Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology

Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST; Korean: 대구경북과학기술원) is a public science and engineering university located on Daegu Technopolis, Daegu, South Korea. DGIST is one of the four public universities in South Korea dedicated to research in science and technology, along with KAIST, GIST, and UNIST. Under the Special Act on Support of Scientists and Engineers for Strengthening National Science and Technology Competitiveness, the Korean government enacted the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology Act (Act No. 6996) and founded DGIST in 2004 as a research institute. In 2008, the act was amended to extend the role of the institute to both research and education, which eventually enabled a transition from research institute to university for DGIST.

History

In 2004, the Korean Government established DGIST as a research institute to promote national science and technology. It located the institute in Daegu to invigorate the local economy. The government amended DGIST Act in 2008, enabling the institute to offer educational (degree) programs.

Kyu-Suk Chung, the first president of the institute, was appointed in 2004 when it was still a research institute. The second president was In Seon Lee, who appointed in 2007. Dr. Sang Hyuk Son served as the third president starting in 2017. Dr. Young Kuk, was appointed in 2019. The current president is Dr. Kunwoo Lee, who assumed office in December 2023.

Academics

The graduate program was established in 2011, followed by the opening of the School of Undergraduate Studies in 2014 under the College of Transdisciplinary Studies.

For the early 2026 undergraduate admissions cycle, DGIST recorded a competition ratio of 27.85 to 1. A total of 6,182 applications were submitted for 222 undergraduate positions, representing a 23.4% increase in applications compared to the previous year. DGIST has recorded the highest competition ratio among science and engineering universities for three consecutive years.

Undergraduate Program

A distinctive feature of DGIST's undergraduate program is its open academic structure. Students are not required to declare a specific major at the time of admission and are encouraged to explore multiple disciplines.

Degree options are available as a single major, a double major, or a combination of one major and one minor. Areas of study include fields in the natural sciences—such as physics, chemistry, life science, and brain sciences—and in engineering, including mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, chemical engineering, computer science and engineering, and materials science and engineering.

• Natural Sciences Tracks
• Physics: Physics, Semiconductor Physics, Applied Physics, Optics, Quantum Information Science, Biophysics
• Chemistry: Collaborative research centered upon chemistry
• Life Science: Food Security and Eco-Plants, Disease Control and Aging Management, Multiomics and AI Bioinformatics
• Brain Sciences: (track established in 2025)
• Engineering Tracks
• Mechanical Engineering: Robotic Mechanics, Robotic Electronics, Robotic Intelligence
• Electronic Engineering: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science Field, Electrical and Electronic Devices and Circuits, EE Systems

Chemical Engineering: Solar Energy Conversion, Fuel Cells & Electrolyzers, Batteries, Modeling & Simulation, Catalyst Engineering, Energy Harvesting, Displays & Soft Electronics

• Computer Engineering: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science Field, Electrical and Electronic Devices and Circuits, EE Systems
• Materials Science and Engineering: New Materials, Biomaterials, Nano Materials, Functional Materials, Flexible Materials
• Self-Designed Track

DGIST offers students the option to design individualized majors, allowing them to incorporate courses from DGIST as well as online courses or programs from other institutions. This approach enables a flexible and customized educational experience.

Graduate Program

The Graduate School has been offering Master's and Doctoral Degree Programs, including integrated MS-PhD programs.

Research

DGIST Convergence Research Institute

• DGIST-LBNL Research Center for Emerging Materials
• Research Center for Resilient Cyber Physical Systems
• Convergence Research Center for Microlaser Technology
• DGIST-ETH Microrobotics Research Center
• Core Protein Resources Center
• Well Aging Research Center
• Global Center for Bio-Convergence Spin System
• Brain Engineering Convergence Research Center
• Magnetics Initiative Life Care Research Center
• Research Center for Extreme Exploitation of Dark Data
• Center for Proteome Biophysics
• Research Center for Thin Film Solar Cells
• ICT Research Institute
• Division of Electronics & Information System
• Division of Automotive Technology
• Division of Intelligent Robot
• Materials Research Institute
• Division of Energy Technology
• Division of Nanotechnology
• Division of Biotechnology

Research infrastructure

In addition to the DGIST Convergence Research Institute, DGIST has infrastructure to support and facilitate research.

• Center for Technology Commercialization
• Tech Startup Promotion Team
• Technology Commercialization Team
• Center for Technology Startup Education
• Technology Startup Education Team

Notable Events

DGIST was one of the hosts of the “World Engineering Education Forum and Global Engineering Deans Council (WEEF & GEDC) 2025,” held from September 21 to 25 at Daegu EXCO and DGIST campus. Co-hosted by the Korean Society for Engineering Education (KSEE), around 800 scholars gathered under the theme of “Engineering Education We Need.” WEEF & GEDC is one of the largest engineering education academic events, bringing together global engineering schools and industry stakeholders annually.

The forum was jointly organized by DGIST, KSEE, IFEES, and GEDC, with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Education, and Daegu Metropolitan City. Over 20 domestic and international companies and organizations—including Korea Circuit, iM Bank, Dassault Systèmes, LG Chem, Hyosung Heavy Industries, MathWorks, Celltrion, and Siemens—served as sponsors, supporting the forum's aim to promote collaboration between academia and industry.

People

DGIST had 2,895 total members as of March 2024. Those include 2,091 of students enrolled for the 2025 school year (1,096 Undergraduates, 523 Master's program students, 203 Ph.D. program students, 209 Integrated MS-PhD Program students and 60 Combined Undergraduate-Graduate Program). They also include 206 faculty, 256 researchers, and 342 of administrative staff working at DGIST.

DGIST has a total of 2,162 alumni, comprising 956 bachelor's, 844 master's, and 362 doctoral degree recipients (March 2024).

Presidents

• Chung Kyu-Suk (2004–2007) 1st president of DGIST research institute
• Lee In-Seon (ko) (2007–2011) 2nd president of DGIST research institute
• Shin Sung-chul (2011–2017) 1st and 2nd president of DGIST University
• Son Sang Hyuk (2017–2018) 3rd president of DGIST University
• Kuk Young (2019–2023) 4th president of DGIST University
• Lee Kunwoo (2023–current) 5th president of DGIST University

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)