January 24, 2008 —
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Y.H. Cho
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On December 15, USC Provost C. L. “Max” Nikias signed an affiliation agreement between the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the newly established Korean Air / General Electric Research Institute for International Collaboration (KAGERIIC).
The research institute, sponsored jointly be Korean Air and General Electric, will allow Viterbi School faculty to collaborate with colleagues at Korea Aerospace University (KAU) in Seoul, Inha University in Incheon and with the two companies to conduct research on topics of interest to the Institute. Funding for the institute could amount to up to $5 million over the next 10 years.
“We are very pleased that our faculty will have these new opportunities to collaborate with colleagues overseas and with corporate giants such as Korean Air and GE. They are major industrial partners who are global leaders in their respective fields,” said Viterbi School Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. He noted that the Viterbi School has previous experience with research projects involving KAU and Inha and said the KAGERIIC partnership will further strengthen those ties. “Research that spans the Pacific Rim has a global impact and helps us train a new generation of top quality globally-minded engineers. ”
Y.H. Cho, who is a USC Trustee, is chairman of Korean Air and under his leadership, it has grown to one of the world’s premier airlines. GE traces its founding to Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb. The company has developed into one of the world’s preeminent diversified technology, multimedia and financial service companies, and is also a global leader in research and innovation.
