WMO awards IMO prize to Prof. In-Sik Kang

The World Meteorological Organization has honoured Prof. In-Sik Kang, Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University (SNU), Republic of Korea, with its top award for his outstanding contributions to climate science.

WMO’s Executive Council selected Prof. Kang as winner of the 66th IMO Prize. Established in 1955 and named after the predecessor of the WMO, the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), it is awarded every year to individuals in recognition of their lifetime work in the field of meteorology, hydrology, climatology or related fields.

The award cites Prof. Kang’s science achievements, particularly in the field of climate modeling and prediction, and his pioneering contributions to operational and research climate centers, and for nurturing next-generation scientists, including from developing countries. He has published more than 170 papers in scientific journals.

From 2000 to 2009, he was the Director of Center of Excellence for Climate Environment System Research at SNU. He has a long history of working with the international climate community and was a member of the World Climate Research Programme Joint Scientific Committee for 2013-2018.

Prof. Kang established a Center of Excellence for Climate Environment System Research at Seoul National University in year 2000. He pioneered a multi-model ensemble seasonal prediction system combined with dynamical-statistical corrections. The work demonstrated a value of multi-model ensemble prediction in operational seasonal forecast, which led to the establishment of APEC Climate Center (APCC). He initiated and played a major role in establishing the APCC and has been a co-Chair of the APCC Science Advisory Committee since its establishment in 2006.

The APCC now plays a major role in producing WMO multi-model seasonal prediction products by collecting the seasonal predictions from the 11 WMO-designated operational centers.

After his retirement from SNU, Prof. Kang was elected as a Foreign Expert by Chinese government in 2018 and has been working in China as the Science Director of the Indian Ocean Center, Second Institute of Oceanography.

Currently, Prof. Kang promoting the ocean field observations with buoys and ocean cruises with his newly formed Chinese research team, which will enhance the Chinese contribution to the international Indian Ocean observation programs.

Apart from his science achievements, he has committed himself lifelong to educating younger generations of the weather and climate science community. As a professor at Seoul National University, he had generated many excellent next-generation scientists. Most of his former Ph.D. students are now professors in USA and Korea and are well known scientists in various research institutes. Many of them are actively working with international climate programs.

Prof. Kang has trained and educated a number of climate scientists from developing countries.

Prof. Kang will collect the award and deliver a scientific lecture at the Executive Council session in 2022.

WMO’s former President, David Grimes of Canada, was awarded the 65th IMO prize in 2020 and will deliver his scientific lecture at Extraordinary Congress in October 2021.