Sir Konstantin S. Novoselov, Professor of the University of Manchester in the UK and Nobel Laureate in Physics 2010, visited UNIST to deliver a special lecture, as part of the Global Leader Special Lecture series. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 was awarded to Professor Novoselov, jointly with Professor Andre Geim for their work on graphene – a new wonder material of the future.

At the seminar, held on the 9th of May, Professor Novoselov shared the current trends and future research directions related to two-dimensional materials beyond graphene under the theme of Materials for the Future. Researchers from related departments, such as Chemistry, Energy Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering also attended the seminar to conduct related discussions.

A public lecture was also held on May 10 under the theme of Path for Discovery. More than 200 participants, including UNIST students and high school students from Ulsan Science High School, Korea Science Academy of KAIST, and Daegu Science High School, attended the lecture to hear the secrets to solving problems and finding new topics from a Nobel Laureate.

The Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Konstantin S. Novoselov delivered a special lecture at UNIST on May 10, 2022. l Image Credit: Kyoungchae Kim

During the lecture, Professor Novoselov shared an anecdote about how he and Professor Gaim succeeded in extracting a graphene layer from a pencil lead, using only adhesive tape. He, then, emphasized ‘Creative Thinking’ — that is to try different ways with new ideas even if it seems a little silly. “The human brain creates new neural pathways in a particular way, thus different energy is required to bring out something new,” says Professor Novoslov. “Therefore, it is necessary to give our brain different powers to think outside of its existing pathways.”

Professor Novoselov, then, introduced a series of drawings and illustrations that he has been working on steadily and said how interacting with other areas enhances creativity. He added, “Arts and science are similar in that they both explore new ideas and with that, they often try to break the existing boundaries.” Click HERE to view paintings by Professor Novoselov.

Meanwhile, Professor Novoselov has a deep connection with UNIST. He visited UNIST for the first time in August 2010 to attend a symposium on graphene. After being awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, he visited UNIST for the second time in April 2011 and served as honorary director of the IBS Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials at UNIST. In September 2016, he visited UNIST for the third time and carried out joint research projects with UNIST researchers, while serving as a Distinguished Professor for a two-year term. He is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at UNIST and plans to carry out related research and extension activities by 2025.

High school students took a group photo with the Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Konstantin S. Novoselov after the meeting. l Image Credit: Kyoungchae Kim

UNIST students also took a group photo with the Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Konstantin S. Novoselov after the meeting. l Image Credit: Kyoungchae Kim