2026 IEEE Fellow Distinguished Lecture Summer School

From August 18 to 19, the 2026 IEEE Fellow Distinguished Lecture Summer School was held at the New Engineering Building of Konkuk University. The event invited internationally renowned IEEE Fellows in the field of power electronics to share recent research trends and key technologies.

On the first day, two special lectures were delivered by IEEE Fellows.

The first lecture was given by Professor Yaow-Ming Chen of National Taiwan University on “Enabling the Smart Grid with Grid-Tied Inverters.” Professor Chen was elevated to IEEE Fellow in 2021 for his contributions to grid-connected power converters for renewable energy applications. He has also been included in the Stanford–Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists list. In addition, he serves as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, contributing to the advancement of the power electronics research community. His lecture focused on smart grid technologies based on grid-tied inverters and the role of power converters in modern power systems.

The second lecture was delivered by Professor Frede Blaabjerg of Aalborg University, Denmark on “Power Electronics Technology: Emerging Trends and Applications.” Professor Blaabjerg is widely recognized as one of the most influential researchers in power electronics and has been ranked No. 1 worldwide in Electrical & Electronic Engineering in a Stanford–Elsevier-based researcher ranking. He also received the 2020 IEEE Edison Medal for his outstanding contributions to power electronics and sustainable energy technologies. His lecture provided valuable insights into emerging trends and future applications of power electronics.

On the second day, Professor Paolo Mattavelli of the University of Padova, Italy gave a lecture titled “Small-Signal Stability and Intelligent Control of Power Electronic Converter in Renewable-Dominated Power Grids.” Professor Mattavelli is a leading researcher in power converter modeling and control, grid-connected converters, and renewable energy systems. He has been consistently included in the Stanford–Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists list since 2020 and is internationally recognized for his research impact in Electrical & Electronic Engineering.

After the special lectures, the three professors were invited to the KOPEL laboratory, where KOPEL members introduced several ongoing research projects and experimental systems. The researchers demonstrated their experimental setups and discussed system configurations, control methods, and research outcomes with the professors.

The main demonstrations included:

• NE Motor Drive Test

• 11 kW Matrix Converter

• 12.5 kW Battery Charger

• UAM Electric Propulsion System based on an OEW (Open-End Winding) Motor

• AGD DPT (Double Pulse Test)

The 2026 IEEE Fellow Distinguished Lecture Summer School provided a valuable opportunity to learn about the latest research trends and technical insights from world-renowned experts in power electronics. It also gave KOPEL members a meaningful chance to introduce their ongoing research and exchange ideas directly with the invited professors.

We sincerely thank the three professors for their valuable lectures, discussions, and advice.