EBS Great Minds Season 6 to Begin October 12 with Lectures from 50 Scholars

“What questions should we ask in the age of AI?” We announce Season 6 of , featuring the largest group of intellects to date, with 50 individuals.

EBS 〈Great Minds〉 Season 6 will air its first broadcast on October 12, featuring a lecture by Chairman Chey Tae-won.

- A record-breaking 50 scholars participating... from 5 Nobel laureates to the first domestic scholars in the program's history - The first lecturer, Chairman Chey Tae-won, presents 〈AI, New Capitalism, and Youth〉... three questions posed to Korean society - Public knowledge content expanding to schools, universities, and lifelong learning sites through free K-MOOC availability

*Broadcast Schedule: Starting Monday, October 12, 2026, Monday to Friday at 11:45 PM, EBS1

EBS's representative knowledge lecture program 〈Great Minds〉 will return to viewers for its sixth season on October 12.

This season features the largest scale ever, with 50 intellectuals participating, including Nobel laureates, former heads of state, researchers at the forefront of AI, masters of culture and arts, and representative scholars from Korea.

The most significant feature of this season is the inclusion of lectures by domestic scholars for the first time in the program's history. Moving one step beyond a lineup centered on overseas scholars, Korean academics recognized on the world stage will directly answer the questions of our era.

The 'First Lecture' opening the doors to Season 6: Chairman Chey Tae-won 〈AI, New Capitalism, and Youth〉

The first lecture to open the season will be delivered by Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who will discuss AI and the future of the Republic of Korea using insights gained from 30 years of corporate management.

Chairman Chey Tae-won poses three questions to Korean society. He opened the lecture by stating, "As a frequent viewer of Great Minds, it is an infinite honor to stand on this stage as a Korean entrepreneur," adding, "What I am saying is not the definitive answer. I am here to suggest that such thoughts are possible."

In the 1st lecture, 'New Capitalism that Protects Democracy,' he diagnoses that the Republic of Korea, which has run on the two wheels of democracy and capitalism, is facing a slowdown in growth and a high-cost structure for social problems. As a solution, he proposes an 'economy that solves social problems' that measures social value and rewards proportional to performance. He also reveals the result of a 10-year experiment targeting social enterprises, where the group receiving incentives produced at least three times more social performance.

In the 2nd lecture, 'What Should We Do with AI,' he examines the conditions of the AI competition—speed, scale, and safety—and emphasizes that South Korea's winning point lies in applications and services tailored to our society's data.

In the 3rd lecture, 'South Korea's New Options,' he proposes an Korea-Japan economic alliance. This vision suggests that through joint energy purchasing and cooperation in hydrogen, AI, and semiconductors, Korea can leap from a 'rule taker' to a 'rule setter.'

The 'Intellects of the Era' moving the world: 5 Nobel laureates and leaders of the global economy and politics

In terms of academic authority, this season completes an unprecedented lineup. 2025 Nobel Laureate in Economics Philippe Aghion speaks about sustainable growth through creative destruction and innovation. Reinhard Genzel (2020 Nobel Prize in Physics) conveys the secrets of black holes and our galaxy, and Ferenc Krausz (2023 Nobel Prize in Physics) discusses attosecond physics. Omar Yaghi discusses the molecular design of air and water, and Tasuku Honjo (2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine) explains the paradigm shift in immunotherapy.

Figures who have stood at the forefront of national governance and the global economy will also take the podium. Janet Yellen, who served as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Chair of the Federal Reserve, analyzes the global economy and financial order in the geopolitical era. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder speaks about Germany standing between the past and the future. Professor Kenneth Rogoff of Harvard University forecasts the future of dollar hegemony.

‘Wisdom of the AI Era’ interpreting a period of upheaval

In the fields of AI and future technology, Mark Chen, Chief Research Officer (CRO) of OpenAI, conveys the future of AI technology. Mathematician and former French Member of Parliament Cédric Villani speaks about mathematics in the age of AI. Melanie Mitchell (Professor at Santa Fe Institute), Kate Crawford (AI social impact researcher), Hiroshi Ishiguro (android robot researcher), and Alison Gopnik (Professor at University of California, Berkeley) also shed light on the relationship between AI and humans from various perspectives.

‘Wisdom of Humanities and Arts’ enriching life

The fields of humanities and arts have also expanded further. Terry Eagleton (Laureate Professor at Lancaster University) lectures on the history of tragedy, Peter Frankopan (Professor at University of Oxford) on the Silk Road that changed the world, and Gregory Nagy (Professor Emeritus at Harvard University) on Homer. French actress and director Sophie Marceau speaks about art and life, and Professor Martin Schmeding of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig tells the life and works of Bach.

Program's first 'Representative Korean Scholars': Professors Hyeon Taeghwan, Kim Young-kee, and Kim Kyung-hee appear

For the first time in the program, domestic scholars will stand at the podium this season. World-renowned nanoscientist Hyeon Taeghwan, a Chair Professor at Seoul National University, lectures on the 'Nano Revolution,' and Kim Young-kee, a global authority in particle physics and a Chair Professor at the University of Chicago, lectures on the 'Universe of the Smallest Things.' Kim Kyung-hee, a professor of educational psychology at William & Mary, highlights creativity in the age of AI.

Chair Professor Hyeon Taeghwan said, "I want to share with viewers that science is not difficult or distant knowledge, but a force that changes our lives and our future." Chair Professor Kim Young-kee stated, "I especially hope that the younger generation can experience the fundamental questions and the joy of inquiry in science."

Beyond broadcasting to lifelong learning sites... Public knowledge content with K-MOOC

From Season 1 in 2021 to Season 5, 〈Great Minds〉 has presented 805 lectures from 152 scholars. Along with the broadcast, the courses are released for free through K-MOOC, establishing itself as a representative knowledge content used in various learning settings such as school discussion classes and university education. This season also links with the K-MOOC lifelong learning policy promoted by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Institute for Lifelong Education, allowing anyone to continue high-quality lectures whenever they wish.

Viewer evaluations are also high. As a result of Consumer Insight evaluating 14 knowledge and culture programs among 1,054 people aged 19–69 nationwide, 〈Great Minds〉 ranked first in all four comprehensive indicators: preference, intention to rewatch, intention to recommend, and satisfaction. It was also confirmed that those with viewing experience had an 11.7%p higher awareness of K-MOOC than non-viewers, verifying the effect of broadcasting leading to actual learning.

PD Han Song-hee said, "Season 6 deals with the core questions of our era, such as changes in AI and science/technology and the uncertainty of politics and economy, through a lineup of 50 scholars, the largest ever. We planned it so that viewers can ask and judge for themselves through various fields and perspectives rather than providing a single answer."

EBS 〈Great Minds〉 Season 6 will be broadcast from Monday, October 12, Monday to Friday at 11:45 PM on EBS1, and can be watched again for free on the K-MOOC website (www.kmooc.kr) and the EBS website (www.ebs.co.kr).

End. (Related photos attached)

◆ At a Glance

· Issuing Organization: EBS

· Category: Great Minds

· Distribution: October 2

Source: EBS Press Release

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