Program
In January and February 2025, the SJRC will host Professor Doogab Yi, 4 graduate students and 22 undergraduate students for two weeks. This years’ program will consist of a series of lectures with affiliated faculty at UC Santa Cruz, UC San Francisco, and Stanford along with field trips to the surrounding Bay Area museums, cultural centers, and sites of innovation such as Google. A welcome dinner at the Rachel Carson College Red Room, a redwood bathing, social gatherings, and a final student presentation over lunch are also planned.
Select in-person lectures and activities will allow for a few additional guests to join. People will be encouraged to express interest by selecting which activities they are interested in attending by marking any that apply in this Google Form. Refer to the Winter 2025 Schedule and Participant Biographies.
About Winter 2025 SNU Visiting Scholars
Doogab Yi is Professor in the Department of Science Studies at Seoul National University and Director of The SNU in the World Program with SJRC at UCSC on Innovation, Science and Justice (Winter 2023, 2024, 2025). His broad research interests lay in the intersection between science and capitalism in the 20th and 21th centuries, and he is currently working on several projects related to the development of science and technology within the context of capitalism, such as biotechnology and society, the relationship between science and the law, and the emergence of the technologies of the 24/7 self. He teaches courses in the history of modern science, science and the law, biology & society, and science, technology, and environment. Learn more at: https://doogab.wixsite.com/doogabyi
Graduate Researchers
Ethan Ilhwan Kong is a Master’s degree candidate at the Department of Science Studies, Seoul National University, specializing in the history of modern chemistry. His research focuses on the “instrumental revolution” in modern chemistry, particularly the “NMR revolution” driven by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. His dissertation examines Nobel Laureate Richard Ernst’s contributions to FT NMR and 2D NMR in the 1960s-70s and their role in transforming how chemists imagine molecular structures. Beyond his primary research, he explores intellectual exchanges between cultures, such as East-West encounters in late 19th century Japan and the dynamics between experts and patient activists in the history of HIV/AIDS research.
Eunseob Shim is a master student majoring science policy in the Department of Science Studies at Seoul National University, South Korea. His research interest seeks the intersection of science policy and international relations. Based on his academic background including a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in international relations, he has questions on how science and technology influence global power dynamics, particularly in the context of science diplomacy, technological sovereignty and geopolitical competition. He is trying to focus on Korea’s Material, Parts, and Equipment (MPE) policy which is an indicatory case that highlights the growing intersection between industrial strategy, science policy, and international politics in his thesis. He is trying to contribute to global discourse on science diplomacy and technology-driven international relations, either through further academic research or by working in international organizations or policy-driven think tanks.
Yongjoo Han is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Science Studies at Seoul National University, South Korea. His research focuses on the technoscience of the late modern capitalist era, particularly the intersection of the electoronic technology industry and popular culture. His dissertation examines the transnational history of computer graphics technology, focusing on the development of Silicon Graphics in the 1970s and 1980s and its influence on the Japanese gaming industry of the 1990s. He combines methodologies from the History of Science and Technology, media studies, and art history to explore the interplay between the materiality of technology and its sociocultural and political-economic contexts. Yongjoo is also interested in the ethical, legal, and societal implications of emerging technologies, such as the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of work. Through his interdisciplinary approach, he examines the complex interactions between technology, culture, and society.
Jungha Hwang is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Science Studies at Seoul National University, South Korea. Her research encompasses infrastructures, urban environments, human waste, public health, and disasters through the lenses of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and the history of technology and medicine. She is currently developing her dissertation, which examines the evolution of South Korea’s sewer systems from the Japanese colonial period to the 1980s. Her work explores how the concept of “hygienic modernity,” which emerged during the colonial era, persisted and influenced the design and construction of wastewater treatment plants and underground sewer networks in the postcolonial context. Additionally, she investigates the diverse perceptions of human feces—ranging from visceral revulsion and the drive to purify it to the ambition of reclaiming its latent value. Relatively unperturbed by “dirty” topics, she even enjoys watching YouTube videos of plumbers clearing sewer blockages while eating dinner.
Undergraduate Researchers
Donghyeon An is a senior student, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration at Seoul National University. He aspires to build a career in venture capital and private equity, focusing particularly on investments in tech startups. He believes that sustainable growth and investment success are achievable when companies drive technological innovation while fulfilling their social responsibilities, such as advancing social justice. Recently, he has been deepening his knowledge of emerging technologies in sectors like semiconductors and refining corporate finance theories essential for successful investment decision-making.
