Korea Institute of Science and Technology
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), known as Hanguk Kwahakweon in Korean, was one of the first modern research institutes in the developing world dedicated to industrial technology; it became a model for similar institutes in other developing countries, especially in Southeast Asia. The KIST was established in Seoul, South Korea, with a U.S. seed grant, at the behest of the South Korean president Park Chung Hee (1917–1979) and was organized to assist the nation's export drive. It has at least formal administrative independence and has conducted its work for both South Korean businesses and state-run laboratories on a contract basis.
Through the 1970s, the institute was Korea's most important research and development center and performed various industrial engineering projects under the direction of the ministry of science and technology. By the late 1980s, KIST was eclipsed by newer state-led laboratories such as the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, and by corporate research and development, especially in electronics. Accordingly, KIST shifted to a supporting role in triad partnerships (corporate, academic, and government laboratories) or carried out specialized contract work for corporate clients. However, it was able to maintain a measure of political and research importance by playing a leadership role in the state's highprofile Group of 7 (G-7: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States) industrial research projects, which were intended to elevate Korean technological advancement to the level of the most advanced industrial countries during the 1990s.
In 1981, KIST merged with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science (KAIS), a science and engineering graduate school established in 1971, to form the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Both institutes moved their major facilities from Seoul to the Daedok Science Town near Taejon. KIST was split off from KAIST in 1989 to resume its strictly research role.
Further Reading
Choi, Hyung Sup. (1986) Technology Development in Developing Countries. Tokyo: Asian Productivity Organization.
Hahm, Sung Deuk, and L. Christopher Plein. (1997) After Development: The Transformation of the Korean Presidency and Bureaucracy. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Hillebrand, Wolfgang. (1996) Shaping Competitive Advantages: Conceptual Framework and the Korean Approach. London: Frank Cass & Co.
Kim, Linsu. (1997) Imitation to Innovation: The Dynamics of Korea's Technological Learning. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Ungson, Gerardo, Richard M. Steers, and Seung-Ho Park. (1997) Korean Enterprise: The Quest for Globalization. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
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