Carol Merkur

Professor Woo-Suk Hwang, left, of Seoul National University, Dean Donald Smith, center, and Professor Sang Shin, both of Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, with the crystal given to Cornell in honor of the 30-year relationship between the colleges of veterinary medicine at Seoul National University and Cornell.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Woo-Suk Hwang, one of Time magazine's "100 People who Matter in 2004" and a professor at Seoul National University in South Korea, and his colleague Professor Seung Keun Kang spoke this week with Cornell University faculty and students about their groundbreaking animal and human stem cell research. The two-day visit, April 18-19, hosted by Donald Smith, dean of Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, was an extension of joint endeavors and academic exchange spanning a 30-year association between the two colleges of veterinary medicine.

Researchers Hwang and Kang told an overflow audience at the Veterinary College, April 18, of the need to continue stem cell research for therapeutic cloning. This cloning is intended to create cells and organs that will be instrumental in the future for curing such diseases as spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease and cancer.

The Time magazine article's description of Hwang and his work reads, in part: "A veterinarian by training, Hwang began to research cloning for a practical purpose: He wanted to create a better cow. But his work didn't stop in the barnyard. Hwang and his team at Seoul National University became the first to clone human embryos capable of yielding viable stem cells that might one day cure countless diseases. While such research raises troubling ethical questions, Hwang has already proved that human cloning is no longer science fiction, but a fact of life."

Hwang also has received South Korea's Presidential Award in Science and Technology numerous times. The award is presented by the president of South Korea and is the foremost scientific recognition in the country. South Korea also has issued a commemorative postage stamp highlighting Hwang's extraordinary achievements in health and science.

Sang Shin, Cornell associate professor of population medicine and diagnostic sciences, has been instrumental in developing a strong relationship between Seoul National University and Cornell. Over the past 30 years, Shin has brought 76 scientists from Seoul National University to work side-by-side with scientists at Cornell. This partnership has allowed both universities to gain knowledge and share expertise. Shin and Smith plan to travel to South Korea this fall to set the stage for a formal agreement between the two colleges of veterinary medicine.