Seung Kyum Kim
Professor of Urban Planning and Future Studies
Director of the Master in Future Strategy
Director, KAIST Urban Analytics Lab
Chairperson, Osan City Mayoral Transition Committee
N5-2254, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141
Email: skim1@kaist.ac.kr
Prof. Kim's current research primarily focuses on the risk perceptions of climate change and their implications for public policy. He also actively conducts research in areas of environmental justice and climate adaptation. Before joining KAIST, Seung Kyum worked at the Cities 2050 Research Cluster at the University of Hong Kong, Harvard Law School, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. He holds doctoral and master's degrees from Harvard University.
Academic Appointment
Professor, Department of AI and Futures Studies, College of Artificial Intelligence, KAIST
Joint Professor, Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST
Joint Professor, Graduate School of Green Growth & Sustainabilit, KAIST
Joint Professor, KAIST Global School
Affiliate Professor, New York University
Research Interests
Urban and Environmental Resilience; AI and Sustainable Urban Governance; Urban Economics and Policy; Disaster Informatics; Environmental Justice; Sustainable Urbanization; Sustainable Real Estate; Urbanization in Developing Countries.
Education
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design
Doctor of Design in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development, Cambridge, MA
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design
Master in Design Studies (Urban Planning and Design), Concentration in Risk and Resilience, Cambridge, MA
Awards and Prizes
2025 Excellence in Teaching Award, KAIST
2024 Grand Research Excellence Award, KAIST
2024 Special Faculty Commendation on Q-Day for Creative Talent Education, KAIST
2024 Global Research Collaboration Excellence Award, KAIST
2024 Impact Research Award, KAIST
2023 Excellence in Research Award, KAIST
2023 Impact Research Award, KAIST
2023 Innovation in Teaching Award, Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST
2019 Howard T. Fisher Prize for excellence in GIS, Harvard University
2019 2nd Prize, Shanghai Urban Design Challenge, Shanghai, China
2018 2nd Prize, Urban Renewal Design, Shanghai, China
2018 3rd Prize, Natian International Design Competition, Jiangsu, China
2018 Honorable Mention, Beijing Urban Public Space Design, Beijing, China
2017 Excellence Award, Harvard Center for Geographic Analysis
2012 Presidential Commendation, President of the Republic of Korea
Services
Director, Master in Future Strategy, Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST (2026)
Expert Reviewer, IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SRCITIES), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2025)
Awards and Scholarship Committee, Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST (2024~2026)
Steering Committee of the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, KAIST (2024~2027)
KAIST Jang Young-Sil Fellowship Steering Committee (2023~2025)
Expert Review and Advisory Committee Member of Business Development, Korea Railroad Corporation (2023~2025)
KAIST Future Committee (2022~2024)
PhD students supervised
Bae Seung-Hyeok (2026): Integrating building environmental performance and human thermal perception for climate-responsive urban resilience
Hyemin Cho (2026): Unraveling the structural mechanism of multi-hazard risks in the global south
Eunmi Kim (2025): Aging gentrification and intersectional inequalities
In-Won Choi (2025): Impact of renewable energy storage technologies on climate disaster resilience
Miyeon Kang (2024): Impact of aging regional characteristics on infrastructure accessibility and social isolation
Bongseok Kim (2024): Impact of energy transition policies on population movement - Analyzing policy effectiveness through local employment and industrial diversification effects of low-carbon power generation facilities
Jaeyeon Kim (2023): Demographic responses to climate change - Birth, fertility, and adaptation in East Asia
Kyung Ho Lee (2023): Impact of retirement age extension on young adult unemployment and urban economic stability
Master’s students supervised
2026 (05): Joohee Son (FS), Seeun Jeon (FS), Wonjun Park (SJ), Tai Won Yoo (FS), Songyi Bae (FS)
2025 (08): Gye Young Kyung (SJ), Dahye Han (GGGS), Dahyeong Choi (GGGS), Kyeongeun Kim (FS), Kwangjong Pyo (FS), Seungbum Cho (FS), Dam Duck Kim (FS), Sujung Kim (FS)
2024 (01): Shihoo Lee (SJ)
Graduated (12): Dea Eun Park (FS 26), Jieun Lee (SJ 26), Cherin Yang (FS 26), Hyemin Cho (FS 26), Sun Kyoum Kim (FS 26), Yeon Hong (SJ 26), Wonsang Kim (SJ 26), Soomin Son (FS 25), Jimin Lee (FS 25), Bo Rah Lee (FS 25), Sunwoo Hwang (FS 25), Ji Soo Kim (FS 23)
Employment
Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, Department of AI and Future Studies, College of Artificial intelligence, Daejeon, Korea (2026–Present)
Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, Graduate School of Future Strategy, Daejeon, Korea (2022–2026)
Seoul National University, Institute of Information, Knowledge, and Policy, Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul, Korea (2021–2022)
University of Hong Kong, Cities 2050 Research Cluster, Faculty of Social Science, Hong Kong SAR (2019–2021)
Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (2018–2019)
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (2017–2018)
National Committee for the 7th World Water Forum, South Korea (2013–2014)
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, South Korea (2009–2013)
Design Workshop, Inc. (Landscape Architecture and Urban Design Firm), Salt Lake City, UT (2008–2009), Phoenix, AZ (2005–2008), USA