Soobin Bae is an undergrad student, majoring in Communication and Business Administration. Her research interests lie in media studies, especially focusing on the media industry. She is deeply concerned about regulatory gaps arising from the rapid development and transformation of the media landscape. Recently, her interests have expanded to include the role of corporations and social systems in ensuring the equitable distribution of the benefits of technology. To seek out interdisciplinary research topic between Communication and Business Administration, she participated in SNU in San Francisco. To further develop her interests, Soobin actively engages in academic activities, such as participating in thesis competitions, and contributes to the Cultural Content Research Society by conducting content analysis and drafting program proposals.
Jaewon Choi is an undergraduate student, triple majoring in Physics/Astronomy/PPE. His research interests in Physics/Astronomy field lie in cosmic evolution related to galactic interaction and large-scale structure formation. He works in SNUCLUES team as an undergraduate intern, in which he is currently investigating the evolution track of satellite galaxies due to dark matter tidal stripping resulted from the infall, using IllustrisTNG simulation. He is also interested in political philosophy, and participated in the SNU in the World Program with SJRC at UCSC on Innovation, Science and Justice (Winter 2023, 2025) to discuss and develop thoughts related to it.
Seoyeon Hur is an undergraduate student in the College of Liberal Studies, majoring in Computer Science and Engineering at Seoul National University. Her academic interests lie upon an interdesciplinary area that spans CSE and AI, psychology and neuroscience, and sociology – particularly in applying computational and AI technologies for resolving social problems such as addiction. She has also become interested in Science and Technology Studies (STS) in recognizing the importance of social responsibility that comes in science and technology research. Through SNU in SF program participation, she strives to further explore the fields of STS, social justice, and sociology, and thus contribute to creating inclusive technologies that serve a diverse range of communities. Currently, she works as a member at the AI-driven health startup team “Healthcube”, and has joined the SNU Biointelligence Lab as an undergraduate research intern to further explore AI and robotics.
Juni Kim is an undergraduate student in the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University, and participate in The SNU in the World Program at UCSC on Innovation, Science and Justice(2025). Her primary research interests lie in the intersection of business and law, particularly in exploring the legal structure between corporations and shareholders. She is committed to study how various stakeholders could be balanced in today’s financial market, and how corporate laws are used to protect them. Recently, she feels drawn to the comparison of the Delaware General Corporation Law and its domestic application, in the viewpoint of how corporations are dealt in each financial market. Through the program, she aims to deepen her insight about innovative firms and the social values they pursue, while planning to study the concept of social justice in scientific aspect as well.
Kyunghwan Kim is an undergraduate student in the Department of Business Administration at Seoul National University, and participate in The SNU in the World Program at UCSC on Innovation, Science and Justice(2025). His primary interest lies in corporate valuation, particularly in extending traditional financial assessments to include macroeconomic perspectives and non-financial indicators. His experience with analyzing vast corporate data has also sparked his interest in quantitative investing and artificial intelligence. To achieve these goals, he is currently pursuing additional majors in Artificial Intelligence and Financial Economics.
Minjae Kim is a senior student studying political science and international relations at Seoul National University and participating in the SNU in the World Program at UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). Her primary research questions lie in the intersection of political science, psychology, and neuroscience, such as group decision-making, conflict, war, and peace-building. She is also interested in the impact of technology on politics, societies, and international relations. Ultimately, she is interested in the core question of social science: “How do different, conflicting individuals and entities form, maintain, and foster societies?” In her research, she harnesses various research methods such as quantitative and qualitative analyses along with experimental methods. She has participated in multiple independent research projects, the latest one winning her team the Best Student Research award by the school. She is also passionate about spreading her interests through various platforms. She runs an Instagram account that discusses interesting social science research and has written blog posts about the same topic. Also, as a person with a rare chronic illness, she is also invested in public health and philanthropy, and has worked for two non-profits targeting community and public health.
Nayeon Ko is a undergraduate student in the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University and a participant in The SNU in the World Program at UCSC on Innovation, Science and Justice. Her broad research interests lie in the intersection of psychology and cognitive science, particularly in exploring how the structural principles of generative AI align with human cognitive processes. she is also intrigued by the concept of “good sound” and aim to connect music and sound with psychological theories. she is currently taking courses in cognitive science and audio studies, seeking ways to integrate these two fields.
