The University of Newcastle, recognized as one of Australia's most innovative research universities, has partnered with Dankook University to cultivate talent in the fields of future energy and materials chemistry.
On October 26th, President An Soon-Cheol visited the University of Newcastle and signed an MOU to establish a dual-degree Ph.D. program and an international research collaboration network in future energy and materials chemistry.
The signing ceremony was attended by President An Soon-Cheol, Professor Choi Jin-Ho, Professor Choi Go-Eun, visiting Professor Nirichan Sanos Reginald, University of Newcastle President Alex Zelinsky, Vice President Kent Anderson, Distinguished Professor Ajayan Vinu, and Director of International Affairs Alek Voninski.
Through this MOU, the two universities agreed to:
• Jointly deliver a dual-degree Ph.D. program in future energy and materials chemistry.
• Establish academic exchanges and collaborative research networks, which will build research infrastructure and cultivate global talent.
President An also visited affiliated research centers at Newcastle, including the Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials (GICAN), the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), and the Newcastle Institute for Energy Resources (NIER), during which he discussed practical collaboration strategies to advance academic and research innovation platforms.
A joint symposium was also held to develop a new international research collaboration network. Around 40 professors and researchers from Newcastle participated, showing significant interest in joint research and dual Ph.D. programs with Dankook. The symposium featured keynote presentations by:
• Distinguished Professor Ajayan Vinu: “Bio-Nano Research at GICAN”
• Professor Thava Palanisami: “Bio-Innovation Research and Commercialization Based on the EPIC Project”
• Professor Choi Jin-Ho: “Therapeutic Functions of Low-Dimensional Hybrid Materials”
• Professor Choi Go-Eun: “Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Using Drug Delivery Systems”
Founded in 1965, the University of Newcastle is a public university in New South Wales, Australia. Ranked 179th globally and 10th in Australia in the 2025 QS World University Rankings, the university is also a leading research institution in carbon-neutral energy and materials chemistry, ranking among the global top 30 in these fields. With 38,000 students, Newcastle excels in life sciences, engineering, environmental studies, and healthcare.