On June 26, 2023, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) presented the “Minister’s Award” to professor Youngik Sohn during the opening ceremony of the ‘Quantum Korea 2023 Conference’ held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul.
Professor Sohn was recognized for his contributions to advancing the Artificial Intelligence (AI) semiconductor industry.
Prof. Sohn’s research on quantum repeater, a key technology for quantum communication, contributed to the selection of the world’s first major quantum technology flagship platform by a major corporation, and he is actively researching the development of general-purpose quantum computing hardware, which has recently gained prominence.
This event was an international gathering to explore the global research trends in quantum science and technology which is recognized as a game-changer in the future industry.
Renowned scholars in the field of quantum science and technology, including John Clauser, an American professor who received the Nobel Prize in Physics for elucidating quantum entanglement, Charles Bennett, a research fellow at IBM Research who invented quantum cryptography, and Peter Shor, an MIT professor whose “Shor’s Algorithm” became a crucial development for the quantum computer attended the opening ceremony.
Youngchang Joo, the Director of Science and Technology Innovation at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “The government considers this year as the starting point for Korea’s quantum leap, and we are concentrating on national capabilities.”
He further emphasized, “We urge individuals to gather their capabilities and efforts so that Korea can dream bigger and take on greater challenges in the field of quantum science and technology.”
Professor Youngik Sohn, an expert in quantum information technology with over ten years of experience in quantum computing and communication research and development, currently serves as the director of the KAIST-Harvard International Quantum Technology Cooperation Center.
Quantum information science and technology are regarded as promising for the future, bringing about a paradigm shift in information processing technology, enabling more efficient computations and secure communication than conventional classical information systems.
[Awards Ceremonies]