★ Group name : AI·Data Science Global Research Network in Korea

★ Leader : Faranak Solat, Assistant Professor, School of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Sejong University

★ Schedule(Regular Meeting)

Monthly regular meetings will be held from June to October 2026, for a total of five sessions. In principle, meetings will be held on Thursday evenings from 18:30 to 20:30. The September meeting will be held earlier to avoid the public holiday period. The meeting area will be Seoul or Gyeonggi-do. Additional informal meetings may be arranged later in consultation with members.

- 1st meeting: June or July, 2026 (Thu), 18:30–20:30 (Decide after starting)

- 2nd meeting: July 30, 2026 (Thu), 18:30–20:30

- 3rd meeting: August 27, 2026 (Thu), 18:30–20:30

- 4th meeting: September 17, 2026 (Thu), 18:30–20:30

- 5th meeting: October 22, 2026 (Thu), 18:30–20:30

★ Meeting Location(Regular Meeting)

Regular meetings will be held in a seminar room, meeting room, or dedicated networking space in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do. The first meeting is planned to be held at Sejong University or in a nearby meeting space around Sejong University. The detailed venue for the following meetings will be arranged and confirmed by the group leader depending on the number of recruited members, accessibility, and room availability. Meetings will be held in a dedicated seminar room, meeting room, or networking space, not in a restaurant or general café.

1. What is the purpose of this Group?

“A community for foreign AI and Data Science researchers and professionals in Korea to connect, collaborate, and grow together.”

The AI·Data Science Global Research Network in Korea is a community for foreign researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty members, industry professionals, startup members, and aspiring founders who are working, studying, or building their careers in Korea, regardless of age or career stage.

This group aims to create a friendly and practical networking space where members can introduce their research interests, share their experiences in the Korean research and innovation ecosystem, exchange information on papers, conferences, grants, international collaboration, patents, startups, and technology commercialization, and explore possible research or business collaboration.

Rather than being a one-way lecture-style meeting, this group is designed as an interactive community where members can actively communicate, learn from each other, and build long-term academic, professional, and entrepreneurial connections in Korea.

2. Who is the group leader?

“I am a foreign AI researcher and educator with industry and startup experience, aiming to connect people, ideas, and opportunities across research, career development, and innovation in Korea.”

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at Sejong University. My research focuses on trustworthy AI, federated and personalized learning, privacy-preserving distributed intelligence, edge/on-device AI, large language models, and secure edge-cloud orchestration for IoT and cyber-physical systems.

Before becoming a faculty member, I also gained practical experience outside academia. I worked in digital marketing, web design, SEO, and project management, including experience in a small company and a startup/accelerator environment. These experiences helped me develop soft skills such as communication, team coordination, project planning, problem solving, and connecting technical ideas with real user needs.

In addition to academic research, I am interested in innovation, patents, startups, and technology commercialization. I received the Grand Prize at the Seoul International Invention Fair 2025 and hold a registered patent related to a smartphone-based LLM shopping assistant system.

As a foreign researcher who studied and built a career in Korea, I understand the importance of networking, mentoring, collaboration, and practical information sharing. Through this group, I hope to serve not as a one-way lecturer, but as a facilitator who helps foreign researchers, professionals, startup members, and aspiring founders connect with one another, share their experiences, and grow together.

[Affiliation / Position]

Assistant Professor, School of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, Sejong University

[Degree / Major]

Ph.D. in Software, Department of Computing, Gachon University

[Research / Professional Fields]

Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Federated Learning, Personalized Learning, Privacy-Preserving AI, Distributed AI, Edge Intelligence, Large Language Models, IoT/Cyber-Physical Systems, Digital Platforms, Startup Experience, Patents, and Technology Commercialization

3. Who would you like to be part of this group with?

Foreign researchers, professionals, startup members, and aspiring founders in Korea who are interested in AI, data science, research collaboration, career growth, and innovation are welcome.

No specific age, position, or career stage is required; an open attitude and willingness to communicate and collaborate are most important.

4. What aspects can I discuss and develop by participating?

By participating, members can share research and career experiences in Korea, explore AI/Data Science trends, and develop practical connections for research collaboration, papers, grants, startups, patents, and technology commercialization.

5. Tentative Schedule

※ The schedule is subject to change.