Hyeyoon Kyung is an undergraduate student in the College of Nursing at Seoul National University and a participant in the SNU in the World Program with UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). Her academic research interests lie in the fields of oncology and mental illness caused by abnormalities in brain neurons, with a particular focus on the emotional therapy that can be provided to patients suffering from these conditions. To gain practical experience, she has been actively involved in a healthcare volunteer organization, where she learns about community service to promote health education and emotional support strategies. Through her last semester researches, Hyeyoon has participated in research projects related to cancer care and psychological well-being, which have deepened her understanding of holistic nursing approaches. As technology advances, medical technology which can be provided to patients is also developing very rapidly. By participating in this program, Hyeyoon will study how to effectively apply this technology to patients and how these technologies affect social justice in the medical aspect. Furthermore, she will think deeply about what technologies, policies, or laws can contribute to the health of patients in the future.
Dain Lee is a junior in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University and a participant in the SNU in the World Program – San Francisco at UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). Her academic interests span multiple disciplines, and she is minoring in both Science and Technology Studies and Japanese Studies. She is committed to contributing to the creation of a society where social minorities can live free from the challenges imposed by past and present societal structures. To this end, her research focuses on policies and discourses related to issues such as the Civil Partnership Law Enactment Movement in South Korea, the discussions following the decriminalization of abortion in South Korea, and the broader question of ensuring women’s rights to health. Additionally, she is deeply interested in the relationships between Korea, Japan, and the United States, particularly in areas such as international relations, culture, and history. Through this program, she seeks to deepen her understanding of the intersections between science, technology, and justice, while also planning to continue her studies on STS in the remaining semesters of her undergraduate career.
Seo Hyun Lee is a senior student in the College of Liberal Studies at Seoul National University, majoring in Statistics and Economics and a participant in The SNU in the World Program – San Francisco at UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). Her research interests lie at the intersection of statistical methodologies and social sciences. She has contributed to several projects exploring statistical methods and artificial intelligence. As an undergraduate researcher in the High-Dimensional Low Sample Size Laboratory, she developed multi-source data decomposition algorithms using the Flag Mean. Additionally, she has worked on various deep learning application projects, including dementia prediction models and sequential recommendation systems designed to forecast consumer purchasing behavior. Currently, she is engaged in a project investigating the causal effects of government policies on corporate value enhancement.
Sujeong Lee is a senior student in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies at Seoul National University, participating in the SNU in the World Program at UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). Her research interests lie in the relationship between family and society, particularly in the social factors and roles that influence family strength. She has recently developed an interest in AI technology that enhances family well-being. In 2024, She worked on several projects, including the development of an AI shopping platform for the visually impaired that converts product details from images to text, and a proposal for a climate-tech startup’s market entry strategy in Vietnam through Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Currently, She is engaging in various self-development activities to prepare for a career as a project manager, such as studying environmental justice and technology.
Kyungmin Moon is a Junior in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University and a participant in The SNU in the World Program – San Francisco at UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). His research interests are centered on robotics, particularly in AI-based robotics. Recently, his interests have expanded to exploring the intersection of science, technology, and law. In December 2024, he got discharged from his mandatory service as an interpreter/translator, bridging the ROK-US alliance at CMISOCC. He has since returned to school, currently enrolled in a linear algebra course while continuing his academic pursuits in multiple fields, including robotics and law.
Daeun Na is an undergraduate student in the Department of Pharmacy at Seoul National University and a participant in the SNU in the World Program at UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). She aims to research the underlying causes of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, after graduation. In particular, she is deeply interested in studying the roles of microglia and astrocytes in Alzheimer’s disease. To this end, she has been gaining research and experimental experience in laboratories during her semester breaks. In addition to her academic pursuits, she actively engages in various pharmaceutical-related activities. She is a member of a pharmacy volunteer organization and takes part in SNU Pharm Press, a student club that publishes an academic journal on pharmacy. Furthermore, she works part-time at a pharmacy on weekends, gaining practical experience in a clinical pharmacy setting.
Junsang Park, an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and a participant in the 2025 Winter SNU in the World program, is eager to integrate his academic interests with the program’s offerings. His research focus encompasses a broad range of fields, including catalysis, macromolecular science, and bioinformatics. Recently, he feels particularly drawn to the intersection of artificial intelligence and bioengineering within bioinformatics, recognizing its potential to bring significant changes to drug development and personalized diagnostics. In addition to his core studies, he has actively contributed as an undergraduate teaching assistant for 1st year physics courses, helping students build a strong foundation in the subject. To further expand his expertise, he has recently started a dual major in Computer Science, deepening his understanding of areas such as data structures and artificial intelligence.
