantly after being linked to incentives, stating that "Financial compensation according to performance leads to motivation of organizational members."Financial rewards for ESG are not always effectiveHowever, financial rewards are not always effective. There are many cases among social enterprises, unlike for-profit enterprises, wherein people who are not accustomed to financial incentives and who pursue social missions gather to form an organization. According to Professor Jeong's research, financial rewards may have a less motivating effect in value-oriented organizations that value social missions. Professor Jeong said, "In a value-oriented organization, rather than receiving and distributing financial rewards to executives and employees, if they are used for reinvestment for ESG, the effect of improving employee performance can be maximized." It was also emphasized that whether to do it is an important issue in terms of motivation. In other words, financial incentives do not have a uniform motivating effect in all companies; the effect varies depending on the organizational culture and how financial rewards are used.Providing financial incentives to ESG improves financial performance as wellProfessor Jeong's research also found that financial rewards for ESG can improve financial performance. Companies with high task complementarity between social and financial performances have a business model in which financial profits increase as social performance improves. For example, local cooperatives purchase agricultural products from local small farmers at a reasonable price to create social outcomes that revive the local economy. On the other hand, it has a business model that improves financial performance while simultaneously reducing distribution margins because it can easily secure and sell local agricultural products directly to consumers. In the case of companies with high task complementarity like this, it has been statistically proven that financial incentive is significantly improved even if financial reward is provided only for social performance.Korean ESG management analyzed and published in the world's most prestigious academic journalProfessor Jeong's research is significant as it presented a method for systematically managing ESG performance. Non-financial performance, such as ESG, was perceived as difficult to quantify and therefore difficult to motivate with financial incentives. Professor Jeong's research proved that ESG performance can be significantly improved if it is measured based on a systematic measurement system and financially compensated in proportion to the objectively measured performance. It was also scientifically revealed that financial incentives do not have uniform effects in all companies, but that the effects vary depending on the organizational culture and incentive usage. They also found that providing financial rewards to ESG performance can simultaneously improve financial performance under certain conditions.Professor Jeong said, “I am delighted that a paper analyzing an incentive experiment uniquely conducted in Korea was published in ‘Management Science,’ the world’s most prestigious academic journal.”

Development of Biomimetic-based High-output...

Dongguk University Research Team led by Professor Changsun ChoiDevelopment of Biomimetic-based High-output Hydro-actuatorFrom left to right:Changsun Choi, Professor at the Department of Convergence Energy and New Material Engineering; Wonkyung Son, Researcher; Jaemyeong Lee, Researcher○ The research team led by Changsun Choi, Professor at the Department of Convergence Energy and New Material Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea (corresponding author), and Sungwu Cheon, Professor at the Department of Electronics and Information Engineering at Korea University, Seoul, South Korea (co-corresponding author), was successful in overcoming the limitations of a conventional hydro-actuator by developing a high-output, high-power hydro-actuator with a fast electrothermal recovery capability.○ A Geraniaceae plant is usually straight and long, but it twists itself and becomes spring-like when exposed to a dry environment. When it is twisted to the maximum extent, it bounces out to spread its seeds. Under rainy conditions, contact with a rain droplet causes it to spin and dig into the ground like a drill. Professor Choi’s research team studied the moisture-triggered spinning mechanics of such a plant to develop a fiber-type hydro-actuator.○ An actuator is a switch or a motor device that switches its physical state according to electrical signal changes. A fiber-type hydro-actuator that uses water from its surroundings as a source of stimulant is highly usable in various fields, such as soft robotics, because of its silk-like soft characteristics. However, existing hydro-actuators have low output values and require long operational time owing to their substantially slow recovery processes that contrast with their sensitive reactions.○ To solve this, the research team took inspiration from the moisture-activated self-twisting characteristic of a stork’s bill plant and designed an actuator with a fast electrothermal recovery. This newly developed actuator based on a carbon nanotube fiber featuring both high water reactivity and an electrothermal property demonstrated 120 times (143.8 W/kg) greater ultrahigh power density at an applied voltage of 5 V and at an operating speed that is 15 times greater than that of conventional hydro-actuators. It also showed no performance degradation, even at a very high internal temperature (102°C), through repeated cycle testing. Thus, it exhibited outstanding mechanical and thermal durability.○ Professor Choi states, “The significance of this research is the development of a high-performance hydro-actuator using the excellent electrothermal characteristics of a carbon nanotube treated to exhibit sensitive moisture reactivity.” He showed anticipation by continuing to state, “This newly developed electrothermal-recovering hydro-actuator is very powerful and has high operational speed, which makes it ideal to be utilized in the converging field of the biomedical industry and for applications `in artificial muscles, smart fabrics, prosthetics, and artificial fingers.”○ For this research, various groups of personnel participated, including (but not limited to) Wonkyung Son, researcher (first author), Shihyeong Kim, Ph.D. (Korea Institute of Industrial Technology), Sungbeom Jo, Ph.D. (Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology), and Dongseok Seo, Professor (Sungkyunkwan University). The research result was published online in March 2022 in Nano Letters (IF = 11.189), a journal of nanoscience technology, under the title <high-power biomimetic="" carbon="" coiled="" electrothermal="" fabricated="" fast="" from="" hydro-actuators="" nanotube="" recovery="" with="" yarns="">.(URL:https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c00250)</high-power>