In the era of AI Transformation (AX), individuals with abilities that are difficult for AI to replicate are gaining increasing attention, surpassing the mere acquisition of knowledge. In this context, youth research activities are recognized as crucial indicators that comprehensively evaluate essential skills required in future society, such as creativity, critical thinking, and self-directed learning, rather than simply academic achievement.
This aligns with the educational philosophy emphasized by Hugh O’Brian, the founder of the HOBY Foundation: “How to think, not what to think.”
Moreover, as the use of AI becomes more prevalent, the importance of interviews as a means to directly assess a student’s actual capabilities and the authenticity of their research activities has grown significantly. In light of these shifts, this two-day youth research conference challenges students to go beyond what AI can imitate, cultivating original thought, expressing it through writing and speech, and developing intellectual leadership this year.
Please check the FAQ for clear and straightforward guidance on who we are, what makes this conference special, which track to enroll in, the application process, and more.
For the past four years, our research conference has proudly served as a platform for outstanding young scholars to lead with knowledge and curiosity.
HOBY Korea, Conference Organizing Committee
International Young Scholars, Education Association for Software Empowerment (EASE)
Middle and high school students (all tracks) and college freshmen and sophomores (presentation track only), regardless of nationality
Middle and high school students, or college freshmen and sophomores with sufficient English proficiency who have completed a full paper or research proposal in English
Through paper presentation and interview-based evaluation, the authenticity and credibility of your paper are strengthened. It is critically important to verify whether you truly wrote the paper and how deeply you understand the subject.
Each participant will be assigned a session based on their local time zone. You are only expected to attend your assigned session.
The presentation order will be announced to participants after the final deadline. (Each participant is to attend at their assigned time.)
The presentation order will be announced to participants after the final deadline. (Each participant is to attend at their assigned time.)
$650
* After your paper is reviewed for quality, plagiarism, and AI usage, you will be informed of your acceptance status. Upon acceptance, pay the participation fee.
Data Analysis is the core research skill valued by our Ivy League faculty and TAs. Launch your research journey by mastering data analysis in the Research Performance Track.
Any middle or high school student proficient in English
With HOBY Korea’s seven years of proven expertise in youth research and evaluation, this track lets you showcase research potential trusted by top universities.
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Data analysis goes beyond simple numerical calculations and begins with a precise understanding of the meaning embedded in the data. One of the common challenges students face in the research process is starting their analysis without a sufficient understanding of the dataset itself. Without carefully reviewing documentation or codebooks in the data repository, students may encounter issues such as failing to download the data correctly or misinterpreting variables, which can lead to errors in analysis. Students participating in the Social Sciences track will learn and practice data exploration to address these issues and build essential core competencies for conducting sound and meaningful research in social sciences.
STEM: In the STEM track, participants learn to analyze specific datasets using cutting-edge AI tools such as ChatGPT. Rather than simply entering commands, they engage in hands-on practice to interpret and verify AI-generated results and apply them to their research objectives. Faculty at leading STEM universities, including those in the Ivy League, now actively encourage AI integration and regard the ability to effectively combine AI with research and learning as a critical academic competency. This track is designed to align with these evolving standards, equipping participants with both practical data analysis skills and the critical thinking abilities essential for success in the AI era.
Participants will be assigned to either the STEM or Social Sciences track based on their selection on the application form.
$520
* After your paper is reviewed for quality, plagiarism, and AI usage, you will be informed of your acceptance status. Upon acceptance, pay the participation fee.
Any middle or high school student proficient in English (Regardless of intended major or field of interest)
$1,200
* After your paper is reviewed for quality, plagiarism, and AI usage, you will be informed of your acceptance status. Upon acceptance, pay the participation fee.
September 25(SAT) - 26(SUN), 2021 (Korea Standard Time)
Conference platform and ZOOM
Paper Presentation Track (PPT) : 74 papers or research proposals were selected.
