The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us of the importance of continuous investment in R&D and global collaboration to respond to and overcome emerging infectious diseases. As the CEO of IPK and Representative Professor of the UST-IPK Campus, Dr. Youngmee Jee brought to light the collaboration between domestic and international researchers studying infectious disease and shared strategies to prepare for the post-COVID era. She also introduced IPK's efforts to fight COVID-19 as an acclaimed infectious disease research institute possessing a global network.