Seohyun Park is an undergraduate student at SNU Department of Pharmacy, and a participant of the SNU in the World Program – San Francisco at UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). Having recently finished her 3rd year at SNU, she has taken interest in the fields of clinical pharmacy, public health, and regulatory science – the science of developing tools and approaches to assess the safety and efficacy of products, particularly drugs. She believes that scientific and technological advances rely largely on legal and governmental regulations to be recognized by the society as innovations, which is why regulatory science is important in its role of bridging science technology with the legal and administrative systems. Currently she is focusing on studying pharmaceutical science to get her degree and become a licensed pharmacist, after which she plans to pursue her studies on public health and regulatory science, particularly on pharmaceutical regulations.
Kyuin Song is an undergraduate student in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University and a participant in the SNU in the World Program at UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). Her primary interest lies in designing policies and laws that promote distributional justice in society, based on behavioral economics. Distributional justice, in her view, refers to supporting social minorities who are unable to access diverse and emerging technologies due to physical, mental, financial, or other barriers. Her ultimate goal is to create a society where every individual can thrive. In order to achieve this goal, she has pursued coursework in behavioral and health economics, and sincerely thought of “nudges” aimed at equitably distributing medical resources and technologies. Moving forward, she plans to deepen her expertise in policy and lawmaking by taking additional courses in economics.
Yeji Sung is a junior majoring in Food Science and Biotechnology at Seoul National University and a participant in The SNU in the World Program with SJRC at UCSC on Innovation, Science and Justice (Winter 2025). She is passionate about food microbial metabolomics, focusing on metabolic and physiological changes driven by genetic or environmental factors, as well as utilizing the gut metabolome to control diseases. By combining these interests, she aims to contribute to the discovery of novel bioactive compounds and the development of effective strategies for addressing metabolic diseases to advance public health. Currently, she is preparing for a food idea competition hosted by the Korean Society of Food Science and Technology and is set to join a food metabolomics research lab as an intern to gain hands-on experience and deepen her expertise.
Rahyeon Tae is an undergraduate student in the Department of Biomaterials Engineering at Seoul National University and a participant in the SNU in the World Program with UCSC on Innovation, Science and Justice (Winter 2025). Her academic interest lies in studying the biomaterials used for medical purposes including artificial organs, ultimately aiming to contribute to the universalization of high-performance and price-competitive materials. Accordingly, she has currently started a dual major in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering to strengthen her expertise in the chemical and industrial process of materials. Furthermore, she has actively attended various symposiums and seminars to broaden her research interest throughout the field of biomedical science & engineering, regarding wearable biosensors and personalized medicine. She is sincerely looking forward to developing her grounding on ethical and legal controversies at the interface of biomedical innovation and social justice through this program, thereby cultivating her capacity as a researcher.
Minseok Woo is a student majoring in Chemical and Biological Engineering and a participant in The SNU in the World Program – San Francisco with UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice(Winter 2025). His research interests include semiconductors, battery technology, and biotechnology. He is passionate about overcoming current technical limitations to unlock breakthroughs in these fields. He plans to join a research lab next semester and values the opportunity provided by this program to reflect on the social justice aspects of technology beforehand.
Hyunseo Yang is an undergraduate student in the College of Liberal Studies who major in Computer Science and Engineering and Business at Seoul National University, and a participant in the SNU in the World Program with UCSC on Innovation, Science and Justice (Winter 2025). He has recently developed academic interests in Large Multimodal Models (LMM) and hardware accelerators, and he plans to intern at a research lab related to these fields next semester. His goal after graduating from graduate school is to establish a startup based on AI technology. His management philosophy is centered on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles, and he seeks to deepen his understanding of social justice related to these values.
Seongsik Yoo is a Senior in the Department of Civil&Environmental Engineering and Industrial Engineering at Seoul National University and a participant in The SNU in the World Program – San Francisco with UCSC on Innovation, Science, and Justice (Winter 2025). His research interests are the process of modeling the operational process of a company, or other systems and improving the system using various techniques like operation research for efficient system operation. Moreover, he is interested in designing the efficient operation of the system using data-driven AI techniques. For this reason, he is currently developing related skills by taking various industrial engineering courses such as optimization. In this process, he became interested in the themes of innovation and social justice as a leader of future industries.