Research Mentoring Track (RMT) :53 students from upper elementary schools to high schools
Chair of Save the Children Korea and former President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
Consul General, Embassy of the Republic of Korea
HOBY ILS Alumni and VP of LG Household and Health Care
Research Interests: Bio engineered Therapeutics and Devices and Drug Delivery, Tissue Engineering, Cellular Engineering
Research Interests: Cognitive Neuroscience, Social and Affective Neuroscience, Social Cognition
Research Interests: Gender and Family, Political and Historical Sociology ,Comparative Sociology and Social Change
Research Interests: Machine Learning Quantum Field Theory Jet Physics Vacuum Stability
| SEPTEMBER 25 (SAT) | PPT | RMT |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 10:20 | Special Lecture 1 -The Biggest and Smallest Questions in Natture | Professor, Department of Physics at Harvard | |
| 10:30 – 12:20 | Special Lecture 2 -Reinventing Family: The Emergence of Non-Normative Households in S. Korea | Associate Prof., Department of Sociology at Harvard | |
| 12:20 – 13:00 | Lunch / Break | |
| 13:00 – 13:20 | Opening Ceremony | |
| 13:00 – 13:20 | Presentation Session Session Science - 1Session Science - 2 Session Social Sciences-1Session Social Sciences-2 | |
| 13:30 - 16:00 | Workshop 1 Scientific Research Paper Writing Social Sciences Research Paper Writing – 1 Social Sciences Research Paper Writing - 2 | |
| SEPTEMBER 26 (SUN) | PPT | RMT |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 10:20 | Special Lecture 3 -The Science of Happiness | Professor, Department of Psychology at Harvard | |
| 10:30 – 12:20 | Special Lecture 4 -Bioengineered Mimicry of the Human Body | Associate Prof., Department of Bio Engr. at UPENN | |
| 10:30 – 12:20 | Lunch / Break | |
| 13:00 - 15:00 | Presentation Session Session Science - 1Session Science - 2 Session Social Sciences-1Session Social Sciences-2 | |
| 13:00 - 15:30 | Workshop 2 Scientific Research Paper Writing Social Sciences Research Paper Writing – 1 Social Sciences Research Paper Writing - 2 | |
September 17(SAT) - 18(SUN), 2022 (Korea Standard Time)
Conference platform and ZOOM
Paper Presentation Track (PPT) : 58 papers or research proposals were selected.
Research Mentoring Track (RMT) :59 students from upper elementary schools to high schools
Consul General, Embassy of the Republic of Korea
President of Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE)
Documentary, Film Director
Teacher, Education Researcher at Korean International School in Hanoi, Vietnam
President of the U.S. Center for Educational Association for Software Empowerment
Research Interests: Cognitive Neuroscience, Social and Affective Neuroscience, Social Cognition
Research Interests: Gender and Family, Political and Historical Sociology ,Comparative Sociology and Social Change
Research Interests: Biophysics, quantitative approaches to systems and developmental biology
Research Interests: International order; security and conflict; political economy • Especially: oil politics; climate change; energy; environmental politics
| SEPTEMBER 17 (SAT) | PPT | RMT |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 10:20 | Richard Holbrooke Associate Professor of Political Science, Brown University | |
| 10:30 – 12:20 | Professor of Biophysics, Princeton University | |
| 12:20 – 13:00 | ||
| 13:00 – 13:20 | ||
| 13:30 - 15:30 | Presentation Session Session Science - 1Session Science - 2 Session Social Sciences-1Session Social Sciences-2 | |
| 13:30 - 16:00 | Workshop 1 Scientific Research Paper Writing - 1 Scientific Research Paper Writing - 2 Social Sciences Research Paper Writing – 1 Social Sciences Research Paper Writing - 2 | |
| SEPTEMBER 18 (SUN) | PPT | RMT |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 10:20 | Professor of Psychology, Harvard University | |
| 10:30 – 12:20 | Associate Professor of Sociology, Harvard University | |
| 12:20 – 13:00 | ||
| 13:00 - 15:00 | Presentation Session Session Science - 1Session Science - 2 Session Social Sciences-1Session Social Sciences-2 | |
| 13:00 - 15:30 | Workshop 2 Scientific Research Paper Writing - 1 Scientific Research Paper Writing - 2 Social Sciences Research Paper Writing – 1 Social Sciences Research Paper Writing - 2 | |
September 23(SAT) - 24(SUN), 2023 (Korea Standard Time)
ZOOM Events platform
Middle and high school students present their own research papers or research proposals in English at the conference and receive feedback from a professor.
