Pioneered the basic biology such as genetic cosmology and developmental biology
Contributed to research as well as the development of education, science, and administration as a biologist
Cho Wan-kyoo
Honorary Professor, Seoul National University (1928~ )
- Academic background
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1948.09 ~ 1952.03
Department of Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Seoul National University (B.S)
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1952.04 ~ 1956.03
Department of Biology, Graduate School of Seoul National University (B.S)
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1969.02
Ph.D. at Graduate School, Seoul National University
- Professional career
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1957.06 ~ 1992.02
Full-time Lecturer, Professor, and President, Seoul National University
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1984 ~ 1987
Chairman, Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies
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1989.06 ~ 1990.12
Chairman, Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology
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1992.02 ~ 1993.02
Minister of Education
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1994.11 ~ 1998.03
President, the Korean Academy of Science and Technology
- Awards
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1993.12
Blue Stripes Order of Service Merit (Grade 1)
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2003.03
Order of Science and Technological Merit, Changjo Medal
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2006.09
The International Award for Scientific Excellence, 2006, RNA Tech. Network, Germany,
Biologist who led the advancement of biology and educational administration
Professor Wan Kyoo Cho is a biologist who pioneered the study of the genetic traits of Korean people such as sex ratio at birth and developmental biology in Korea including mammalian egg maturation and maturation inhibition related study.
After graduating from the Department of Biology, Seoul National University in 1952 and entering graduate school, he observed the effect of antibiotics on mouse leucocyte mobility in a poor laboratory environment and summarized its results to obtain the master’s degree. However, it was difficult to perform an experimental study in the poor laboratory conditions, he selected human genetics and concentrated on the study of sex ratio at birth.
After being appointed as the professor of biology at Seoul National University, he studied developmental biology in earnest, including mammalian egg maturation. He found that a mouse egg extracted from the ovary matured along with the progress of meiosis in the culture media, but its maturation was inhibited reversibly while cAMP existed in the culture media. This study was a very important discovery in developmental biology and became a milestone for understanding the control mechanisms of meiosis in connection with cell cycle mechanisms. In addition, he developed the Micro-tube Culture Method which is capable of carrying a mammalian egg, fertilized egg, and embryo and presented a new egg research method.
He produced 30 masters and 18 doctors over 36 years of service as a professor and published a total of 113 theses. His students were called the ‘Pupils of Seolang’, after his pen name and are currently leading the study of developmental biology in domestic and foreign universities and research institutes.
Pioneered basic biology including genetic plasmology and developmental biology
He laid the foundation for the development of science and technology in Korea, served as the chairperson of Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology, the chairman of the Korean Association of Biological Sciences, and the chairman of Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization.
When genetic engineering was introduced to Korea in the early 1980s, he founded the Korean Academic Association of Genetic Engineering and was appointed as the chairman and carried forward human resource training, special fund support and international collaboration through the legislation of ‘Genetic Engineering Support Act.’ He founded the Bioindustry Association through the participation of 60 companies and 100 scientists for the industrialization of the knowledge on genetic engineering and contributed to the development of Korea’s bio-industry as the chairman of the association.
After he was appointed as the chairman of Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies, which is comprising academic societies and groups related with science and technology in Korea, he played a pivotal role for science and technology circles such as the improvement of chairman appointment method, system revolution, budge security to support subsidiary research groups, cooperation in the science and technology fields, and attraction of foreign scientists. In 1994, he was appointed as the first president of Korean Academy of Science and Technology which comprised leading and elder figures of science and technology fields and he tried to raise international status of Korean Academy of Science and Technology through various academic activities and cooperation with the science and technology academies of advanced countries.
He contributed to the attraction of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in Korea to eradicate children’s diseases in underdeveloped countries as the chairman of the IVI Attraction Committee. Acting as its international director, secretary-general for research, and special advisor, he supported the development of a vaccine for disease prevention of the institute, the only international organization in Korea. In 1998, he organized the Korea supporters association of the institute and served as its head director and is currently serving as the standing adviser.
Devoted himself to the systematic establishment of education and science administration as the Minister of Education, the President of Seoul National University, and the President of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology
As huge as his contribution as a biologist, he contributed greatly to the development of education in Korea. Appointed as the first dean of the college of natural science founded newly when Seoul National University moved to Gwanak campus in 1974, he laid the foundation for the college. As its dean, he established the school’s status as the university that centers on basic science research through various efforts such as the supervision of AID financing program, the establishment of the open recruitment system for professors, the introduction of research fund central management system, and opening of natural science research institute.
Appointed as the vice president in 1979 and the president in 1987 of Seoul National University, he secured the autonomy of university and the stabilization of school by revising the school regulation such as deleting provisions that prohibited political activities and disciplinary measures and granting professors the disciplinary authority and returning 1,000 students who received disciplinary measures to school. Appointed as the Minister of Education in 1992 during the Roh Tae-woo Administration, he concentrated efforts to secure the university’s autonomy and educational finance during his term.