Graduate School of AI at KAIST
KAIST GSAI · Yangjae, Seoul
During our Seoul Study Tour, our group had the privilege of visiting KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), one of Asia’s leading research universities and a global powerhouse in artificial intelligence. Founded in 1971 as Korea’s first research-oriented science and engineering institution, KAIST has played a defining role in driving the nation’s technological advancement. We were warmly welcomed by faculty members and graduate researchers from the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, who generously hosted us for a tour of their AI Hub and research facilities. Here is our afternoon at the Seoul AI Hub, leg by leg.
Into the Seoul AI Hub
From Yangjae Citizen's Forest it was a short walk to the Seoul AI Hub, the home of KAIST's Graduate School of AI in the city. The lobby set the tone straight away — a triple-height concrete atrium with three words running up the wall: Co-create. Cultivate. Community. Best of all, a giant screen had been set just for us, reading "Welcome to KAIST GSAI — City University of Hong Kong Delegation Visit."
Lunch at the Hub
Before the programme began, we grabbed lunch together at the Hub — a relaxed spread out on the terrace, with the glass of the building catching the early-afternoon light. A good chance to swap first impressions and fuel up before an afternoon of talks.
A talk through the AI Hub
After the initial welcome, our hosts began by providing an overview of KAIST's AI programs, highlighting the institute's interdisciplinary approach that blends machine learning, robotics, computer vision, and natural language processing. They emphasized KAIST's strong industry partnerships and its mission to nurture world-class talent capable of tackling real-world challenges. As we toured the AI Hub, the researchers introduced us to several ongoing projects, ranging from autonomous systems to large-scale language models, giving us a vivid picture of cutting-edge AI research in action.
Presenting our souvenirs
We expressed our gratitude to Prof. Kate SHIM by presenting souvenirs. The thank-yous didn't stop there: a small gift and a hand-drawn card made their way to each of the graduate students who hosted and presented to us — and KAIST sent us home with their own keepsake, a set of hand-illustrated tote bags.
Gratitude in both directions — our small gifts, and KAIST's hand-drawn tote bags (bottom right).
A talk by the students
Afterwards, we listened to a few sharing sessions by research students, which gave us a deeper insight into our Computer Science studies. They spoke about Artificial Intelligence, explaining how machines can learn from data and improve over time, much like the recommendation systems and voice assistants we use daily. They also introduced us to computer vision, showing how computers can be taught to "see" and interpret images. We learned how this technology powers self-driving cars and medical imaging. These sessions made us realise how exciting and impactful the field of Computer Science truly is.
Dinner together
The afternoon wound down the best possible way — over dinner with our hosts. Boxes of Korean-style pizza and fried chicken landed on the tables, cola was poured, and the formal programme dissolved into easy conversation between CityU and KAIST students before we said our goodbyes.
One last group photo before we headed back into the Seoul evening.