- An advanced level of English proficiency is required.
- Outstanding participants receive awards by the session professor.
-53 papers or research proposals were selected in 2023.
PPT Track has two sub-tracks: FOCUS and GENERAL
■ FOCUS:Students are required to submit their research papers or research proposals in specific areas of research.
- Live Sessions with Professor:
Associate Professor of Sociology at Harvard will conduct live sessions.
- Sociology:Gender and family, political and historical sociology, comparative sociology and social change, or topics related to sociology
Associate Professor of Radiology at UPENN will conduct live sessions.
- Physics, Computational Research:Quantum optics, bio-optics, physical and mathematical sciences, image analysis, nonlinear inverse scattering problem, tomography, optics, plasmonics, electromagnetic theory, optical microscopy, nanostructured materials, or topics related to physics or computational research
- Mock Peer Review:Mock Peer Review provides participants with an opportunity to understand how research and papers are validated in actual academia or scholarly journals through experiential learning.
- Mock Debate:Participants simulate a scholarly debate by utilizing topics derived from current issues in academia or recent research trends.
■ GENERAL:Students submit their research papers or research proposals in any field of studies.
For upper elementary, middle and high school students who are new to research paper writing and want to learn about it.
Participants can choose either a STEM workshop session or a social sciences workshop session, where mentoring is provided by a Ph.D. candidate or someone with a Master's degree or above.
40 students participated in this track. (STEM 29 / SOCIAL SCIENCE 11)
- Instructor for STEM:Assistant Professor, School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Nanyang Technology University Singapore (B.S. from Cornell, PhD from Columbia)
- Instructor for SS:Harvard Law School Graduate (B.A. from Yale)
Middle and high school students exhibit their research posters, give video presentation, and have Q and A session.
12 teams (23 students) participated in this track.
Research Interests: Gender and Family, Political and Historical Sociology ,Comparative Sociology and Social Change
Research Interests: International Relations, Chinese Foreign Policy, Asian Security
Research Interests: Neural circuits underlying trial and error motor learning
Research Interests: Quantum optics, bio-optics, physical and mathematical sciences, image analysis, nonlinear inverse scattering problem, tomography, optics, plasmonics, electromagnetic theory, optical microscopy
| SEP 23 (SAT) | PPT – Focus STEM | PPT – Focus SS | PPT – General | RMT | ePT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Presentation Session with Associate Professor of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania- 1 | Presentation Session with Associate Professor, Department of Sociology at Harvard University - 1 | [Special Lecture 1]In the Crosshairs: As the U.S.-China Rivalry Grows, What Are the Implications for Asia Associate Professor, Department of Government at Cornell University | ePT participants can select two out of the 4 special lectures to attend. | The online exhibition of posters and presentation videos | |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | ||||||
| 10:00 – 10:30 | ||||||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | [Special Lecture 2]Reinventing Family: Dictatorship, Democracy, and Demographic Crisis in South Korea Associate Professor of Sociology at Harvard University | |||||
| 11:00 – 11:30 | ||||||
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Opening Ceremony | |||||
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Lunch | |||||
| 12:30 – 13:00 | Mock Peer Review | Mock Peer Review | Presentation Session - 1 | Workshop – 1 | ePoster Q&A Session - 1 | |
| 13:00 – 13:30 | The online exhibition of posters and presentation videos | |||||
| 13:30 – 14:00 | ||||||
| 14:00 – 14:30 | [Special Lecture 1] Recorded | |||||
| 14:30 – 15:00 | ||||||
| 15:00 – 15:30 | ||||||
| 15:30 – 16:00 | [Special Lecture 2] Recorded | |||||
| 16:00 – 16:30 | ||||||
| SEP 24 (SAT) | PPT – Focus STEM | PPT – Focus SS | PPT – General | RMT | ePT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Presentation Session with Associate Professor of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania- 2 | Presentation Session with Associate Professor, Department of Sociology at Harvard University - 2
