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Research Team Led by Prof. Lee Sang-Hyuk at Department of Life Science Publishes Findings in Nucleic Acids Research

The research team led by Professor Lee Sang-Hyuk from the Department of Life Science in the Ewha College of Natural Sciences developed the world's largest CRISPR screening database and published its research findings in the top-rated international academic journal Nucleic Acids Research (impact factor of 11.501, top 4 percent) on Monday, November 2. The research is expected to enable the development of innovative treatments and new drugs based on the iCSDB, an integrated database of screening data based on characteristics of human cells and CRISPR-Cas9 genetic scissors. The study was conducted by Dr. Choi Ah Young, a member of Professor Lee Sang-Hyuk's research team, as the lead author in a joint study with the Korean Bioinformation Center (co-corresponding author Lee Byung-wook). CRISPR-Cas9, which is being referred to as third-generation genetic scissors, is a gene-editing technology that can selectively remove or edit specific genes through the high-precision manipulation of the DNA of various living organisms. Compared to previous technologies, CRISPR-Cas9 has the advantage of allowing easier and more accurate editing of specific genes, which is introducing a revolutionary impact on the advancement of life science and medicine. In addition, a library-based screening technique that applies CRISPR-Cas technology to all human genes is currently seeing widespread usage in discovering targets for new drug development and conducting various molecular science research. The iCSDB, developed by the Ewha research team, is an integrated database that combines DepMap Portal that includes three large-scale CRISPR screening projects and BioGRID ORCS that provides CRISPR screening sources for genes. Through the iCSDB, 1,375 pieces of CRISPR screening data were collected for 976 human cell lines including CRISPR gene editing results for up to 70 cancer types, thereby constituting the world’s largest data collection of its kind. On top of that, the research team established a user-friendly web environment to allow users to easily access information on any cell line they are interested in, and implemented various means including infographics to promote easy understanding of the effects of gene editing, all of which are expected to offer significant help to researchers in related fields around the world. Professor Lee remarked, "We expect the iCSDB developed in our research to help identify the causes of treatment resistance for various carcinomas and subsequently the development of new treatments that can overcome treatment resistance. In the future, we plan to develop innovative new drug targets or new treatments through drug screening and integrated analysis of transcriptome data for the same cell lines."
- No.540
- Writer
- Date2020.11.16
- Views2180
539
Ewha Holds “1st Ewha-Hyunwoo Women and Peace Prize” Ceremony and Commemorative Exhibition

A longstanding leader of women’s studies in Korea, Ewha Womans University has launched the Ewha-Hyunwoo Women and Peace Prize to further solidify the academic standing of women's studies with a focus on the keywords of “women” and “peace” and to build upon its history of leading the field. On Tuesday, November 10, the Korean Women's Institute of Ewha Womans University held the ceremony for the 1st Ewha-Hyunwoo Women and Peace Prize, which was established with the support of the Hyunwoo Culture Foundation. The institute, which has been leading women's studies in Korea for half a century since the launch of Korea’s first women’s studies course in 1977, now plans to commend and encourage scholars in related fields who have studied and devoted themselves to Korean women’s issues, through the establishment of the Ewha-Hyunwoo Women and Peace Prize. Photo: Online special lecture by Prof. Kim Eunjung, the winner of the 1st Ewha-Hyunwoo Women and Peace Prize (middle) To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the award was broadcast live on Facebook with a minimum number of in-person participants, including President Kim Heisook of Ewha Womans University and Director Choi Cheong-gyu of Hyunwoo Culture Foundation. President Kim Heisook commented, “It is one of the missions of Ewha Womans University to present a vision that can pioneer peace and the future of the Korean Peninsula. I hope that, through the establishment of the Ewha-Hyunwoo Women and Peace Prize, the Women's Research Institute will take the lead in creating a society where women can enjoy and lead peace.” Professor Kim Eunjeong at Syracuse University, who received the 1st Ewha-Hyunwoo Women and Peace Prize on the day of the ceremony, is an expert in the research on disability, gender, and sexuality. For her book Curative Violence, she received the Alison Piepmeier Book Prize from the National Women’s Studies Association (U.S.) and the James B. Palais Book Prize (2019) from the Association for Asian Studies (U.S.). Professor Kim was selected as the prizewinner in recognition of her contributions to women’s studies and disability studies by expanding the horizon of the said fields in her books and papers, which analyze the treatment of disability in Korean culture and reveal hidden violence behind the ideology of “healing and rehabilitation” in Korean society. Meanwhile, in order to reflect upon the meaning of the prize, a commemorative exhibition titled “A Larger Mind: The Spaces of Women We Have Passed By” was held at ECC Daesan Gallery from Monday, November 9 to Wednesday, November 18. This exhibition featured various works of Korean women artists and artworks addressing women’s issues, such as those of Professor Kang Ae-ran, who is an installation artist and the president of the Korean Women's Institute, as well as Kwon Hye-won, Park Seong-yeon, Park Young-sook, Yoon Seok-nam, Jung Jeong-yeop, Cheon Min-jeong, and the Pandora Photo Team of the Magdalena Community.
- No.538
- Writer
- Date2020.11.10
- Views1776
537
Research Team Led by Prof. Kim Jinheung Publishes Findings in Journal of the American Chemical Society

