PROGRAMME

Dr. Song Jaeryoung has researched international cooperation and policy research at the National Institute of Green Technology (NIGT) for over 15 years, specializing in strategic planning, strategic communications on science and technology, and research program developments. He was jointly appointed as a policy fellow at the National Council on Climate and Air Quality (NCCA), the Presidential Office affiliated committee for making international science and technology programs with UN agencies for 2 years. He also served the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST) for 3 years as a head of the international cooperation and research and development (R&D) strategy division. He contributed to establishing the inter-Korean science and technology cooperation strategy and international R&D strategy for 25 Government-funded Research Institutes under the NST. He focuses on effective communication on the global policy-making process of climate technologies and innovation platforms, north-south cooperation research under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and other climate Official Development Assistance (ODA) related areas.

Recent publications (e.g., book, journal paper, conference proceeding, patent, etc)
- Song, J. (2025). The Intersection of Climate Technology and Public Diplomacy: Insights into Policy and Implementation. Sustainable Futures, 9, 100465.
- Song, J., Yeo, J., & Son, M. (2024). Exploring Public Acceptance of Climate Technologies: A Study on Key Influences in South Korea. Sustainability, 16(20), 9036.
- Song, J., Kim, J-H, & Son, M. (2024). Significance of discussing inter-Korean exchange and cooperation in science and technology: Why now?. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(9), 7212.
- Lee, W-J, & Song, J.* (2024). Innovative strategy for enhancing nature-based solutions during climate technology transfer process. International Journal of Engineering Business Management. 2024(16). 
- Song, J.* (2023). What Are Differences in Perceptions about Climate Technologies between Experts and the Public?. Sustainability, 15(9), 7546.
- Song, J., & Baek, Y. J. (2023). Key to Success: Measures to Promote Climate Technology-Finance Linkage between South Korea and MDBs. Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy, 12(2), 268–276.
- Song, J., Kim, C., Yang, R. & Yoon, S. (2023) A Study on the Bottom-Up Approach for International Cooperation and Innovation in Achieving National Carbon Neutrality of Korea, China, and Japan. The International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, 15(2), 47-68.
- Song, J.* (2022). Is Climate Technology Cooperation Possible with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea?. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 1-16. 
- Song, J.* (2022). A Study on the Perception of Science and Technology Diplomacy in Response to Climate Change through Diplomats in Korea. Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society, 25(5), 1025-1050. 
- Song, J., & Kim, C. (2022). A Study on Strategies of Public R&D to Achieve National Carbon Neutrality: Focusing on the Implications of the Republic of Korea. Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy, 11(1), 1-29. 
- Song, J., Ko, Y., Hwang, J., & Kim, C. (2021). Exploring the Feasibility of the Living Lab Approach in Addressing Climate Change. International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts & Responses, 14(1).

Seoyoung Kim is a journalist at eToday, based in Seoul, who has been covering a wide range of issues at the Seoul Metropolitan Government since 2023, with a strong focus on environmental and climate policies. As climate change has become one of the most pressing global challenges, she has pursued in-depth investigative reporting on its impacts on global supply chains, the economy, security, and ecosystems. Her work has critically examined local government policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, spanning buildings, public transportation, resource circulation, and energy. In doing so, she has highlighted both the effectiveness and limitations of existing legal and institutional frameworks toward achieving carbon neutrality. Beyond Korea, She has reported on international pilot projects and emerging decarbonization technologies in buildings, transport, and energy, exploring how cross-border cooperation can bring meaningful carbon reduction outcomes. Her reporting reflects a deep commitment to addressing climate change and advancing sustainable solutions.

Dr. Yoongu Kang is a postdoctoral researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), the Netherlands. As part of the Netherlands' national project "Growing with Green Steel" (GGS), his research focuses on developing predictive models for the physical properties of oxide slags based on thermodynamic properties, which are crucial for simulating innovative pyrometallurgical processes in the production of green steel.
He earned his bachelor's degree in Materials Engineering from McGill University in Canada in 2015. After graduation, he worked for two years as a Junior Production Engineer at 5N Plus Inc., Canada, where he specialized in micro metal powder production through atomization. In 2023, he completed his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering in the High Temperature Thermochemistry research group led by Prof. In-Ho Jung at Seoul National University, South Korea. Following his PhD, he continued as a postdoctoral researcher in the same group for a year before joining the current Power & Flow group of Prof. Niels Deen at TU/e.

