G-Dragon appointed as a Professor at KAIST in Department of Mechanical Engineering for the upcoming two years

South Korean rapper and songwriter G-Dragon attended the "Innovate Korea 2024" event on the afternoon of June 5 at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) headquarters in Eoeun-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. As a visiting professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Big Bang singer was presented with a certificate of appointment by KAIST.

"As a professor here, I will ensure my role brings no harm and will help students understand the immense benefits and future potential of technology in our daily lives," G-Dragon said after receiving his appointment certificate.

The singer-rapper will hold this position for the next two years. He shared the image of his certificate via his Instagram story.

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G-Dragon will serve as a Visiting Professor at KAIST until June 2026

G-Dragon's appearance on the "Innovate Korea 2024" panel at KAIST's main campus preceded the announcement. The rapper met with other prominent figures in the K-pop and AI industries during the event to talk about their respective tech futures. The BIG BANG leader's term of office will end on June 4, 2026, after two years in charge.

The CROOKED rapper will now promote KAIST internationally in his new position as an ambassador for the institute. Additionally, he is anticipated to give peculiar leadership lectures to both undergraduate and graduate students. Students will gain perspective and understanding of the world through his talks, in which he will recount his experiences as an artist.

"I haven't lived that long, but it's something to live long and see. Even if students are not in the same field, I hope to be a mentor and bridge who encourages them to challenge (themselves to) new things with creativity, benefiting not only themselves but everyone," G-Dragon said at the event.

The goal of his appointment is to bring together the worlds of entertainment, technology, and science. G-Dragon spoke about feeling honored to be a visiting professor at KAIST, a school renowned for cultivating "scientific geniuses."

"I look forward to great synergy, or a 'big bang,' through the meeting between the best experts in science and technology and my expertise in the field of entertainment," G-Dragon shared his vision.

KAIST also commented on the singer's recent appointment and said,

“Professor Kwon (G-Dragon) plans to collaborate on digital twin technology research for Hallyu artists, research on convergence of K-culture and technologies such as artificial intelligence, robots and metaverse, and develop artist avatars using the latest technologies such as volumetrics, motion capture and haptics at the KAIST-Galaxy Corporation Enter-tech (Entertainment and Technology) Research Center (tentative name) to be established within the department of mechanical engineering at KAIST”

Since establishing an exclusive deal with Galaxy Corporation a year ago, G-Dragon has demonstrated a strong interest in activities that are associated with artificial intelligence.

His attendance at the Consumer Electronics Show 2024 (CES 2024), which is the largest electronics and information technology (IT) show in the world held in Las Vegas, brought even more attention to his engagement in the technology business. In addition, the K-pop idol has been very active, releasing new music and doing concerts, with a particular emphasis on Japan.

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More details about Innovate Korea 2024

Innovate Korea 2024 is a yearly event that focuses on the origins and future of novel scientific innovations. It is attended by roughly 1,000 specialists from the domains of information and communications technology (ICT), science and technology, government officials, entrepreneurs, academic institutions, and students from KAIST.

The topic of discussion at this year's event was titled "The Arrival of New Humans," where those in attendance envisioned a future where new humans and AI technology coexist, a time where science and humanity live in harmony.