2025 Keynote Speaker
Prof. Kwang Leong Choy
Duke Kunshan University, China
Kwang Leong Choy [D.Phil. (Oxon), DSc] is the Professor of Materials Science at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). Prior to this, she was a Professor of Materials Discovery and the founding Director of the UCL Institute for Materials Discovery at University College London (UCL). She also held a Chair in Materials, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham (2002-2014), where she was the Research Director of the University Innovation Centre and University’s Knowledge Exchange Board. Professor Choy earned her D.Phil. in Materials Science from the University of Oxford, where she was awarded the Hetherington Prize and Oxford Metallurgical Society Award. Additionally, she has received accolades such as the Grunfeld Medal Prize and Kroll Medal & Prize. She has been awarded the Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals (FIMMM) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). She has authored over 300 publications, including 4 books and 20 patents, given over 150 keynote papers/invited lectures and conference session Chairman. She also helped to establish two university spin-out companies. Her expertise has been recognized through Guest Professorships at the University of Uppsala (2001/03), Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE, 2010/2012), and a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Visiting Professorship for Senior International Scientist (2011/2013). She is leading a multidisciplinary research team and collaborating closely with material engineers, chemists, physicists, bioengineers, nanobiotechnologists, and engineers to create new opportunities in materials creation, discovery and utilization. Her team focuses on developing high-performance, eco-friendly, and cost-effective processes for the production of new nanostructured materials, nanocomposites, thin films, and coatings. These materials find applications in various fields, including solar cells, clean energy generation, energy storage, electrical systems, optoelectronics, environmental sustainability, healthcare, and biomedicine. Professor Choy has successfully obtained and managed numerous multimillion-pound national and European flagship research programs, fostering extensive collaboration between academia and industry. In addition, she has established state-of-the-art nanomaterials, innovative thin/thick film processing, and characterization facilities, representing a significant investment in cutting-edge infrastructure.
Prof. Soon Hyung Hong
The Korean Academy of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea
Prof. Hong completed his Ph.D. in
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering at
Northwestern University in 1984. After R&D experience at
Stanford University as a research associate, he joined
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST) as a professor in 1986, where he is directing
research and education on design, fabrication processes
and applications of composites and nanocomposites. Prof.
Hong pioneered to develop global leading technologies
for fabrication processes and applications of
nanomaterials filled multi-functional nanocomposites.
Prof. Hong has published 263 international journal
papers, registered or filed 158 patents, delivered 72
keynote or invited talks mainly in areas of
nanomaterials and nanocomposites.
Prof. Hong had served as a Managing Director of the
Office of Strategic R&D Planning (OSP) in the Ministry
of Knowledge Economy (MKE), Director for Basic Science
and Engineering in National Research Foundation (NRF) of
Korea, Presidents of the Korea Society for Composite
Materials (KSCM) and the Korean Powder Metallurgy
Institute (KPMI). He currently is acting as the
President of SAMPE Korea and the Vice President of the
Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST).