Prof. Ja Yoon KOO
JAYOON KOO received a bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University in 1975 in Korea, a Master's degree from ENSEEIHT in 1980, and a Dr. Eng. from ENSIEG in 1984, all in electrical engineering in France. Afterward, his post-doctorate program was done at the EDF R&D Center at Renardière in France for one and a half years. On his return to Korea in 1985, he worked at KIST (Korea Institute of Science and Technology) for three years. Since March 1988, he has served as a professor at the electrical engineering department of Hanyang University till Feb. 2016 and now become professor emeritus.
Directing the Smart Measurement & Diagnosis Technology Laboratory since 1988, his primary research concern is in HV insulation of power apparatus using partial discharge (PD) diagnosis by designing and fabricating diverse sensors and systems to detect PDs. He has published around 200 papers in conference proceedings and journals covering high-voltage engineering, electrical insulating materials, and PD diagnosis. The establishment of “The Center for Electro-Fusion Technology” in 2003, under the financial support of the Korean government, was a significant step towards enhancing the high-voltage engineering capabilities of industries and academia in Korea. His work has not only raised the capability of stakeholders in high-voltage engineering but also inspired a hopeful future for the field, demonstrating the potential for significant advancements in the coming years.
In a rapidly evolving world, collaboration between industries, universities, and research institutions is crucial, especially in vital fields like power engineering. Therefore, he made efforts to utilize the university workforce through sectors in the power engineering business; on his return to Korea, he joined CIGRE (https://www.cigre.org/ ) instead of IEEE DEIS, unlike other professors in Asia. In addition, domestic and international patents were achieved, and his presentations were made at every CIGRE session without interruption from 1986 until 2022.
Prof. Koo's international impact is undeniable, as evidenced by his service to CIGRE and other organizations. He has served as RM (Regular Member) for SC-B1 (Insulated power cable:1988-2000) and SC-D1(Materials and Emerging technology:2000-2008), Chairman of Asia Oceania Regional Council of CIGRE (2004-2006), CIGRE Technical Committee elected member (2004-2006, 2020-2022), CIGRE Administrative Council member (2004-2022), and Steering Committee elected member (2014~2016).
His work has been recognized with the <Honorary Member Award> at the centennial anniversary ceremony of the CIGRE in 2021. After forty years of dedication and perseverance since 1984, he was honored with the <CIGRE Medal 2024> Award, as shown in the attached photo. Over the decades, he has witnessed the incredible impact that CIGRE has had on both industry and academia, and such cooperation holds even more potential for the future.
His international impact is further demonstrated by his hosting two major international meetings, ISH 2013 (International Symposium of High Voltage Engineering) and CMD 2014 (Condition Monitoring and Diagnosis), held in Korea, fostering a sense of pride and connection among his colleagues. He was nominated as the <Hans Printz Award> awardee at ISH 2023 in Glasgow. He has also been with the International Scientific and Technical Committee (ISTC) of Jicable since 1991 and served as its chairman for Jicable 2019.
In October 2022, he served as an editorial board member at ELECTRA, encouraging young engineers to publish technical articles based on their work in the Asia-Oceania Reginal Council member countries. Since 2023, 10 young engineers from Japan, China, and Korea have been scheduled to have their articles published every year.
