SEOUL -- On July 8, Hanyang University’s Digital Healthcare Center signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, to jointly develop research proposals to fund international collaborative research.

Through this agreement, the two organizations mutually agree to proceed with discussions on possible international collaborative research, including creating a research plan and jointly developing proposals to secure funding for collaborative research between Cambridge and Korea, matching research teams for collaborative research at the MIT Media Lab, providing space for joint research teams and fostering talented master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral researchers.

A signing ceremony was held at the MIT Media Lab, attended by Media Lab Director Dava Newman, Hanyang University Professor Hyungsook Kim, Media Lab Professor Rosalind Picard, Hanyang University Kyungsik Han, and UNIST Young-Woo Park.

Professor Dava Newman, the Director of the MIT Media Lab, is a prominent aerospace engineer and former NASA Deputy Administrator. She is renowned for her research in advanced space suit design as well as her contributions to human spaceflight and exploration.

Professor Rosalind Picard, who leads the Affective Computing research group at MIT Media Lab, is the founder of the field of Affective Computing. She and her research team explore technologies and wearable devices that recognize and respond to human emotional expression.

Professor Hyungsook Kim, directs the Digital Healthcare Center at Hanyang University. She focuses on developing digital healthcare technologies and educational content, as well as improving mental health care and wellness through innovative digital solutions.

“We envision collaborative exploration that brings together the innovative Affective Computing research underway at the MIT Media Lab with Hanyang Digital Healthcare Center, which has mental health app services and real-world data developed in Korea,” said Professor Rosalind Picard.

“We will start discussing research today, and will look to develop a collaborative model for success,” said Professor Hyungsook Kim. “We will also endeavor to share our vision for global research in the field of digital mental wellness.”