Within understanding, analysis and application of vital phenomena, innovative discovery and invention signifies a mega-trend to inevitably change the history of human civilization through a number of fields, such as welfare for mankind. During the transformation period of bioscience/bioengineering in the history of mankind, the field of bioscience/bioengineering (BT) was selected as one of 3 key technologies and given intensive supports by the State after considerations were given to the needs to develop national growth engines following the semiconductor industry, and new pharmaceuticals and biomedical device were also selected during the latest selection of national growth engines.

Until recently, the studies on vital phenomena tend to have yet to go beyond the boundary of descriptive explications; however, with exponential advancement of bioscience stemming from the huge success of genome projects, it led to the procurement of the foundation where the core essence of vital phenomena can be progressed toward comprehensive and quantitative directions, and it is also expected to make rapid progresses by way of engaging in researches at a one-step higher level based on supports from cutting-edge technologies, such as nano science.

To develop the scientists dedicated to lead the trends of such novel researches, it is crucial to identify and foster the talents in the field of interdisciplinary synthetic bioengineering who are armed with capabilities of quantitative, systematic and integrated thinking as well as R&D capacities eclipsing the traditional concept of majoring departments; and in order to apply the understanding of vital phenomena to pharmaceutical industries or medical engineering fields, researches must be conducted in the fields of convergence in addition to production of talents equipped with expertise in diverse fields.

I-Bio of the School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience & Bioengineering represents an elite graduate program newly established at the POSTECH in 2005 designed not only to develop future-oriented scientists and technical talents dedicated to performing bioengineering studies in novel fields based on the convergence of knowledge, technology and idea in the field of basic science, such as biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics, as well as applied science of electronics, computers, novel materials, chemical engineering and environmental engineering but also to realize successful models of technical advancements in the state-of-the-art bioengineering.

Lee, Jong-Bong / Director, School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience & Bioengineering