The department was initiated as a graduate program in Chemical Engineering at the Seoul KAIST Campus in 1971. In 1989, when KAIST and KIT were merged and moved to Daejeon, an undergraduate program was newly established. In 2002, the department name was changed to “Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE)” to reflect the expanding research areas of faculties and the paradigm shift in the industry. Currently, there are 27 full-time faculty members (as of August 2023) who are recognized as international leaders in their respective research fields.  KAIST CBE has been successfully transformed into one of the best programs, not only in Korea, but also in the world.

KAIST CBE offers outstanding academic programs for both undergraduate and graduate students to educate important principles related to chemical/biological processes and new materials design. We train students to creatively solve complex problems, rationally make important decisions in terms of technological, economic, and social issues, and exercise leadership for industry, academia, and government. KAIST CBE also provides a highly interdisciplinary research program, in which talented students and faculty members creatively integrate engineering principles with fundamental knowledge of chemistry, biology, mathematics, and physics, to solve the technological needs of the global economy and human society. The vision of KAIST CBE is to grow into a world-renowned Top 10 CBE program.