Special Lecturer: Dr. Choi Yang-hee, Chairman of Samsung Future Technology Development Foundation What is convergence research and convergence education? Dr. Choi Yang-hee, Chairman of Samsung Future Technology Development Foundation, shared his insights on “convergence” at a special lecture organized by Yonsei’s Institute of Convergence Science. For Dr. Choi, the simplest, yet most meaningful and accurate definition of “convergence” is “looking at objects from different angles.” In his talk, Dr. Choi argued that convergence ought to be considered as more than a simple medium or means for achieving technological innovation and economic growth. Instead, he emphasized that the idea of “convergence,” a word that is becoming ubiquitous in academic research, should be understood as an overarching theme, perspective, and purpose. So how is convergence created? According to Dr. Choi: “For true convergence to occur, people from different fields need to communicate with each other and share their perspectives.” It is important, he continued, that all the people involved in a project be considerate and open to different ideas, and that they all be willing to share and to listen. Furthermore, he suggested that face-to-face interactions are essential in the early stages of a project, while online communication can be more effective in later stages. Dr. Choi, who holds the title of Professor of Computer Engineering at Seoul National University, was elected the first chairman of the Samsung Future Technology Development Foundation. Launched in May, the foundation was organized to promote creative scientific research and technological innovation in support of the Korean government’s Creative Economic Policy. In particular, the Samsung Future Technology Development Foundation will support three main areas: promotion of future Nobel Prize laureates, material technology, and information and communication technology.