Campus & community, Research, Technology & engineering, Politics & society, Campus news

Chancellor Birgeneau visits South Korea on Asia trip

By Kathleen Maclay

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and campus faculty experts are on a swing through Asia this week for educational forums on cybersecurity and biotechnology.

On the first leg of the trip, Birgeneau today (Tuesday, Nov. 8) signed in at South Korea’s National Assembly Building, site of a Berkeley Seoul Cybersecurity Forum, where he later delivered the keynote address. UC Berkeley experts in computer science, law and engineering participated in the forum.

Chancellor Birgeneau addresses the Berkeley Seoul Cybersecurity Forum, while alumnus Kenneth B. Lee listens. Photo courtesy of UC Berkeley University Relations.

Earlier in the day, the chancellor was the keynote speaker at the plenary session of a symposium held at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Seoul, the capital of what is considered the most wired country in the world.

Birgeneau’s next stop will be Japan, where he will meet in Tokyo with UC Berkeley alumni before heading to China for a Berkeley Shanghai Biotech Forum at the Peninsula Shanghai Hotel on Saturday (Nov. 12).

Key UC Berkeley faculty members will discuss their work at the biotech forum on topics such as investments, risk, intellectual property, health care, synthetic biology and the global market for exoskeletons.

During the Asia trip, the chancellor also is meeting with educators and with business and other leaders in South Korea, Japan and China.