GUGC Connect Tuesday, 25 August 2026 GUGC Schedule • AY 2026-2027 First Semester Timetable: Click here to download • AY 2026-2027 Re-enrolment Period: 6/29 - 8/30, Late Enrolment Period: 8/31 - 9/14 • Club Fair: 8/26, 12:00 - 13:30, 1st Floor Lobby 2026 Fall Commencement and Matriculation
On August 21 at 10:00 a.m., the 2026 Fall Commencement and Matriculation Ceremony was held at the IGC Auditorium. This year, 56 graduates received their degrees. Graduates are set to continue their studies at leading international universities or begin their careers in various fields. At the same time, GUGC welcomed its new students, marking the beginning of a new academic journey and further strengthening its community. The ceremony included welcoming and congratulatory remarks, the conferral of degrees, speeches by graduate and new student representatives, and the GUGC Badge Ceremony for incoming students. A special congratulatory performance by renowned Korean singer Gummy added to the celebration, followed by the traditional graduation cap toss and a group photo session. During the ceremony, the Rector of Ghent University and the Campus President of GUGC shared inspiring messages with the graduates and new students: “Dare to use what you learn to make a difference. Dare to question. Dare to think.” — Rector of Ghent University “Learn to question. Learn to listen. Learn to fail without losing courage, and to succeed without losing humility.” — Campus President of Ghent University Global Campus The event was widely covered by the media, and more details can be found through the provided link.
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More photos of 2026 Fall Commencement & Matriculation Ceremony
New Student Representative & Graduate Representatives New student representative Juha Park reflected on the different journeys that brought the incoming class to Ghent University and shared her aspirations as they begin this new chapter together. Juha Park (New Student) New student representative Juha Park reflected on the different journeys that brought the incoming class to Ghent University and shared her aspirations as they begin this new chapter together. Jaehyun Koo (Class of 2026, Environmental Technology) Graduate representative Jaehyun Koo from the Environmental Technology program, who is currently preparing to launch his own venture while continuing his research, recently received a Spotlight recognition for his first-author paper at an ICML workshop and plans to prepare two additional papers by the end of this year. In his speech, he reflected on the importance of critical thinking and asking the right questions in the age of AI. Yeryeong Kim (Class of 2026, Food Technology) Graduate representative Yeryeong Kim from the Food Technology program gained extensive research experience throughout her undergraduate studies while also becoming interested in how her scientific background could be translated into real-world food products. While considering both research and industry as potential career paths, she decided to gain firsthand industry experience before pursuing graduate studies abroad. She will begin her professional career in MD/Product Planning at a food company. Eunseo Kim (Class of 2026, Molecular Biotechnology) Graduate representative Eunseo Kim from the Molecular Biotechnology program, who is currently working as a research intern at Seoul National University’s School of Biological Sciences, reflected on how her experiences at GUGC and UGent shaped her passion for research and prepared her for the next chapter.
Education & Student Activity Student Council Completion Ceremony
On August 10, the 2025–2026 Student Council held its completion ceremony with the Campus President. The Student Council members and the Campus President shared a conversation reflecting on their experiences throughout the year and their journey in leading the Student Council. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of certificates in recognition of their contributions and dedication. Well done to all our Student Council members!
Research Activities RC4_BlendSplice: Generating realistic synthetic splice site DNA sequences Espoir Kabanga from RC4 has published BlendSplice in the Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. The framework combines generative models (GANs, VAEs, diffusion) with a frequency blending step applied after training, and is evaluated on splice site sequences from human, Arabidopsis, and zebrafish genomes. Click here to find out more.
External Relations and Outreach RC1_Participation in the 2026 International Conference of the Korean Society for Plant Biotechnology Prof. Hoo Sun Chung, Prof. Dong Hye Seo, and several RC1 lab members participated in the 2026 International Conference of the Korean Society for Plant Biotechnology (KSPBT) held from August 12 to 14, at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju. The conference provided an opportunity to share recent research in plant biotechnology, exchange ideas with researchers, and strengthen academic networks. This year’s participation was particularly meaningful as five undergraduate students joined through the 꿈나무 육성 프로그램 (Young Researchers Development Program), gaining first-hand experience at an academic conference and engaging with researchers in the field. Two BA3 students, Jeonghyun Park and Yeieun Kim, presented posters titled “Conserved Subcellular Localization and Function of Selaginella moellendorffii CTR1 in Ethylene Signaling” and “Investigating Functional Conservation and Subcellular Localization of Ceratopteris richardii CTR1 in the Arabidopsis Ethylene Signaling Pathway”, respectively. Both students received awards for excellence in poster presentation, recognizing the quality of their research and communication. Beyond the academic activities, we also had the opportunity to strengthen our relationships and experience the local cuisine of Gwangju at a famous yuk-jeon restaurant. Overall, the KSPBT conference was a valuable experience for both researchers and students, allowing us to broaden our research perspectives, exchange ideas with researchers from different institutes, and gain new motivation for our ongoing research. Click here to find out more about the conference.
External Relations & Outreach RC2_2026 KoSFoST International Symposium and Annual Meeting Food Science as a Translational Hub: Bridging Bioresources, Biotechnology, and Human Health
The conference was held from July 1–3, 2026, at the Daejeon Convention Center. PhD students Ogunsile Abiodun Sunday, Reyhaneh Ebrahimi Jouzdani, Yan Fang, Mahdieh Melika Nadali, and Maria Sandra Renee C. Tapia, under the supervision of Prof. Mahta Mirzaei, presented their research work through poster and oral presentations. Maria Sandra Renee C. Tapia received the third-place prize for her oral presentation.
RC4_Joint Research Seminar with Soongsil University In June, the Center for Biosystems and Biotech Data Science hosted a joint research seminar at Ghent University Global Campus with the Distributed Intelligence Lab at Soongsil University, led by Prof. David Choi. The seminar brought together researchers from both institutions to exchange ideas and present ongoing doctoral research on a wide range of AI-related topics, including federated machine learning, surgical video analysis, anomaly detection, 3D anatomy reconstruction, and computational drug discovery. The program also featured a demonstration of agentic AI for biomedical image segmentation. The seminar concluded with an informal dinner, providing further opportunities for discussion and strengthening connections between the two research groups.
Campus President’s External Engagements International Seminar Held on "Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, Flyway Conservation & Climate Resilience"
On July 14, Ghent University Global Campus and Marine@UGent Korea hosted an international seminar in Incheon to discuss coastal wetland ecosystems, flyway protection, and climate resilience with global scholars. Marking the 20th anniversary of the EAAFP, the event featured expert presentations from 13 countries aimed at finding nature-based solutions to the global climate crisis. Campus President Taejun Han presented on "Diatom Functional Integrity Assessment (DFIA) for Marine Ecosystem Monitoring," introducing a diatom-based approach to evaluating the health of marine ecosystems. Building on this seminar, the institutions plan to expand international joint research and partnerships, carrying the outcomes forward to the EAAFP Scientific Symposium in China this November.
GUGC–Korea Food Industry Cluster Promotion Agency Sign an MOU to Discover Future Food Materials On July 20, Ghent University Global Campus and the Korea Food Industry Cluster Promotion Agency signed an MOU to establish a global industry-academia-research collaboration model for advancing food technology and discovering future food materials. Through this partnership, both institutions will actively engage in joint R&D, the commercialization of functional food resources, facility sharing, and talent cultivation across the global food industry. By combining European-style research capabilities in life sciences with Korea's food industry expertise, they aim to develop sustainable and innovative food-tech materials such as K-seaweed products.
Interview with Incheon Ilbo On July 21, Campus President Taejun Han conducted a press interview at the request of reporter Joon-ki Hong from the Incheon Ilbo. During this interview, President Han engaged in an in-depth conversation regarding the establishment of graduate school which was an official agenda item at the recent Korea-Belgium summit, and story of GUGC from its establishment to the present, and its future vision. Detailed contents of the article can be found through the link.
GUGC – Kyungpook National University College of Pharmacy, Cooperation for Joint Research and Talent Cultivation On the 12th, GUGC and Kyungpook National University College of Pharmacy signed an MOU to collaborate on joint research and talent cultivation in life sciences and pharmacy. Following the agreement, the two institutions held a joint international symposium to actively share the latest academic achievements in AI-based inter-university research. This partnership establishes a continuous, future-oriented cooperative system designed to generate practical synergy between the two universities.
Faculty/Staff Updates GUGC Faculty and Staff News New Team Members – July & August 2026 • Ms. Sumi Choi joined as a Finance Senior Manager on July 13 • Mr. Ibad Ali Khan joined RC3 as a research assistant on August 1 • Ms. Dahye Song joined RC5 as a postdoctoral researcher on August 10
Resignation – July & August 2026 • Mr. Thijs Van Gerrewey left RC1 as of July 31 • Mr. Hanumant Shekhawat left RC4 as of July 31 • Ms. Seowoo Kim left RC1 as of August 18 • Ms. Kimberly Gongora will leave RC2 as of August 31 • Mr. Utku Ozbulak will leave RC4 as of August 31