Amid the increased demand for the development of carbon emission reduction technologies in response to the Korean government’s recent announcement of its aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the research team led by Professor Kim Jinheung from the Department of Chemistry and Nano Science at Ewha Womans University succeeded in developing a nickel photocatalyst based on a new structure that selectively converts carbon dioxide into formic acid. This finding was published in the top-rated international journal Journal of the American Chemical Society. Marking world records in carbon dioxide conversion rate and efficiency, the study attracted global attention to the point of being selected for the cover of the journal, as it is expected to provide an important foothold for the development of photocatalytic systems for the purposes of reducing greenhouse gases in the future. In order to solve the problem of carbon dioxide emissions, which has been identified as the main culprit for global warming, the science and technology community has been promoting research and development into converting carbon dioxide into an energy source to secure renewable energy while preserving the environment. In particular, the development of a catalyst for artificial photosynthesis, a process that converts carbon dioxide using solar energy, is one of the world’s most active research fields today. However, the results so far have been limited by low reaction efficiency and the creation of impure mixtures from the reaction. Moreover, previously developed high-efficiency catalysts often contain expensive precious metals such as ruthenium (Ru), necessitating the urgent development of an efficient photocatalyst. In the study, Professor Kim Jinheung successfully developed a new photocatalytic system using nickel, which is available in abundant quantities. In addition, the research team succeeded in converting carbon dioxide with high efficiency at room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure by irradiating visible light. Moreover, while existing photocatalysts generated a reaction mixture from carbon dioxide that included carbon monoxide, formic acid, and hydrogen, only formic acid was obtained in the photocatalytic system developed by the research team, indicating high selectivity. Professor Kim Jinheung said, “We became the first in the world to achieve high-efficiency carbon dioxide conversion using an inexpensive metal that is available in large quantities and sunlight as the energy source. Through follow-up research, we will further improve the photocatalytic function and develop a highly efficient artificial photosynthesis system.” The research was conducted with support from the Carbon Upcycling Project Group, which is responsible for technology development in response to climate change, and the Scientific Research Center Project, both overseen by the National Research Foundation of Korea. In particular, Professor Kim’s research team cooperated with other researchers at Ewha’s Department of Chemistry and Nano Science to achieve one of the world’s first and finest research successes, thereby demonstrating Ewha’s scientific prowess.
- No.536
- Writer
- Date2020.11.05
- Views2213
535
Ewha Holds Exhibition Titled “A Pioneer of Ewha, Dr. Esther Kim Pak” to Commemorate 120th Anniversary of Korea's First F

