Caltech and KAIST Establish Program to Co-Mentor Tomorrow's Chemists and Drive Future Discoveries

Chemists from Caltech and KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) have established a framework of cooperation that will enable joint research projects in chemistry while also nurturing the next generation of scientists in an international research setting.

A delegation of Caltech scientists led by Sarah Reisman, the Bren Professor of Chemistry and Norman Davidson Leadership Chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (CCE), traveled to South Korea for the 1st KAIST-Caltech Workshop on Molecular Science and Chemical Innovation, which took place at KAIST on September 1 and 2. In addition to highlighting the latest research achievements in advanced molecular science and chemical technologies, the workshop introduced the KAIST–Caltech Global Research Fellow (KCGRF) platform, a new joint mentoring program designed to give faculty members from both institutions an opportunity to identify research topics of interest and then jointly select and mentor postdoctoral researchers who will work at both locations.

"Caltech and KAIST chemistry faculty have a long history of student exchanges and research collaboration, and this workshop is a wonderful opportunity to bring our faculty together and launch new projects supported by the Center for Intelligent Circular Chemical Ecosystem Innovation. We are delighted to continue our strong partnership with KAIST," Reisman says.

Collaboration between KAIST and Caltech began in 2024 through Korea's BrainLink program, which supports exchanges among outstanding researchers. This year, the collaboration expanded with KAIST's launch of the Center for Intelligent Circular Chemical Ecosystem Innovation. The center aims to develop new intelligent chemical upcycling technologies that can convert byproducts from the chemical industry into high-value chemicals and materials.

Caltech's CCE and KAIST's Department of Chemistry signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2026, calling for the establishment of the KCGRF platform and yearly workshops. The two institutions also plan to promote short-term reciprocal research visits for graduate students, encouraging further interaction to drive innovative joint research.

"Through this workshop, we aim to expand the KAIST–Caltech collaboration from joint research to a stage where we jointly nurture next-generation researchers," said Professor Sang Woo Han of KAIST's Department of Chemistry, in a written statement. "By connecting the strengths of both institutions, we will work to create new research topics and achievements in the field of future chemistry."

At the workshop, researchers discussed opportunities for collaboration in such fields as AI for chemistry, autonomous laboratories, computational and theoretical chemistry, as well as molecular science, catalysis, synthesis, electrochemistry, and sustainable chemistry.