KAI Chairman Kim Jong-chul: "Create an ecosystem that draws young people into aerospace" ... Aerospace Thesis Award contest

[Financial News] Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said it will significantly expand support for its thesis contest to discover key research talent that will lead the future aerospace industry and broaden the academic base. The move is intended to lay the groundwork in advance for an advanced aerospace R&D ecosystem, including Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) systems and Future Aircraft, as the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) opens and the New Space era begins.
KAI said on the 27th that it had launched applications for the 24th Aerospace Thesis Award contest, with sponsorship from KASA, the Korea Aerospace Industry Promotion Association, and The Korean Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences.
This year's contest increased total prize money by 10 million won from a year earlier to 38 million won in order to encourage research activity. The top prizes, the KASA Chairman's Award and the KAI CEO Award, will each be worth 10 million won, up 5 million won from last year, and two excellence awards will each carry 5 million won. The lead author of the winning papers will also receive a waiver from the document screening stage when applying for future open recruitment at KAI.
Eligible participants are all undergraduate and graduate students in Korea who are interested in aerospace. The contest covers five fields: mechanical engineering, materials and processes, electronics and electrical engineering, software, and policy and management. Research topics will focus on KAI's priority projects, including MUM-T, next-generation platforms such as fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and commercial aircraft, space solutions, AAV, and future software.
Papers will be accepted through KAI's recruitment website until Sept. 24. To ensure expertise and fairness in the judging process, KAI and The Korean Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences will conduct a joint review. Winners will be announced in early November, and the awards ceremony is scheduled for late November.
Kim Jong-chul, president of KAI, said, "The aerospace industry is a core future industry with limitless growth potential and a measure of national competitiveness, so nurturing related talent is essential." He added, "We will continue to support the creation of an industrial ecosystem so that outstanding young talent can actively flow into the aerospace field."

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