As Korea’s first design department to be established in a science and engineering education institute, which occurred in 1986, ID KAIST (the Department of Industrial Design of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) is a successful model of a systematic approach to design education, research, and commercial collaboration. ID KAIST leads a new paradigm of design-centric creative convergence with outstanding and enthusiastic students and professors from interdisciplinary backgrounds. Focusing on humans, technology, and business for the past 25 years, ID KAIST has been recognized as being among the top 30 design schools in the world. Over the next 15 years, we will pursue design-driven convergence between education and research to establish a world-leading design school with a new paradigm of design and the human life. Despite ID KAIST’s small size and short history of less than 30 years, its graduates and research outcomes are acknowledged as being world-class. The department was selected by BusinessWeek as one of the world’s top 30 design universities in 2009. ID KAIST’s designs also sweep up numerous international design awards at prestigious competitions such as IF, IDEA, and Red Dot. The department has also been recognized as the top program in the country for six years by BK21 (Brain Korea 21), a funding program that supports top Korean research-centered universities and initiatives. ID KAIST also continues to produce excellent publications in the field of international multidisciplinary research.
