Incheon National University Professor, also former Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-Water) CEO Choi Gyewoon visited IWHR on August 3, 2016, met IWHR President Kuang Shangfu who also gave the guest an appointment certificate as IWHR honorary professor, and lectured at the institute's Global Vision Forum that features world-renown scholars.
During the meeting, Dr. Kuang reviewed the existing communication and cooperation between IWHR and Prof. Choi, and thanked him for accepting the invitation to become one of the honorary professors of the institute. He said Prof. Choi had made great accomplishment in hydraulics, water and wastewater engineering, and smart water network that coincide with many of IWHR's research fields, and he thus looked forward to more cooperation with Prof. Choi in the future to share advanced concepts, methods and research results as well as to promote bilateral, regional and also international cooperation in related fields.
Dr. Kuang also briefed Prof. Choi on the strategic planning for the next five years in human resources, research disciplines, research platform, infrastructure, informatization and enterprises. He hoped Prof. Choi, now one of the honorary professors of IWHR, could contribute to the future development of the institute.
Prof. Choi thanked Dr. Kuang for the hospitality he had received, and said he was honored to become an honorary professor of IWHR. As the former K-Water CEO and former president of Asia Water Council, he pointed out it was the responsibility of IWHR and K-Water to become the leaders in water sector, bring into play of platforms such as Asia Water Council, enhance communication and cooperation among Asian countries, and address the water challenges facing Asia and the whole world.
After the meeting, Prof. Choi gave a lecture on Asian Water Collaboration and Experience at IWHR's Global Vision Forum, a platform to which world-renown scholars are invited to report on their research and insights. A variety of topics were covered in his lecture, including the impact of climate change on water environment, the major water challenges facing Asia, the fundamental direction and area for water cooperation in Asia, the institutional structure and operation of Asia Water Council, and his experience as the CEO of K-Water, etc.
The lecture was followed by a question-and-answer session, in which topics were discussed on the coordination among international water-related organizations, the role of international financing institutions, and current situation and challenges of water infrastructure in Korea, and the commercialization of research accomplishments.
