● S-OIL offers 275 million won in fellowships to ten young scientists in the categories of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Earth Science.
- It granted 40 million won each to grand prize winners and 15 million won each to excellence prize winners.
- S-OIL supports to develop basic science and to join hands in Korea producing Nobel laureates in the future.
The S-OIL Science Prodigy and Culture Foundation (SSPCF, President Oh Myung), a non-profit foundation established by S-OIL (CEO Othman Al-Ghamdi), held a ceremony for the “6th Dissertation of the Year Awards” at the head office of S-OIL in Gongdeok-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul on Nov. 29 and gave 275 million won in fellowships to ten young award winners in the categories of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Earth Science.
Ph.D. Ok Ji-hoon from the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (Mathematics), Ph.D. Shin Dong-myeong from Pusan National University (Physics), Ph.D. Shin Hye-young from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Chemistry), Ph.D. Shin Hee-jae from Seoul National University (Biology) and Kim Min-joong from Seoul National University (Earth Science) were awarded grand prizes and received 40 million won each in fellowships. In addition, excellence prizes went to Ph.D. Park Hyung-seok (Yonsei University, Chemistry), Kim Joon-yeon (Seoul National University, Physics), Sung Joo-young (Yonsei University, Chemistry), Im Jae-seok (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Biology) and Hong Ja-young (Korea Polar Research Institute, Earth Science) who each received a fellowship of 15 million won.
S-OIL supports young scientists who dedicate themselves to research stably
“These young scientists who gained worldwide recognition for publishing excellent dissertations in basic science fields with academic passion and perseverance are the force that will propel the nation forward,” said S-OIL CEO Othman Al-Ghamdi who participated in the ceremony. “Our company will continue to make active efforts to support those scientists so that they can dedicate themselves fully to research under stability.”
“I’m extremely pleased that my dedication to research into catalysts based on theoretical chemistry seems like having finally paid off by being awarded such a big prize at the S-OIL Dissertation of the Year Awards,” said Shin Hye-young, who won a grand prize in the category of chemistry. “I will continuously give myself to research on the catalyst design that comprehensively takes into account other variants in the catalyst system.”
The S-OIL Dissertation of the Year Awards was established in 2011 in order to foster academic research in the five basic sciences ? Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, and Earth Science. The SSPCF selects the best researchers on the recommendation of the Korea Academy of Science and Technology and the Korean University Presidents Association and it offers them fellowships.
Until last year, the refiner had divided research fields into two groups and conferred awards alternately every year (odd years: Physics and Chemistry; even years: Mathematics, Earth Science, and Biology).
Starting this year, however, it selected award winners in all five fields and increased fellowships. This is part of its effort to lay the foundation for the development of Korea’s science research by encouraging young scientists who devote themselves tirelessly to basic science research and to join hands in Korea producing Nobel laureates in the future.
S-OIL founded the independent foundation, SSPCF, to support basic science research, which is a rare case for a private enterprise. In addition to the Dissertation of the Year Awards, the SSPCF runs various programs to support research in the science fields and to cultivate talented scientists, e.g. through the S-OIL Frontier Scientist Fellowship, the support of a science prodigy academy, and the transfer of technology to scientists of developing countries.