Amid the recent spotlight cast on the efforts of medical staff to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, greater attention is similarly being directed towards the short yet meaningful life of Esther Kim Pak (1877-1910), who devoted herself to treating patients despite the harsh conditions that she faced in the Joseon Dynasty, more than 100 years ago. As this year marks the 120th anniversary of Esther Kim Pak's becoming the first female doctor in Korea, Ewha Archives is holding an exhibition titled “A Pioneer of Ewha, Dr. Esther Kim Park” until Saturday, May 15, 2021 to provide an opportunity to ruminate on Dr. Esther Kim Pak's life and her legacy in Korea’s medical history. Entering the Ewha Haktang as its fourth enrolled student in 1886, Esther Kim Pak first encountered the academic discipline of theology and discovered her faith, eventually receiving her Christian name Esther in 1891. She then traveled to study in the United States, and returned to Korea after earning her medical degree. At that time, hospitals in Joseon were full of women who suffered from being subjected to unreliable folk medicine and treatments, and Pak found herself as the sole Korean physician. She died at the age of 34 in 1910, after devoting her life to treating patients by day and night despite the lack of sufficient facilities and human resources. Dr. Esther Kim Pak was regarded as a symbol of women's education and medical activities during her time, and continued to be recognized today as a pioneer who made great strides in the history of Korean medicine, women, and Christianity by opening the door for women's medicine in Korea and practicing medicine with heartfelt sincerity. This exhibition features a variety of photographs that offer a glimpse into Esther Kim Pak's life, including photos of Pak's school days, those taken with her husband Park Yeo-seon, and those taken while she was studying abroad at Woman's Medical College of Baltimore in the U.S. It also displays materials that show the history and tradition of medical science at Ewha, including Ewha's first physiology textbook, Lessons on the Human Body; a report written by Mary Scranton, founder of Ewha Haktang, to request the dispatch of doctors and teachers to Joseon; an article introducing Esther Kim Pak’s medical activities after her return to Joseon; a photograph of the Nurse Training Center and nursing graduates at Po Goo Nyo Goan, which was founded in 1903 with Pak's contributions; and a photograph of Po Goo Nyo Goan, which has been restored and current stands inside Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital. Photo: Lessons on the Human Body, Korea's First Physiology Textbook / Po Goo Nyo Goan, Korea's First Hospital Exclusively for Women / Dr. Esther Kim Pak Studying Abroad
- No.534
- Writer
- Date2020.11.02
- Views3078
533
Ewha Holds Second Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF), Hosting Network of Female Presidents of Asian Universities

The Second Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF) was hosted online by Ewha for two days from October 23 to 24, bringing together female presidents of co-ed universities and women’s universities across Northeast Asia and the United States. Held under the theme of “Innovation of Women's Education in Northeast Asia and Greater Cooperation to Nurture Female Talents,” this year’s forum was attended by about 100 guests including presidents, vice presidents, deans, and heads of offices at women’s universities as well as organizers from the host organizations, the United Board for Christian Higher Education and the Ewha Institute for Leadership Development. This year's event was co-hosted by Ewha and the United Board, a US-based foundation that supports education in Asia, and co-sponsored by the Scranton Women’s Leadership Center in Korea and the Wesley Foundation in Japan. On October 23, the first day of the forum, President Kim Heisook of Ewha Womans University delivered a keynote speech titled “The Future of Women’s Universities: Normalizing the New Normal,” followed by a panel discussion on “Re-visioning Higher Education: Women Leading the Changes.” Participants were given the time to discuss changes that have occurred in terms of leadership in academia and industries since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and important traits for next-generation female leaders. In addition, participants were divided into small groups for the online buzz sessions to discuss ways to innovate and nurture women's education. A workshop was held under the theme of “Leadership Education for the New Normal” for second day of the forum on October 24, with the participation of Jackie Jenkins-Scott, former president of Wheelock College in the U.S. To conclude the workshop, WLF Declaration: Seoul 2020 was announced. The WLF Declaration outlines the resolution to actively participate in shaping the new normal by exercising women's leadership in the post-COVID-19 era with the aim to shift existing paradigms and recreate the social environment from the perspective of women. It is expected to become the cornerstone for fostering female leaders and female talents in Asia amid technological advancements in science and changes in the university structure that have been caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The forum is regarded as a venue to establish a diverse network to share ideas and concerns over the future of universities among those who are actively involved in the operation of universities, and jointly explore innovative educational models for the long-term development of higher education institutions for women in Asia as well as for the realization of well-rounded education and gender equality. As one of the world's largest women's universities and the world's premier intellectual community for women, Ewha will continue to work on solving various challenges to foster female talents by strengthening its network with other women's universities in Asia.
- No.532
- Writer
- Date2020.10.27
- Views1740
531
Ewha Law School Produces Four Newly Appointed Judges in 2020

