I first experienced KIAS in the summer of 2013. I was a graduate student just about to start my PhD studies. I attended a summer school organized by KIAS on geometric group theory. Despite my jetlag and the heavy rain that fell the whole week, it was an exciting and enriching experience, both academically and culturally.
Seven years later, after I received my PhD from Université Paris-Saclay and did a post-doc at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, I joined KIAS as a research fellow in the School of Mathematics. On September 1, 2020, I landed at Incheon International Airport. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had to undergo a 14-day quarantine. The KIAS staff helped me find a private-run quarantine facility in which the quarantine went smoothly. Fifteen days later, I checked into a dormitory on the KIAS campus. Now the flowers are blooming, and I have been working in KIAS for more than half a year.
Research
Overall, the research environment in KIAS is excellent. As a research fellow, I conduct my own research, at my own pace. There is no teaching load, and my colleagues are friendly. Whatever your research area is, you can find people to chat with. Every afternoon, we have teatime in the lounge. Before the pandemic started, this would be an occasion to meet and chat with other people, but now we are only allowed to enjoy the refreshment back in our offices.
As a research fellow, I have research funding of 10 million Korean won per year to be spent at my will. Usually, this funding is spent on travel to attend conferences or on organizing workshops. Since the pandemic has put a stop to these activities, I have used my funding mainly to buy books. Most of the books can be found in the KIAS library, where the library staff are very helpful. But if you cannot find some books in the library or if you want to keep a personal copy, you can buy those books using your funding.
My office is spacious and bright. I enjoy working here, and when I need fresh air to help me think I take a walk across the campus. The campus is situated against a hill with woods and small animals. The view is beautiful and changes with the season.
Life
As I mentioned above, I have a room on campus. I think it is a privilege to live just a 5-minute walk from where you work. It is a room with a private bathroom. There is no private kitchen, but there is a refrigerator in the room and a shared kitchen on the building’s top floor. (There are different types of rooms, so if you ever join KIAS you might reside in a room different from the one I have described here.)
The cafeteria on campus offers cheap and decent meals at noon and in the evening every day, except national holidays. I usually have lunch and dinner in the cafeteria on weekdays and try different restaurants outside the campus on weekends. There is a huge number of restaurants just within a 10-minute walk from the campus. You can find Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian or fast food. My favorite Korean dishes are samgye-tang (ginseng chicken soup) and samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly). In addition to going out to eat, you can also choose to have food delivered to your room. It is very convenient with mobile apps such as Coupang Eats.
After work, I try to go to the gym as regularly as I can. There is a gym on the campus that is free to KIAS members. Besides the gym, there are also tennis courts, a basketball court, and a ping-pong room on the campus. On weekends, there are plenty of activities available in metropolitan Seoul. I often go to one of the parks along the Han River to ride a skateboard. I also took some Korean language lessons to better appreciate life in Korea.
Overall, despite some small inconveniences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I am enjoying my life in Seoul, especially in KIAS.