Dr. Tesfaye is a Process Metallurgist at Metso Finland Oy, Adjunct Professor (metallurgical thermodynamics) in the Technologies for a Sustainable Future at Åbo Akademi University, and Associate Editor of JOM - The Journal of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS). He received his M.Sc. degree in materials processing technology and Ph.D. degree in metallurgy from Aalto University. His research activities are focused mainly on the thermodynamic investigation of inorganic materials as well as rigorous theoretical and experimental investigations for promoting improved valuable metals and renewable energy production. In 2018, Dr. Tesfaye was also appointed as a Visiting Research Scientist in Seoul National University, South Korea.
Dr. Tesfaye edited many scientific research books, and serves as editor and reviewer for different high-impact journals. He is an active member of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), and is a winner of the 2018 TMS Young Leader Award. His personal research achievements include significant improvement of experimental research applying the solid-state EMF technique for thermodynamic studies, as well as remarkable contribution for promoting the move towards the circular economy. In his research areas, Dr. Tesfaye has published over 110 peer-reviewed publications.

2025-present
Professor, Clausthal University of Technology, Germany
2024-2025
Assistant Professor, Aalto University, Finland
2022-2024
Senior Researcher, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), Korea
2021-2022  
Scientist of Pyrometallurgy, Umicore, Belgium

Eunmi Im is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Energy and Climate Research—Electrochemistry (IET-1) of Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, where she develops next-generation metal-air/CO2 batteries based on sodium, zinc and iron. 
She earned her Ph.D. (2023) in Energy and Chemical Engineering from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Republic of Korea, with a dissertation that unveiled the electrochemical characteristics of Na-CO₂ hybrid cells using NASICON-based catholytes. Earlier, she received an M.Sc. (2016) in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany, and a B.Sc. (2012) in Chemistry from Dong-A University, Repulic of Korea. During her doctoral studies, Dr Im was a student researcher at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, investigating nanocatalysts for renewable-energy, piezo- and environmental applications, and in 2023 she joined Forschungszentrum Jülich as a visiting researcher to establish in-situ CT/XRD/Raman diagnostics for Na-CO₂ cells before taking up her current postdoctoral role. Her broader research interests span electrode and electrolyte design, operando characterisation techniques, and the translation of metal-air/CO₂ batteries from fundamental understanding to practical devices.

Hyunsang Joo holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from POSTECH (2011), an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University (2013), and is currently completing his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, Germany (expected 2025). He is the Co-founder and Executive Director of PRELI GmbH, where he leads R&D and commercialization efforts focused on lithium metal anodes, prelithiation, and presodiation technologies.
Since 2019, he has also been a Research Associate at the Institute of Energy and Climate Research (Forschungszentrum Jülich), working on advanced anode materials for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. His research spans cell and electrode design, reduction mechanism of various additives, solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) analysis, and novel methods for monitoring lithiation states.
Previously, he worked at Samsung SDI (2013–2019) as a Research Engineer, where he developed manufacturing processes and automated systems for battery production, including low-internal tension winding, high-speed stacking, flexible battery packaging, and EIS-based non-destructive inspection methods, along with modeling/experiment-based approach to understand wetting mechanism of the electrodes.

Dr. Younha Kim works at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), specializing in integrated assessment modeling for climate and air quality management. She leads international collaborative projects, including the GUIDE project for global integrated assessment modeling and the AQNEA project for improving air quality in Northeast Asia. Dr. Kim has participated in field campaigns with NASA, enhancing international cooperation in air quality research. She earned her PhD and Master's degrees in Environmental Management and Engineering from Konkuk University. Her research focuses on emissions (greenhouse gases and air pollutants), future emission scenarios, and environmental policy assessment. Dr. Kim's work effectively bridges the gap between scientific findings and policy implementation, providing insights for environmental decision-making.

Jung Hee Hyun’s research interests include locally led adaptation, participatory science, and decision support methods for integrating climate change and other complex, uncertain future impacts into planning and practice. Her current research projects include, understanding and measuring community-level resilience-building dynamics within the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (ZCRA) Project and leads the Tools for Raising and Understanding Trust in Systems Science (TRUST) Project, an IIASA strategic initiative exploring linkages between participation-driven science and the perceptions of science. She was formerly a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Integrated Assessment and Climate Change Research Group at IIASA. She received her PhD in Engineering from Seoul National University and holds a master's degree in Global Economy and Strategy from Yonsei University and a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies from Columbia University.