The University of Missouri is expanding research opportunities to its students through a partnership with the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute.
This agreement between both institutions will establish research opportunities for colleges and schools across Mizzou: the College of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and the School of Medicine.
The agreement was signed on Oct. 27 at the Harry S. Truman Conference in South Korea.
Mizzou spokesperson Christopher Ave said the conference considered potential research avenues for students such as “nuclear energy, digital twin technologies and artificial intelligence, sustainable aviation fuels, neutron beam sciences and nuclear medicine.”
He added that these research agreement efforts are expected to lead to the development of new cancer-fighting radioligand therapies.
This follows an April agreement of a collaboration between Korean energy businesses and Mizzou, establishing the development and licensing of the NextGen MU Research Reactor Center.
In the agreement, the consortium of Korean energy companies was tasked with creating a design for the research reactor. Ave said the Korean energy companies and Mizzou are actively working to finalize the initial design studies, support facilities and early site evaluations for the reactor.
“These deliverables are scheduled to be completed before the end of the year and will establish the roadmap for NextGen MURR,” Ave said.
NextGen MURR will double the production of the current research reactor, which is the highest-power university research reactor in the country according to NextGen MURR’s website.
Ave said there will be “new opportunities for scientific discoveries that will improve the lives of Missourians and people around the world,” due to the collaborations with the Korean Atomic Energy Institute and Korean energy businesses.
“These research and collaborative efforts will open doors to expand and accelerate scientific breakthroughs, support hands-on training at world-leading nuclear science and neutron scattering facilities,” Ave said.