| [Special Lecture 3]Dopaminergic signals for reward, performance and social outcomes dynamically re-tune during courtship Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Psychology at Cornell University | ePT participants can select two out of the 4 special lectures to attend. | The online exhibition of posters and presentation videos | |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | ||||||
| 10:00 – 10:30 | ||||||
| 10:30 – 11:00 | [Special Lecture 4]Principles of tomographic biomedical imaging Associate Professor of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania | [Special Lecture 4]Topic: Principles of tomographic biomedical imaging Associate Professor of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania | ||||
| 11:00 – 11:30 | ||||||
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Research Scavenger Hunt | |||||
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Lunch | |||||
| 12:30 – 13:00 | Mock Debate | Mock Debate | Presentation Session - 2 | Workshop – 2 | ePoster Q&A Session - 2 | |
| 13:00 – 13:30 | The online exhibition of posters and presentation videos | |||||
| 13:30 – 14:00 | ||||||
| 14:00 – 14:30 | [Special Lecture 3] Recorded | |||||
| 14:30 – 15:00 | ||||||
| 15:00 – 15:30 | ||||||
| 15:30 – 16:00 | [Special Lecture 4] Recorded | |||||
| 16:00 – 16:30 | ||||||
| Track | Session | Judging | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPT | FOCUS - STEM | Paper or Proposal 45% Oral Presentation 35% Participation (including debate) 20% | <Each Session> Grand : Awarded by Professor (2) Gold : Awarded by the Organizaging Committee (2) Silver: Awarded by HOBY (1) Bronze: Awarded by HOBY Korea (3) Encouragement: Awarded by EASE (3) |
| FOCUS - Social Sciences (SS) | |||
| General - STEM | |||
| General - Social Sciences (SS) | |||
| RMT | STEM | Evalution by Mentor 30% Outcomes: 50% Participation 20% | <Each Session> Grand Prize: Awarded by the Organizaging Committee (2) Gold: Awarded by HOBY (1) Silver: Awarded by HOBY Korea (3) Bronze: Awarded by EASE (3) Encouragement: Awarded by Green Environment Practice Headquarters (5) |
| Social Sciences (SS) | |||
| ePT | N/A | Poster 55% Presentation 35% Participation 10% | <Each Session> Grand Prize: Awarded by the Organizaging Committee (2) Gold: Awarded by HOBY (1) Silver: Awarded by HOBY Korea (3) Bronze: Awarded by EASE (3) Encouragement: Awarded by Green Environment Practice Headquarters (5) |
| Track | Session | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| PPT – Focus STEM | FOCUS - STEM | Professor is involved in the process of reviewing and selecting the participants for the session. Professor directly engages in the session itself, interacting with session participants live. Professor gives feedback to each participant. Participants receive Certificate of Recognition with the signature of Professor who gave your paper feedback. Participants can publish their papers or proposals in HOBY Korea Journal KNOWLEDGE TO LEAD Volume 4 Issue 1 (ISSN 2765-0626) (October, 2023) |
| FOCUS - Social Sciences (SS) | ||
| General - STEM | A Ph.D. candidate or someone with a Master's degree or above leads a session. Professor gives feedback to each participant. Participants receive Certificate of Recognition with the signature of Professor who gave your paper feedback. Participants can publish their papers or proposals in HOBY Korea Journal KNOWLEDGE TO LEAD Volume 4 Issue 1 (ISSN 2765-0626) (October, 2023) | |
| General - Social Sciences (SS) | ||
| RMT | STEM | Participants receive Certificate of Participation. Individuals who have received an award are eligible for a reduced entry fee of 50% if they choose to participate in the PPT in the following year. |
| Social Sciences (SS) | ||
| ePT | N/A | ePT participants can select two out of the 4 special lectures to attend. Award-winning posters are given an opportunity to be published in HOBY Korea Journal KNOWLEDGE TO LEAD Volume 4 Issue 1 (ISSN 2765-0626) (October, 2023) |
September 28(SAT) and 29(SUN), 2024, Korea Standard Time
ZOOM Events platform
Middle and high school students regardless of nationality
- Paper Presentation Track (PPT)
- Research Mentoring Track (RMT)
- Open Track (OT)
