Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) College of Engineering (Dean Man‑Young Kim) and KIST Jeonbuk Research Institute have opened the way for Korea–Japan joint research cooperation with the Institute for Materials Research (IMR) at Tohoku University, Japan.

JBNU College of Engineering announced on the 6th that a delegation of 10 researchers, including Professor Kwang‑woon Jeong of the Department of Polymer Engineering, and three researchers from KIST Jeonbuk Research Institute attended the "2026 IMR–JBNU×KIST International Joint Symposium" held at the Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Japan, from January 26 to 29, 2026.

The symposium was the first international academic event jointly organized by Tohoku University’s IMR, JBNU, and KIST Jeonbuk Research Institute. It was organized for researchers from each institution to share recent research achievements in materials, polymers, and metals and to discuss medium- and long-term plans for collaborative research.

During the event, participating researchers delivered oral presentations in their respective fields. After each presentation, there was a Q&A and discussion on the applicability and scalability of the research.

The event provided an opportunity for the institutions to confirm each other’s research capabilities and interests and to evaluate prospects for future collaboration.

Sasaki, Director of IMR at Tohoku University, said, "We were able to confirm the research achievements and the high research enthusiasm of many teams," adding, "We hope this will lead to continued research collaboration with IMR." He added, "We also hope that many researchers will participate in IMR's GMRT program and that tangible joint research outcomes will be produced."

Man‑Young Kim, Dean of the JBNU College of Engineering, said, "It is significant that JBNU faculty and KIST researchers have established a collaborative foundation for international research exchange," and added, "Since the symposium is scheduled to be held at JBNU next January, we expect Korea–Japan joint research and academic exchange to expand further."

Meanwhile, JBNU's College of Engineering plans to use this symposium as an opportunity to strengthen cooperative frameworks with leading overseas research institutions and to continuously pursue international collaborative research and academic exchange.