What is most essential for humanity's survival, health, and prosperity? It is the creation of more diverse and efficient 'materials' and 'energy' than we have today.
Chemical and biomolecular engineering has been a driving force behind human progress and will only grow more important in the future. It is not simply a field of chemistry experiments. It applies the principles of physics and chemistry to design systems that transform matter and energy, and to build chemical processes that coexist with the environment — fundamentally improving the quality of human life.
Where chemical engineering once focused on petrochemicals, polymers, and energy production, today its boundaries have expanded infinitely. It spans advanced materials processing and synthesis, renewable energy and environmental technology, and applications ranging from molecular biology to semiconductor integration. Despite its name, the field is in fact a convergence of physics (optics, plasma), materials science (new materials, fibers), environmental energy, mechanical engineering (process automation), electronics (semiconductor manufacturing), and systems engineering. In particular, areas such as carbon neutrality and ESG, AI-driven process design, pharmaceuticals and vaccines, secondary batteries, next-generation semiconductors, and bio-electronic devices have emerged as globally competitive frontiers driving key future industries.
Since introducing modern chemical engineering to Korea in 1950, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Yonsei University has produced over 4,000 elite engineers over more than 70 years, serving as a leading department within the College of Engineering. Its graduates have led the modernization of the petrochemical and refining industries, and today contribute to national competitiveness as leaders in renewable energy, biotechnology, and advanced IT materials.