■Lectures from Current Professors at Ive League Universities, MIT, and Stanford:This program features lectures by prominent professors from top universities like MIT, Cornell, Stanford, and UPENN. These lectures will likely cover cutting-edge research and thought leadership in various fields. (Open to all participants)
■4 Presentation Sessions:Participants showcase their research shaping the future across various fields, offering a platform for scholars to share their findings and ideas. This program focuses on research paper presentations. (Open to Paper Presentation Track Participants)
■Data Analysis and Visualization Sessions:These sessions are designed to help teenagers develop research skills. It will cover how to transition from forming opinions to using data analysis and visualization techniques to find evidence to support their claims. It focuses on transitioning from subjective opinions to evidence-based analysis through data analysis and visualization techniques, empowering young researchers to make informed decisions and communicate their findings effectively. (Open to Paper Presentation Track Participants)
■Research Mentoring Workshops:These workshops equip participants with the skills and tools needed to transform their inquiries into well-structured research proposals, fostering a culture of inquiry and academic excellence. The workshops will cover steps like developing a research question, conducting research, and crafting a research proposal. (Open to Research Mentoring Track Participants)
■Free Speech Sessions:Participants deliver presentations on various forms of research across all fields. (Open to Open Track Participants)
English
■ Deadline: September 14, 2024 (KST)
■ Announcement of the winners: October 16, 2024
■ Publication of Knowledge to Lead Volume 5, Issue 1 in late October, 2024
Research Interests: Social Movements, Family, Korean Studies
Research Interests: International Relations, Chinese Foreign Policy, Asian Security
Research Interests: Applications of machine learning to operations research (supply chains), LLM based OPT+ML applications, and more
Research Interests: Quantum optics, bio-optics, physical and mathematical sciences, image analysis, nonlinear inverse scattering problem, tomography, optics, plasmonics, electromagnetic theory, optical microscopy
| SEP 28 (SAT) | PPT – STEM | PPT – SS | RMT | OT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 10:30 | Lecture 1 - Introduction to Statistics (Associate Professor of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania) | |||
| 10:30 – 12:30 | Presentation Session | Presentation Session | RMT - Workshop | Free Speech |
| 12:30 - 13:00 | Lunch | |||
| 13:00 - 14:30 | Data Analysis and Visualization Simulation Session | Data Analysis and Visualization Simulation Session | RMT - Workshop | Free Discussion |
| 14:30 - 16:30 | Lecture 2 - Understanding LLMs: a brief introduction to Transformers (Associate Professor of EECS and in IDSS, [AI+D], MIT) | |||
| SEP 29 (SUN) | PPT – STEM | PPT – SS | RMT | OT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 10:30 | Lecture 3 - A Particularly Consequential Election: What the 2024 US Presidential Election Means for East Asia (Esp South Korea) (Associate Professor, Department of Government at Cornell University) | |||
| 10:30 – 12:30 | Lecture 4 - The Long-Term Political and Social Consequences of Authoritarianism in South Korea (Stanford University as a faculty member of the Freeman Spogli Institute for Int'l Studies) | |||
| 12:30 - 13:00 | Lunch | |||
| 13:00 - 15:00 | Presentation Session | Presentation Session | RMT - Workshop | Free Speech |
| 15:00 - 17:00 | Data Analyzing and Visualization Simulation Session | Data Analyzing and Visualization Simulation Session | None | None |
*** Lecture topics are to be updated by August.
*** Please note that the detailed program schedule and content may be subject to minor changes depending on circumstances.
| Judging | Awards | |
| PPT – STEM (2 Groups) |
|
For each group,
|
| PPT – SS (2 Groups) |
| For each group,
|
| RMT (STEM 1 group / SS 1 group) |
| For each group,
|
| OT |
|
|
| Benefits | |
| PPT – STEM (2 Groups) |
|
| PPT – SS (2 Groups) |
|
| RMT (STEM 1 group / SS 1 group) |
|
| OT |
|
HOBY Korea | Int'l Young Scholars | EASE
주소 : 서울 강남구 테헤란로83길 44 (삼성동) 명동빌딩 2층 (우)06166
전화번호 : 02-569-9600 | 이메일 : hobyk@hobykorea.com
[주니어 본부]서울시 강남구 선릉로72길 10-12 프린스빌딩
전화: 02-553-8737 | 이메일: hobykjunior@hobykorea.com
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