Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has a well-established Visiting Student Researcher Program. FEIT students may choose to attend a 3-month research program over the Australian Summer holiday period (late November – late February). Attending students will join an existing project at KAIST and undertake several months of research experience, with the intention that this also contribute academic credit towards their degree at the University of Melbourne.

Officially known as "KAIST" since 2008, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology was established in 1971 as Korea's first graduate school specializing in science, engineering, education and research. The Institute's founding was a catalyst for Korea's rapid rise from a producer of light industry goods to a world leader in high-technology industries. KAIST is one of the best science and technology institutions in Asia and worldwide and is surrounded by over 200 research institutes.

  • Applicants should:

    • Be enrolled in an FEIT-owned graduate degree (such as Master of Information Technology, Master of Information Systems, or any of the Master of Engineering degrees)
    • Have a WAM of 70 or higher (unless a waiver has been approved by your potential supervisor at KAIST)
    • Confirm with your department at UniMelb that this program will contribute academic credit (see Academic Credit below)

    Application Steps:

    • Secure a supervisor at KAIST
    • Confirm with your department how the proposed will contribute credit to your degree
    • Get this confirmation in writing / email form
    • Apply to UniMelb
    • If approved, complete KAIST application.

  • The following options have been confirmed as avenues for using this program as academic credit towards your degree. Please note: You must still have your project approved by the relevant University of Melbourne subject coordinator, as some assessment components will need to be completed upon your return in order for credit to be awarded.

    • Biomedical Engineering - BMEN90041 Biomedical Eng Summer Research Project
    • Chemical Engineering – CHEN90030 Chemical Engineering Minor Thesis
    • Electrical Engineering - ELEN90011 Directed Studies
    • Mechanical Engineering - ENGR90043 Mech Eng Summer Research Project

    If your degree is not listed above, you should discuss with your capstone coordinator or course coordinator to determine if/how this program can contribute to your degree. You must have this confirmed in writing prior to applying for this program as we can only nominate students who will be receiving academic credit for this program.

    Please note: If the approved subject is an elective, you must ensure that you have space in your study plan for this elective to be credited.

  • The suggested commencement date is just soon after the Semester 2 exam period.

    In order for a project to meet credit requirements at Melbourne, you should plan to take at least 10 weeks (allowing for any lab closure due to public holiday periods), so you should expect to be away from Late November until Late February.

  • KAIST will provide supporting documents required to apply for the D-2-5 (Research Study) visa.

  • FEIT provides $1500 in funding for students attending short-term research programs. Please refer to the FEIT Exchange Scholarships Website for further details.

  • Insurance: Students travelling on university-approved programs are eligible for cover under the university travel insurance. You should ensure that you register for this. More details are available on the university Travel Insurance website.

    KAIST may also direct you to appropriate student health cover if required.

  • Please note: KAIST is currently experiencing an accommodation shortage, and cannot guarantee that this will be resolved by the end of 2025. Please be prepared to seek private accommodation if planning to visit KAIST at the end of 2025/start of 2026.

  • KAIST recommends budgeting KRW 650,000 ($700 - $750 AUD) to live in Korea for a month as a student.

    Please also bear in mind that in 2025 - 2026 you should also budget for off-campus accommodation in case KAIST is unable to provide this in their current accommodation shortage.

  • Identifying a potential supervisor

    Search the KAIST departmental websites and identify professors whose areas of expertise align with your research interests. Once you are sure that you have found an appropriate potential supervisor, email them with a request for supervision.

    Most professors are happy to receive emails in English from foreign students looking for research experience. Please approach them early, as many supervisors are quite busy. You will make a better impression if you show yourself to be organised in applying early.

    Approaching a potential supervisor

    Make your subject line clear and specific (for example “Request for consideration of supervision/lab placement in <date period>”.

    Address the email appropriately – check whether your potential supervisor should be addressed as Professor or Doctor.

    Introduce yourself and your areas of research interest, noting how these align with the work of the individual professor you are approaching. Demonstrate that you have done your research on the person or team that you’re contacting (eg looked at their website and/or other work) and are interested in these topics.

    Discuss any experience you have in this area, your enthusiasm for the field, or any other things that will help them to determine whether you will be a good addition to their team.

    Be prepared to provide your transcript or other evidence that you will be an asset to their lab. Appropriate documentation might include:

    • C.V.
    • Academic Transcript
    • Statement of Interest in their preferred project/s
    • Letter of reference if you know an academic member of staff at UniMelb (or other suitable person) who would be willing to endorse your skills and work ethic

    Sign off in a professional manner.

    Things to make sure you have confirmed with the supervisor prior to applying to Melbourne:

    • Dates of your program
    • Details of your project
    • Any potential Intellectual Property (IP) issues. Confirm with the professor that you will be able to use your research and data for use in any assessment components required by your department for this experience to contribute credit, and please confirm this with them again prior to return to Melbourne. If they require signing of confidentiality documents by UniMelb assessing staff, please discuss this with your coordinator at Melbourne.

    • Secure a supervisor at KAIST
    • Confirm with your department how the proposed project will contribute credit to your degree
    • Get this confirmation in writing / email form
    • Apply to UniMelb
    • If approved, complete KAIST application.

  • Start planning early, as you will need to secure a supervisor at KAIST and make sure your program is approved by your department before applying to UniMelb. Successful applicants will then be asked to complete the KAIST application form.

    • Start reaching out to KAIST professors as early as possible. See “Approaching a potential supervisor” for advice on how to do this
    • Apply to UniMelb: Sunday 24 August
    • Outcomes provided to students: Week commencing Monday 11 August
    • If nominated, complete KAIST application: by end August (3 months prior to departure)

    Program Commences: Late November 2024 (after the UniMelb examination period concludes

  • Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this opportunity, please contact engit-exchange@unimelb.edu.au.

This program is not currently accepting applications. Please check back in early Semester 2, 2026.

Please do not complete the KAIST Visiting Student Researcher Program application form. You should wait until internal selection has been run. The University of Melbourne’s Global Learning team or the FEIT Global Mobility Coordinator will confirm with nominees when they should go ahead.