NSU Student Participates in International Youth Forum in the Republic of Korea

At the beginning of July 2026, the 2026 Young Generation Forum took place in the Republic of Korea — an international conference for young researchers and engineers, organized by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST). Among the forum participants was Grigory Kim, a second-year student of the Physics Faculty of Novosibirsk State University.

KOFST is the largest scientific and technical organization in the Republic of Korea, founded in 1966. In 2026, the federation celebrated its 60th anniversary. Today, it unites 604 member organizations, including 407 academic societies, 114 public research institutes, and 83 private companies, among which are Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. The federation’s budget for supporting academic activities in 2025 amounted to 73.3 billion won (about 3.5 billion rubles).

— I believe in resonance. Instead of moving quickly alone, we will go far together. Science advances not through the speed of one, but through the chorus of many — and it is in this chorus that the next sixty years of KOFST will be created., — emphasized President of KOFST Oh Nam-kwon in her address to the participants.

The YGF Youth Forum became part of a larger event — the World Korean Scientists and Engineers Conference (WCKSE), held under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea and KOFST. The overall theme of the congress — “A new paradigm of cooperation in the field of science and technology in the era of global artificial intelligence”. The entire work of the forum was centered around integrating AI into fundamental research, engineering, and the creation of digital twins of the physical world.

The central event of the congress was the award ceremony Korea’s Top Scientist and Engineer Award — the highest state award in the field of science, presented by the president of the country. The 2026 laureate was Professor Jeong Jin-woo from Yonsei University for groundbreaking research in nanomagnetogenetics. Grigory Kim noted that the ceremony resembled “almost the Oscars, but for scientists.”

The selection of participants for the youth forum was conducted on a competitive basis. Grigory said that his candidacy remained in the KOFST databases after he had previously considered enrolling in a Korean university:

— When preparations for the forum began, a letter-invitation to participate in the competitive selection was sent out to potential participants. I submitted my application based on my own scientific research and course projects that I had managed to defend during my studies at NSU. Subsequently, I successfully passed the selection.

The forum was attended by 54 young researchers from 18 countries, including the USA, Germany, France, Finland, Canada, Australia, Singapore, as well as Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The participants worked in groups according to scientific disciplines, discussed current topics, and presented their results.

The main trend highlighted at the conference is the shift from classical computational simulations to Physical AI (physical artificial intelligence). As part of the fundamental session, Professor Won Yoonjin (University of California, Irvine) presented a report on accelerating physical discoveries using AI and the technological foundation of digital twins. The engineering session included a presentation by Kim Byongsoo (Senior Software Engineer at NVIDIA) on the topic “Digital Twins for the Physical AI Era: Intellectualization of the Real World through Virtual Environments.”

Grigory Kim noted that these reports are particularly valuable for their practical application beyond the usual data analysis:

— AI is beginning to be used for direct real-time prediction of physical processes. For fields related to modeling, such as optics and electrodynamics, this means that neural networks can approximate complex solutions to differential equations, critically reducing computational load.

The insight for the student was the understanding that “Physical AI is no longer just a buzzword, but a working standard for future R&D. Programming physical processes without using at least basic ML optimizations will soon become inefficient.”.

Participants got acquainted with applied projects by Korean scientists. One of the presented works was devoted to creating robots capable of moving on water—the researchers transferred insect mechanics onto robotic platforms. Another project dealt with variable-diameter wheels based on the origami principle for use on Mars rovers and lunar rovers.

As part of the excursion program, Grigory, together with a group of engineers, visited the largest engineering university in Korea, where they toured the materials research institute equipped with modern facilities. There was also a visit to the nuclear institute, where issues of green energy and the use of AI for safety optimization were discussed. The cultural program included learning about the history of Korea, visiting the National Museum, and participating in traditional events.

One of Grigory’s important observations was the model of interaction between the state, science, and business, which in Korea is called the ‘triple helix’:

• The state sets the development vector and funds fundamental science.
• Science (universities and institutes) fulfills government orders, cultivates startups, and is oriented towards practical application.
• Business turns ideas into products, acts as a customer, and molds its own personnel.

Grigory also shared the idea of holding a similar forum in Russia, in Akademgorodok:

— At NSU, in Akademgorodok, there has always been and still is a need to create open innovations, and the concentration of institutes and opportunities here is higher. A similar event can be held with us. I am confident that this will become yet another global scientific event.

Participation in the forum became an important stage of professional development for the NSU student. The trip allowed not only to get acquainted with advanced scientific trends — from Physical AI to digital twins, but also to establish international contacts with young researchers from Europe, North America, and Asia. The exchange of experience with colleagues from different countries, discussions about the future of science and engineering gave a new impetus for their own research and understanding of how global science is developing today.

Such visits to international platforms confirm: science knows no borders, and collaboration between countries and generations is not just words, but a real tool for creating innovations. Grigory plans to use the ideas and contacts gained in his studies and work, as well as to pass on his experience to NSU students — so that they too can see the horizons that modern science opens.