Dr Kim welcomes visit, laments internet speed

Dr Dong Young Kim from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has arrived in Wollongong for a six-month sabbatical to develop advanced materials for energy applications.

Dr Kim’s collaboration with the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, lead node of ACES, goes back over 20 years. He is known for his pioneering work in the field of opto-electronic materials, such as improving the titanium oxide electrodes used in dye-sensitised solar cells.

Dr Kim is keen to take advantage of the ACES expertise in 3D fabrication.

“I would like to learn about the state of arts in the 3D printing technology,” he said.

“If possible, I will try to combine the conductive materials with 3D printed patterns.”

He also aims to try to adapt some of ACES’ graphene technologies, in particular the liquid crystal graphene oxide (LCGO) developed by Dr Rouhollah Ali for making nanoscale conducting fibres. These could be used for more efficient batteries and organic solar cells.

The visit continues the long tradition of strong collaboration between ACES and Korea. ACES recently welcomed long-term collaborator Hanyang University on board as an official partner. ACES has also previously developed 3D printing and medical bionics technologies with the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM).

Dr Kim, who is staying in Wollongong with his wife, said “We enjoy the nice beach, foods, and weather,” though he added the internet environment is a “little different” from that in Korea. South Korea tops the global charts in terms of internet connection, with a speed about five times faster than Australia’s, on average.