Ajou's Professor Hae Seong Je (Department of Architecture) wins 'Architect of the Year Award'

2015-11-05

Ajou University's Professor Hae Seong Je (Department of Architecture, pictured above) won the 'Architect of the Year Award' at the Korean Architecture Awards. The award presentation ceremony was held at 2 p.m. on November 5th in the auditorium of Registered Architects Building.

Professor Je received the award for contributing to various policies and systems research regarding architecture and urban planning while serving as the Director of the Architecture & Urban Research Institute (AURI) under the Prime Minister's Office from September 2012 to October 2015. AURI, which is the first national research institute in the fields of architecture and urban planning, designs the big picture of architecture at the national level in relation to the Framework Act on Building, Building Act, Landscape Act, Act on Providing Assistance for Constructing Green Buildings, Act on Promoting the Construction Services Industry, and Act on Promoting Architectural Assets including Hanok. AURI also conducts studies regarding government policies.

During his service at AURI, Professor Je contributed to legislating the Act on Providing Assistance for Constructing Green Buildings, Act on Promoting the Construction Services Industry, and Act on Promoting Architectural Assets including Hanok, and Special Act on Promoting and Assisting Urban Restoration. He also provided steady support for various policy initiatives that were carried out by the government, including the Center for Hanok (traditional Korean houses), the Center for Supporting Public Architecture, the Organization for Supporting Urban Restoration, and the Green Architecture Center.

In an interview after winning the award, Professor Je said, "While working at AURI, I prioritized enhanced contributions to government policies so that the Institute could fulfill its functions as a national research institute," adding, "I tried to preemptively respond to social issues and provide full support to government policies via research activities that took advantage of the Institute’s status as a government-invested institute."

Professor Je majored in architecture at Seoul National University and obtained his Master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S. Since 1987, he has spent 25 years as a professor at Ajou. During the period, he served as Dean of the College of Engineering at the University, President of the Urban Design Institute of Korea (UDIK), and Head Planner for the National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC), etc.