Hello, my name is Truyen Le-Minh. I am from Vietnam and currently a Master’s student at the Cho Chun Shik Graduate School of Mobility at KAIST. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, and during the final year of my undergraduate studies, I conducted research in the field of transportation economics, focusing on passenger satisfaction and loyalty in the urban rail system of Hanoi, Vietnam. This experience motivated me to further pursue research in transportation, which led me to apply for a Master’s degree at KAIST under the Global Korea Scholarship program. My goal is to deepen my knowledge and contribute to research in this field. Outside of academics, I enjoy playing volleyball and hiking.
The 2025 scholars of the NSF-funded Interdisciplinary Research in Smart City (IRSC) program (https://nsfsmartcity.org/2024-scholars-copy/) visited the TUPA Lab at KAIST. During their visit, they engaged in meaningful discussions with KAIST students on the latest research trends in the field of smart cities.
Notably, Yunha Lee(https://science.ytn.co.kr/program/view.php?mcd=0082&key=202505191643243874), a student from Taejon Christian International School (TCIS), joined the TUPA Lab as an intern and delivered a presentation on smart signal systems. We were honored to welcome the group, led by Professor Young-Jae Lee from Morgan State University, and sincerely thank him for guiding and accompanying the students throughout the program.
The 2025 cohort of the Interdisciplinary Research in Smart City (IRSC) program, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), comprises six U.S. undergraduate and graduate students selected for their academic excellence and research potential. This fully funded, eight-week program offers participants the opportunity to engage in smart city research at Seoul National University (SNU) in South Korea. The program includes research internships, cultural experiences, and professional development activities.
The Office of Research Affairs is operating the URP Program that supports KAIST students to conduct research under the guidance of excellent professors and graduate students.
1. Research Period:
Jun. 23, 2025 ~ Dec. 19, 2025
2. Requirements:
A. Undergraduate students enrolled at KAIST (students on leave are not eligible).
B. Students may participate up to two times.
C. If you are a student on leave who can participate in research starting from the summer semester and are planning to return to school in the fall semester, please contact us by email first.
3. URP Program Type
A. Type: Individual Research Project (Single/Team)
B. Theme Category: Creative Research or Research Participation
Individual Research Project
Single
Team
General
Interdisciplinary
Details
Research conducted by an individual student
2~3 students gathered to proceed to a single field of study
2~3 students from other departments gathered to proceed to fusion research in two or more fields
Credit
URP(A) or URP(B)
URP(A)
Research Topic
Creative Research Project
Research Participation Project
Research theme (idea) proposed by the student, and research on the proposed topic is being conducted for the first time through URP
Students are given the opportunity to participate in research being conducted by faculty or TA, and to apply basic principles taught in undergraduate courses
4. Funding Details
(Unit: KRW 1,000)
Single
General Team (Interdisciplinary Team)
Research Fund
2,000
2,500(3,000)
Student
1,000
800/person
Advisor
1,000
T/A
1,000
5. How to Apply
A. Download the research proposal form from this page.
B. Choose the desired program type and fill out the form.
C. Submit them* to the Strategic Research Planning Team ([email protected]) by 23:59, May 23 (Fri.)
* Application Form & Consent for Personal Information(Student/Advisor/TA)
D. The successfully selected applicants will be announced on the KAIST Portal website in mid-June.
6. Others
– The number of selected projects may vary depending on applications and available budget.
– If you want to stop your research on the URP program, you must return to pay allowances, scholarships, and URP funding.
– After the end of the study, the student must attend the URP workshop.
– Participation in the URP program simultaneously with an internship or exchange program is not permitted.
– Approximately 60 individual research projects(Single/Team) will be selected.
* The final number of projects may change depending on the number of applications received and the evaluation results.
Additionally, our department looks for students who are interested in the internship program during the summer break. The department will provide you with a research opportunity, space, facility, and a budget of Won 300,000. On top of this, my lab will provide an additional Won 200,000. Please see more details below.
If you are interested in this program, please send me your CV to [email protected] ASAP.
Recruitment Notice for 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Interns
To provide scholarships and research opportunities to students interested in future transportation technologies, we are conducting a student research support program. We are pleased to announce the recruitment of undergraduate research interns for the summer of 2025 as outlined below:
Recruitment Details
Number of Interns: Up to 5 students
Eligibility:
Undergraduate students currently in their 3rd or 4th year
Must have a strong interest in future transportation technologies
Support and Activities:
Scholarship Support: KRW 300,000/month (subject to verification of research participation)
Research Activities: Interns will carry out research under the supervision of their academic advisor.
The research topic must be linked to the Undergraduate Research Program (URP).
KORAIL Successfully Hosts the “Yongsan International Business District Future Transportation Forum”
Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) announced on the 29th that it successfully held the “Yongsan International Business District Future Transportation Forum” at the Peace & Park Convention in the War Memorial of Korea, Yongsan, on the 28th.
The event was attended by over 200 participants, including Kang Hee-eop, Chairman of the Metropolitan Transport Commission, Yoo Jung-hoon, President of the Korea Transportation Association, as well as experts in urban planning and transportation, policymakers, private sector representatives, and students.
Professor Inhi Kim presented the smart transportation system implementation using digital twin. He examined the impact of the Yongsan International Business District’s transportation strategy on the national rail network and regional economy, and proposed future transportation technologies and innovative models for discussion.
Meanwhile, the “Yongsan International Business District Urban Development Project” is a large-scale initiative aimed at creating a global business hub. KORAIL plans to develop a mixed-use urban complex—integrating international business, residential, commercial, and cultural functions—on approximately 500,000 square meters of land near Yongsan Station, formerly used as a railway vehicle maintenance depot.
Yongsan Station serves as an interchange for seven railway lines, including the KTX and Subway Lines 1 and 4. It is set to become the country’s only mega-transfer hub with the addition of five more lines, including the GTX-B Line, the Airport Railroad, and the Shinbundang Line.
Our amazing staff, Young mi is back healthy after delivering a baby this year. Congratulations on having another beautiful baby and coming back to work.
Our paper won the best article award in the journal Multimodal Transportation 2024. This content establishes an income matrix for drivers in varied scenarios and employs evolutionary game theory (EGT) to dissect the dynamic operating strategies of taxi and online car-hailing drivers.
I am truly honored that TUPA was selected for the Outstanding Paper award by the committee on bicycle transportation at the 104th Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. This paper achieved the highest ranking with a perfect score of 10 out of 10. I am extremely proud of my students for their outstanding achievements.
The paper titled “Micromobility Safety Challenges: A Study on Drivers Overtaking Bicycles and E-Scooters According to Road Conditions and Cross-Modal Experience,” co-authored by Hyuncheol Park, Jaehyuk Lim, and Taeho Oh presents important research on the challenges facing micro-mobility in the face of increasing traffic accidents. This is a timely and significant study, especially as micro-mobility systems face growing difficulties.
Hyuncheol Park is a master’s student and has already confirmed his plans to pursue a Ph.D., and I am confident he will continue to produce exceptional research over the next four years.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the committee members who selected this paper for the Outstanding Paper award and particularly to the Committee Chair, Mr. Calvin Thigpen, for his invaluable support and guidance.
