Gathering with Questions Instead of Answers — Grand Quest: Connect

On April 29, over 130 students gathered at the Haedong Advanced Engineering Center for "Grand Quest: Connect." This networking event was designed especially for students who had participated in the "Grand Quest Open Call," as well as student supporters of the Seoul National University (SNU) Grand Quest initiative. The Grand Quest initiative strives to develop fundamental questions that dismantle dominant academic paradigms to establish entirely new conceptual frameworks. Rather than offering a single solution, it acts as a guiding compass that empowers researchers to pioneer distinct academic disciplines. This event aimed to provide students with an opportunity to share their experiences and thoughts related to the questions they had submitted for the open call.

Participants at the "Grand Quest: Connect" event

The "Grand Quest Open Call" was an initiative that invited SNU students and faculty to submit their most challenging, unconventional inquiries. Participants focused on three high-impact themes for their submissions: the advent of the AI era, the future of life, and the challenge of sustainability. The winning ideas are to be announced in June, and will serve as the foundation for the "Grand Quest Design Board" scholar workshop, ultimately shaping SNU's official Grand Quests.

From Following to Leading: The Power of the Question

In his opening remarks, Professor Lee Jeong-Dong of SNU's Technology Management, Economics and Policy Program explained the vision behind the Grand Quest initiative, which was founded four years ago. He emphasized that, in order for a nation to shift from a follower to a leader in shaping society's future, students must move beyond simply finding answers to already established problems and instead ask paradigm-shifting questions.

Professor Lee explaining the purpose of the event

Professor Lee explained that students must develop the capacity to look beyond merely understanding textbooks, challenging them to overturn established norms so they can write the textbooks of the future. He emphasized that while solitary research has its own value, finding lifelong collaborators and peers with similar insight is the real key to solving these grand challenges. This collaborative spirit is exactly why the "Connect" event was created.

Three Minutes to Pose a Question that Turns the World Upside Down

One of the main events was the student presentation session, during which ten students took the podium to present their own "Grand Quests" within a strict three-minute time limit. Presenters introduced their profound questions from various disciplines. Below are some of the questions asked.

The Essence of AI and Intelligence

"Must artificial intelligence be implemented by computers? In other words, is intelligence the product of formal computation, or is it a phenomenon established only within the interaction of physical characteristics and the environment?" (Lee Han-Gyeol, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Industrial Engineering)

"Must the standard for artificial intelligence necessarily be human intelligence? Can we break free from merely mimicking human intelligence?" (Jang Jun-Hyuk, Undergraduate, Department of Linguistics)

A student presenting his idea on the future value of money

Relationships and Society

"Can we understand social networks from the perspective of 'vitality (living dynamics)' that repeats creation and extinction, instead of relying on computable network structures consisting of dots and lines?" (Song Jun Kyu, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Anthropology)

Redefining Life and Communication

"Does a higher-level algorithm exist that controls genetic material in real-time?" (Seo Soo Yeon, College of Veterinary Medicine)

"Could we directly share cognition exactly as the brain operates, without going through the imperfect translator called language?" (Kim Hee Joo, Undergraduate, Department of Physics and Astronomy)

Students applauding after listening to a presentation

In addition to these, other questions covered topics like the time value of money and sustainability, national identity and social trust in the age of AI, and ultra-high-resolution artificial neural stimulation.

Join My Crew! Finding the Right Match for My Question

Following the presentations, students interacted over the course of two phases in a networking session called "Join My Crew!" In the first phase, students were given time to greet randomly assigned group members and share their questions. Following this, they took part in thematic networking where participants moved to one of the five display boards set up around the venue that most closely aligned with their own questions, meeting others with similar ideas and interests. Students quickly broke the ice and exchanged contact information with peers they hoped to continue developing their ideas with.

Networking among participants

The Next Voyage Awaits, Anyone Can Come Aboard

Professor Lee expressed his aspirations for the program to continue expanding as an ongoing program. "Rather than top-down guidance from professors, what students really need is a space to gather and connect," he said. "We want to keep creating these opportunities in order to help students meet, merge their questions, and ultimately spark deeper research together." He emphasized that even if a solution isn't found immediately, immense value lies in the very thought process of asking questions and debating with fellow students who have similar interests.

The second meeting of the "Grand Quest: Connect" awaits us in June. For those who are looking for a colleague to develop their question with, do not hesitate to knock on the door of the next Connect event.

Written by Suh Jeemin, SNU English Editor, [email protected]