At an investiture for newly appointed judges held by the Supreme Court of Korea on October 20, four graduates from Ewha Law School became judges after successfully passing the screening process for the general legal profession in 2020. Since the first appointment of a law school graduate as a judge in 2015, Ewha has produced a total of 17 judges, which is the third largest number among 25 law schools nationwide, following Seoul National University (29) and Sungkyunkwan University (20). In the number of judges against the cumulative enrollment quota, Ewha ranked second after Seoul National University. As the minimum required legal professional experience to become a judge has been raised to five years since 2018, the Supreme Court divided the screening process for judges into two: the process for general legal profession with more than five years of legal practice and the process to become an “exclusively-charged” judge with more than 20 years of legal experience. Among 155 newly appointed judges this year, Ewha Law School alumnae consisted of Judge Kim Jeong Eun (first graduating class, Ewha Law School), Judge Gang Eun-ji (third graduating class, Ewha Law School), Judge Kim Ji-yeong (fourth graduating class, Ewha Law School), and Judge Lee Ji-hui (fourth graduating class, Ewha Law School). Ewha Womans University founded the Department of Law in 1950, the world's first College of Law for women in 1996 and the Ewha Law School in 2009. Ewha’s College of Law has recorded many unprecedented “firsts” in the history of the legal profession in Korea, including producing Korea's first female lawyer, constitutional scholar, constitutional judge, and Minister of Government Legislation. Continuing this tradition, it also produced the top candidates for the National Bar Exam in 1991 and 2013 and was ranked fourth among domestic universities in the number of successful candidates at the National Bar Exam from 2015 to 2017. Maintaining such remarkable records, Ewha Law School was ranked first in the number of law clerks across the nation in 2013 and 2015, and third in the number of law clerks and prosecutors in 2018, maintaining a high success rate for producing successful applicants in the bar exam among 25 law schools nationwide.
- No.530
- Writer
- Date2020.10.23
- Views2507
529
Seven Project Teams of Ewha Selected for the Fourth Phase of “Brain Korea 21 Project” by the Ministry of Education

Three education research groups and four education research teams from Ewha were selected for the fourth phase of “Brain Korea 21 (BK21) Project” organized by the Ministry of Education. Through this selection, the school secured the funds to train professional research personnel by providing research scholarships to support graduate students and personnel expenses for new researchers over the next seven years. Ewha’s selection demonstrates the strength of new technology creation areas, which will help to transition Korea’s development strategy from catching up with advanced economies into becoming a leading economy itself, in addition to creative areas like the humanities and social science and convergence areas including cultural contents, design, Bio Information Technology (BIT) and Nano Information Technology (NIT). The Ewha project teams selected for BK21 are as follows: Three research groups consisting of (1) ITI (Innovation, Technology, Inclusion) Competent Social Welfare Leaders for Future Social Value (Director: Professor Ick-Joong Chung); (2) Intelligent IIoT convergence technology center for human-centric smart factory (Director: Professor Hyesook Lim); and (3) Education Research Center for 4IR-based Health Care (Director: Professor Oran Kwon). There are also four research teams including (1) Project Team for the Research and Education of Regional History and World History for the Future of Coexistence(Leader: Professor Dongju HAM); (2) Mathematical Science Team for Women Leaders of the 4th Industrial Revolution (Leader: Professor Jae Hyouk Lee); (3) Education and research team for development of LOHAS foods and bioactive ingredients (Leader: Professor Myong-Soo Chung); and (4) Human-AI UX Design Education Team (Leader: Professor Han Young Ryoo). (From left) Professor Ick-Joong Chung, Professor Hyesook Lim, Professor Oran Kwon, Professor Dong Ju Ham, Professor Jae Hyouk Lee, Professor Myong-Soo Chung, Professor Han Young Ryoo The Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea have been operating the BK21 Project since 1999 to strengthen the educational and research capabilities of graduate schools and to foster future generations of researchers. The project, which follows the third-phase project “BK21 PLUS,” is a large-scale government-funded project aimed at supporting 408 billion won annually over the next seven years and fostering 19,000 master- and doctorate-level research personnel every year. From this November, Ewha's research groups and teams, which have been preliminarily selected for the fourth phase of BK21, plan to carry out innovative research activities in response to social changes in a flexible manner after a deliberation process.
- No.528
- Writer
- Date2020.10.15
- Views4046
527
HOKMA College of General Education Holds Online Global Special Lecture “Fork in the Road Post-COVID”

HOKMA College of General Education held a special online lecture on life, healing, and community on October 7 (Fri). Helena Norberg-Hodge, a world-renowned environmental activist who is also known as the author of Ancient Future and Economics of Happiness, gave a speech at the special lecture under the theme of "Fork in the Road Post-COVID." Professor Shin Hisup of the English Language & Literature Department hosting the event, and President Kim Hei-sook giving a congratulatory speech. | Helena Norberg-Hodge delivering a special lecture through Zoom. Helena Norberg-Hodge remarked in the lecture that the cause of the disasters that afflict humanity originates from a systemic problem underlying today’s society, where all respect for life and the environment has disappeared, as is evident in economic activities based on exploitation of the weak, a homogenized society that lacks diversity, and the global single market. She stressed that the solution to all disasters can be found through “the need for a big picture activism," which urges people to take a step back, look at the Earth, find root causes and look for links within society. She then added that, despite its rapid industrialization, Korea has not lost its willingness to establish connections with nature and communities in the process, so it possesses the ability to present a desirable future direction. Finally, she asked Ewha students to "take a step back" and question the longstanding faults within the system rather than blaming one specific cause for the disaster called COVID-19. Succeeding Ewha’s long tradition of character-building education based on the "Spirit of Sharing," HOKMA College of General Education promoted the development of a new personality education model that responds to social requests for "self-healing," "life sensitivity" and "urban community," and launched the "Life, Healing and Community" program in 2019. "I hope today's special lecture, which was designed to enhance the sensitivity of Ewha members as part of the Life, Healing and Community Program, will give students a chance to reflect on human civilization and think about the transition to ecological civilization," said Chung Jae Young, Dean of the HOKMA College of General Education. The event, which was held in the form of a two-way livestream connecting the Career Lounge in Ewha ECC and Australia, was attended by a minimum number of participants, including President Kim Hei-sook, Dean Chung Jae Young and Associate Dean Ko Kwang Suk of the HOKMA College of General Education, and Ewha students selected through prior applications. More than 200 students viewed and showed a keen interest in the event, which was broadcast online through Zoom.
- No.526
- Writer
- Date2020.10.12
- Views2058
525
Computer Science Major Undergraduate Students Have Published a Research Paper on UAVs in an SCI-E indexed Journal

(from left) Cho, Jeihee, Prof. Lee, HyungJune, Sung, Jaeyi , and Yoon, JinYi Cho, Jeihee and Sung, Jaeyi, undergraduate students of ELTEC College of Engineering, the incoming class of 2017 (adviser: Prof. Lee, HyungJune), conducted a study on a method to freely collect information using multiple UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) under restricted conditions for communication and data collection in certain regions in case of emergency such as natural disasters. The undergraduate students published the result in an SCI-E indexed journal, IEEE Access as the primary and secondary authors, respectively. In situations such as a breakdown of the road network or a natural disaster, it becomes difficult to continuously collect information on a specific area, such as the latest video and audio data. Using UAVs allows greater freedom to collect information in such a situation in spite of physical restrictions on movement. The two students proposed a drone network architecture with the capacity to collect up-to-date and on-site information of a relevant area using units of wirelessly-connected UAV swarms and provide the information to the user, beyond the current model in which individual UAVs collect disassociated and isolated data from the area of interest. The research team also identified an algorithm-based motion planning method, which aims to optimize the stationary formation of UAVs for the continuous collection of up-to-date information and transition of their traversal formation when flying in a swarm. The introduction of this method has a potential to allow the deployment of multiple UAVs to collect data and solve the problem even under circumstances where on-site communication is disabled due to a disaster or an accident. This paper is the outcome of research conducted by Cho and Sung during their undergraduate internships at the Intelligent Networked Systems Laboratory, while working with a Ph.D. student Yoon, JinYi (third author) and Prof. Lee, HyungJune (corresponding author). The paper demonstrates the outstanding research capabilities of Ewha undergraduates majoring in Computer Science and Engineering. Ewha established the world’s first female engineering college in 1996 and produced scientific technology professionals under the aim of “the development of science through fostering outstanding female scientists.” The ELTEC College of Engineering is committing substantial and wide-ranging investments and support to sharpen the competitiveness of Ewha’s engineering education, and also strives to accomplish the educational goal of cultivating female engineers with creative convergence leadership skills for new industries of the future.
- No.524
- Writer
- Date2020.10.08
- Views4012
523
Ewha Outlines the Guidelines on Face-to-face Classes and Exams 2020

Ewha has established necessary facilities for infectious disease prevention and control in addition to the relevant guidelines to keep the campus safe for the fall semester of 2020. The Ewha Safety Team created the "Guidelines on Face-to-face Classes and Exams 2020," which is being disseminated in various ways including notices posted throughout the Ewha campus and webpages, as well as posts on social media. Major guidelines include attending online classes if you are sick (stop going to school); carrying the access card when going to school and ensuring to wear a mask; submitting to temperature checks at body temperature checkpoints, and wearing a temperature check confirmation wristband; ensuring to wear a mask and a temperature check confirmation wristband in the classroom; sitting only on chairs with an "Available for sitting" sticker; and returning home if you're sick. According to the guidelines, all Ewha members visiting the campus for face-to-face classes and exams are required to have their body temperature checked at a body temperature checkpoint installed at four spots including at the front of the security office on the ground-floor of Hak-gwan, at the lobby on the first basement level of Ewha-POSCO Building, at Neil Lounge near the ECC Gate No. 1, and at the ECC Gate No. 12 (exit towards Admission Hall), and wear the wristband confirming the completion of a body temperature check before entering a classroom. The color of the wristband varies by the day of the week, and you may put on the wristband yourself upon receiving it after a body temperature check. If you are not using a classroom, you do not need to wear the wristband. Those who enter a library or a reading room are monitored by thermal imaging cameras and not required to wear the wristband. However, according to the executive order of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it is mandatory to wear a mask anywhere on the campus and those who violate the order may be restricted from using campus facilities. In particular, you cannot use the open learning space, ECC lounge, and multi-purpose facilities without wearing a mask. Kim Young-Suk, the Head of Office of Facilities Management, remarked, "Wearing a mask at all times, whether indoors or outdoors, will be uncomfortable, but please comply with the guidelines, bearing in mind that it is the first step in protecting the safety of all Ewha members as well as the wearer' health." He also emphasized, "Please make sure to observe the infection control rules such as washing hands and wearing a mask, especially when using areas with unspecified high traffic such as lounges and resting areas."
- No.522
- Writer
- Date2020.09.11
- Views5953

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