Dear CKC 2024 Participants, Colleagues and the AKCSE Members:

On behalf of the Organizing Committee members, I am delighted to welcome all the delegates and participants to the 2024 Canada - Korea Conference on Science and Technology (CKC2024) jointly organized by the Association of Korean-Canadian Scientists and Engineers (AKCSE) and the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST). The conference will be held June 16-20, 2024 at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada.

The CKC is a multidisciplinary annual conference that aims to bring together experts and leaders from research institutes, industry, academia, and the governments of Canada and Republic of Korea to discuss emerging and future challenges in science, technology, and innovation (ST&I). We want to address these challenges by working together. Since the first conference in 2011, CKCs have served as a major platform for innovation, cutting-edge technologies, scientific research, and multidisciplinary collaborations and professional networking between Canada and Korea.

This year’s conference theme “Accelerate international collaboration by unlocking the power of science and technology” will underpin the importance of fostering international R&D collaboration between Republic of Korea and Canada. For this, we are preparing a rich and diverse conference program with “Sustainable International R&D Collaboration Summit”, “Clean Energy and Technologies Forum" and Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Technologies Forum” as CKC 2024 flagship summit and forums. In addition, there will be Research Showcase, Korean Government Research Institutes R&D programs, Young Generation & Young Professional Conference, WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) Program, as well as other events.

In July 2023, we successfully hosted the 13th CKC in Ottawa, Ontario with nearly 310 participants. Without a doubt, the success of this conference ultimately depends on the participation of scientists and engineers, young minds, passionate organizers, and the partner research institutions and industry collaborators. As conference co-chair of the CKC2024, I would like to thank all participating organizations for their generous support for the conference, and the organizing committees, the local committee, and volunteers for their tireless dedication and efforts.

I am grateful to have all of you joining us at this conference, and I wish all of you have a pleasant and fruitful time with friends and colleagues in CKC2024.

Seonghwan Kim
Conference Co-Chair and 24^th President of AKCSE