Stanford University will close its research center in Korea after five years, citing financial and operational difficulties. The U.S. government's planned cuts to research funding for universities are believed to be one of the major reasons, according to officials of relevant public organizations here. The Stanford Center at the Incheon Global Campus (IGC) will conclude all research activities this year and begin winding down operations, Julie Greicius, associate dean for communications and alumni affairs at Stanford Engineering, said in a recent email to The Korea Times. “After opening in June 2021 during the height of the COVID pandemic, the program faced financial and operational difficulties,” Greicius said. Despite the decision, she noted Stanford will remain dedicated to addressing research topics such as urban sustainability and clean-energy challenges in urban environments and expected its broader relationship with Korea to continue through other collaborations. The center opened in June 2021 in Songdo, at the IGC where four foreign universities and three research centers hav