On January 21, 2026, a seminar titled “Neuromorphic Electronic Devices for Spiking Neural Networks” was delivered by Prof. Joon Young Kwak (Division of Electronic and Semiconductor Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea) at the Electrical Engineering Department, KFUPM.

The seminar addressed the growing demand for high-throughput data processing and the intrinsic limitations of conventional von Neumann architectures, particularly in terms of latency and energy efficiency. Prof. Kwak introduced neuromorphic computing, which is an event-driven paradigm inspired by biological signaling, as a promising route to overcome these challenges through hardware that can emulate synaptic weight modulation and neuronal spiking dynamics.

The talk then highlighted key electronic-device research directions based on emerging materials and architectures that enable efficient spiking neural network (SNN) operation. It also discussed interface circuits designed to drive emerging material-based neuromorphic neuron and synapse device arrays, demonstrating pathways toward scalable and low-power SNN hardware platforms.

The following are the highlights of the event: