Ewha Womans University–Syensqo Expand Collaboration in Next-Generation Hydrogen Technologies N
- Date2026.03.19
- 448
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Ewha Womans University jointly hosted the “2026 Ewha–Syensqo R&I Technology Exchange and Scholarship Award Ceremony” with global chemical company Syensqo on March 13 (Fri).
This event was organized to share the vision for next-generation hydrogen technologies based on over a decade of strong trust between the two institutions and to further solidify a strategic partnership aimed at fostering outstanding female talent who will lead the future scientific community. Held at the ECC of Ewha Womans University, the event was attended by approximately 50 participants, including faculty members, researchers, and students from Ewha, as well as executives and staff from Syensqo Korea and the Syensqo R&I Center. The program consisted of Part I, a technology exchange seminar, and Part II, a scholarship award ceremony.
From left: Kim Tae-hyun, Team Leader of the Green Hydrogen Research Lab at Syensqo; Kim Dong-ha, Distinguished Professor.
During Part I, the technology exchange seminar, Syensqo delivered a keynote presentation highlighting over a decade of strategic partnership with Ewha Womans University. The presentation introduced core innovative technologies such as next-generation battery materials and green hydrogen platforms, while sharing a vision for a sustainable future. Syensqo also expressed its commitment to collaborating on addressing the global climate crisis and nurturing the next generation of female scientific leaders. This was followed by presentations from Ewha’s leading researchers—Kim Dong-ha, Distinguished Professor; Moon Hoe-ri, Professor; Kim Woo-jae, Professor; and Choi Won-jae, Professor—who introduced key research achievements, including solar-based hydrogen production, hydrogen isotope separation, carbon-negative hydrogen production, and commercialization strategies for green hydrogen.
In particular, Kim Dong-ha, Distinguished Professor, received the Korea Science and Technology Award in March this year for developing a photocatalytic technology that more than doubles hydrogen production efficiency by utilizing the chirality of light. This achievement is regarded as a breakthrough capable of overcoming the limitations of solar-based hydrogen production. Moon Hoe-ri, Professor, who serves as Director of the newly launched national research institute, the Institute for Multiscale Matter and Systems (IMMS), presented both her research on hydrogen isotope separation using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and the operational vision of IMMS, emphasizing integrated research from material design to system implementation. Kim Woo-jae, Professor, introduced a carbon-negative clean hydrogen technology that simultaneously achieves carbon reduction and hydrogen production using recycled resources, representing a key outcome of the Brain Link program launched last year. Choi Won-jae, Professor, presented an optimal carbon-neutral hydrogen supply chain strategy using the “Korean-style GREET,” and discussed the current status of joint development of next-generation core technologies with Syensqo, as well as global talent cultivation and technology commercialization in connection with the Brain Link program.
During Part II, the scholarship award ceremony, the history and achievements of the Syensqo scholarship program, which has continued since 2012, were shared. Scholarship certificates were awarded to six newly selected outstanding master’s and doctoral students for 2026. Since 2012, Syensqo has provided approximately KRW 2.9 billion in scholarships to around 200 students at Ewha Womans University. The scholarship recipients presented their research aspirations in front of faculty and Syensqo researchers, expressing their determination to grow into global leaders in the future science and technology fields.
From left: Cho William, Vice President for Research; Seo Young-hoon, CEO of Syensqo Korea.
Cho William, Vice President for Research at Ewha Womans University, stated, “This technology exchange is a meaningful occasion to share the future vision of hydrogen technologies and to reaffirm the strategic partnership between Ewha and Syensqo that has continued for over a decade,” adding, “We hope this will serve as a turning point for realizing the common good of humanity and contributing to solving the climate crisis through innovation in the R&D paradigm.” Seo Young-hoon, CEO of Syensqo Korea, who co-hosted the event, also remarked, “The trust we have built with Ewha over the past decade has laid the foundation for us to establish ourselves as innovation partners,” adding, “Through collaboration with IMMS and the Brain Link program, we will strive to support research infrastructure that enables solutions to the climate crisis and fosters outstanding female talent to grow into global leaders.”
Celebrating its 140th anniversary this year, Ewha Womans University plans to further expand global collaborative research centered on large-scale national projects such as national research laboratories, thereby strengthening its position as a research-oriented university. At the same time, it will continue to discover and nurture outstanding researchers in advanced fields in partnership with global research collaborators such as Syensqo.