Governor Murphy and Choose New Jersey Celebrate Signing of Memorandums of Understanding Between Top Institutions in New Jersey and South Korea

Seoul, South Korea — New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced today the signing of four Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with Korean institutions: one between Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Seoul National University in Seoul, another between the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute in Daejeon, a third between Kean University and Soongsil University, and a fourth between Kean University and Sangmyung University. The agreements, signed during the Choose New Jersey Governor-led economic mission to East Asia, aim to develop and expand previously established partnerships that promote research and exchange programs.

“We are excited to deepen our bilateral educational exchange with South Korean institutions, offering both South Korean and New Jersey students an opportunity to expand their academic horizons and strengthen the relationship between our two countries,” said Governor Murphy. “These agreements lay the groundwork for opportunities that will support our state’s economic growth and promote international innovation. It is our hope that these collaborations will foster lasting partnerships between these premier institutions.”

Rutgers University and Seoul National University have a longstanding partnership that began in 2009, primarily focused on student exchange. The MOU signed today will expand that partnership beyond student exchange to faculty visits and research collaboration. The universities are encouraged to offer joint courses and distance learning opportunities for their students. 

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Antonio M. Calcado and Assistant Vice President for Global Affairs, Ji-Yeung Jang were in Seoul representing Rutgers University.

“We are excited to be expanding our relationship with Seoul National University,” said Eric (Rick) Garfunkel, Vice President for Global Affairs at Rutgers University. “Our longstanding student exchange partnership has been significant, and we look forward to more collaborative opportunities in other areas. It is worth mentioning that there are strong ties between Rutgers and SNU, as President RYU Hong Lim is a Rutgers alumnus and Senior International Officer Theresa Cho was a tenured professor at Rutgers Business School.”

“We hope that the tie between Rutgers and Seoul National University will provide an impetus for important research collaboration to help us cope with global challenges such as the pandemic,” said Professor Theresa Cho, Vice President of International Affairs at Seoul National University.

The MOU between New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) focuses primarily on collaborative research in solar physics. This partnership, initially established in 2014, allows scientists and engineers from KASI to utilize solar telescopes and instruments owned by NJIT. NJIT will provide visiting Korean scientists with 20 full-day observations in the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The researchers will share observational data and expertise and theoretical knowledge related to data analysis.

“This agreement expands over two decades of continued collaboration between these two institutions, and it’s an important step to further our mutual dedication to scientific discovery, instrumentation innovation, and education,” said Wenda Cao, NJIT professor of physics and director of the Big Bear Solar Observatory. “KASI has participated in the construction of the Goode Solar Telescope (GST), one of the highest resolution solar telescopes in the world, built by NJIT. Since its first light, the GST has been highly productive in scientific output and in the development of state-of-the-art instrumentation. Current users are distributed over 63 universities, institutes, and observatories in 21 countries.”

Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute President Young-Deuk Park said, “KASI has been cooperating with NJIT in the field of solar physics since 2001. Starting in 2005, KASI and NJIT participated in the construction of 1.6-meter aperture solar telescope (formerly called New Solar Telescope; NST, now changed as the GST) which was the largest solar telescope in the world. This collaboration resulted in significant research achievements in high-resolution solar observation studies. The agreement between KASI and NJIT aims to expand the scope of cooperation in ground-based solar activity research to the field of heliophysics, including solar-terrestrial and planetary physics in the future, which will be a major driving force in the era of space exploration.”

“The collaboration between KASI and NJIT/BBSO has not only led to the development of cutting-edge technology but has also fostered meaningful connections between scientists, transcending geographical boundaries,” said In-Soo Yuk, Vice President of Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. “The BBSO will serve as an important international cooperation base for KASI’s high-resolution solar observations. Based on this strong solar research partnership between KASI and NJIT, we expect that we will be able to expand and develop research cooperation in the field of near-field space environment in the future.”

Kean University and Soongsil University adopted an MOU that allows for the exchange of students, faculty, and staff in addition to the implementation of collaborative research projects, lectures, and academic conferences. Kean University signed an additional MOU with Sangmyung University, encouraging academic cooperation through the sharing of materials, exchange of students, faculty, and researchers alongside the formation of joint research projects. 

“Kean University is pleased to further expand its cross-cultural collaborations in Asia through these agreements with Soongsil University and Sangmyung University,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. “These outstanding universities offer opportunities for joint research, conferences, lectures and seminars for our students and faculty, expanding on the academic and cultural engagement that Kean has established in this region. I applaud Governor Murphy for his leadership in fostering international cooperation in higher education, which aligns perfectly with Kean’s role as New Jersey’s urban research university and our keen focus on advancing diversity and inclusion.”

“Choose New Jersey takes great pride in facilitating opportunities for international cooperation and educational development,” said Wesley Mathews, President and CEO of Choose New Jersey. “These agreements will allow scholars in New Jersey and South Korea to come together to advance joint research and scientific innovation. We plan to expand on these partnerships and continue to build international relationships that will be beneficial to New Jersey students as well as their counterparts in South Korea.”

Reporters interested in more information on the New Jersey East Asia economic mission may contact Mahen Gunaratna (mahen.gunaratna@nj.gov) and Ingrid Austin (iaustin@choosenj.com) or visit choosenj.com/EastAsiaMission for additional details.

About Choose New Jersey, Inc.

Choose New Jersey is New Jersey’s leading nonprofit economic development organization. We stimulate job creation and attract capital investment to grow New Jersey’s economy. We market New Jersey globally as the best state in the United States to live, work, and play, and we guide businesses in establishing or expanding operations here. Our team, supported by a network of state agencies and private partners, provides free, confidential assistance to guide companies in establishing operations in New Jersey. To learn more, visit choosenj.com.

To read the press release from the Governor’s office, click here.

To read the press release in Korean, click here.