Mongolian becomes professor at Korean university

By Jhoo Dong-chan Odkhuu Dorj, 34, an international student from Mongolia, has become a physics professor at Incheon National University (INU), the University of Ulsan said Tuesday. Odkhuu was appointed to an assistant professor in the department of physics there, teaching students in the classes of magnetic and multiferroic materials, graphene and low-dimensional materials, and energy storage materials since last August. Many international students in Korea get academic degrees here and later become professors in their home countries, or teach their native languages in Korean colleges. But Odkhuu's case is very rare for foreigners to become a professor with natural science in a Korean university, according to an official at the University of Ulsan. "It was just unbelievable," said Odkhuu. "I am so grateful. The University of Ulsan gave me an educational opportunity, and INU appointed me as a physics professor. Both universities treated me without prejudice." Odkhuu majored in physics at the National University of Mongolia for bachelor's and Ulaanbaatar University for master's degree. Both universities are known to be the most prestigious schools in Mongolia. Odkhuu came to Korean in 2007 to become a first Mongol researcher of the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics at the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Odkhuu then entered the University of Ulsan majoring physics for Ph.D. In 2013, his thesis, "Magnetostriction of B2-structured FeX Alloys: A First-principles Study," was granted for the degree under Prof. Hong Soon-cheol's supervision. In his thesis, Odkhuu studies the methods to apply iron alloy, instead of the rare and expensive earth elements, on physical instances in the applied physics. His thesis is believed to be applied in various fields of industries including space science with reduced cost. Prestigious academic journals like "Physical Review B" and "Applied Physics Letters" put his degree thesis in their regular publications. His 10 other works over the applied physics were also published in other renowned journals of the Science Citation Index (SCI). The SCI is a citation index launched in 1964 that covers more than 6,500 notable and significant journals, across 150 disciplines, from 1900 to the present. "My wife also studies at the University of Ulsan with the same major. My wife and me want to contribute to the development of physics education for both countries," Odkhuu said. jhoo@koreatimes.co.kr,