- 2019
- August 20. Commencement ceremony, second half 2019. [Cumulative total graduates: 6,084 (573 bachelors, 4,167 masters, and 1,344 PhDs)]
- 2018
- February 20. Commencement ceremony for academic year 2017. [Cumulative total graduates: 5,598 (420 bachelors, 3,937 masters, and 1,241 PhDs)]
- June 7. Ranked third in citations per faculty (QS World University Rankings): Global top three for four consecutive years; top in Korea for 11 consecutive years.
- 2017
- February 24. Commencement ceremony for academic year 2016. [Cumulative total graduates: 4,996 (279 bachelors, 3,595 masters, and 1,122 PhDs)]
- 2016
- February 25. Commencement ceremony for academic year 2015 (conferred the 1,000th PhD degree).
- June 30. Established the GIST Development Foundation.
- 2015
- February 25. Dr. Seung-Hyeon Moon was appointed as the seventh GIST president.
- April 6. Opened the GIST Central Library.
- September 14. Ranked second in citations per faculty (QS World University Rankings).
- October 29. Opened the Institute of Integrated Technology.
- 2014
- February 25. Commencement ceremony for academic year 2013 (conferred degrees to the first 54 undergraduate students).
- 2013
- June 10. Opened the Korea Institute of Cultural Technology.
- November 15. Celebrated the 20th anniversary.
- 2012
- June 4. Dr. Young-Joon Kim was appointed as the sixth GIST president.
- December 1. Opened the IBS Center for Relativistic Laser Science.
- 2011
- May 16. Opened the International Science Business Belt Research Center (on the GIST Campus).
- 2010
- March 2. Entrance ceremony (admitted the first 100 undergraduate students).
- 2009
- February 25. Opened the Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Energies.
- 2008
- June 4. Dr. Jung-Ho Sonu was appointed as the fifth GIST president.
- June 13. Approved to run undergraduate programs (under the Act No. 9107).
- 2006
- February 16. Dr. Sung-Gwan Huh was appointed as the fourth GIST president.
- 2005
- April 11. Opened the GIST Technology Institute.
- 2004
- March 26. Changed the institute’s name in English (K-JIST → GIST).
- 2003
- November 14. Celebrated the tenth anniversary.
- 2002
- February 16. Dr. Jung-Woong Ra was appointed as the third GIST president.
- 2001
- May 9. Opened the Advanced Photonics Research Institute.
- 2000
- February 22. Commencement ceremony, second half 2000 (conferred the first PhD degree).
- May 17. Signed an academic exchange agreement with United Nations University.
- December 14. Opened the Technology Support Center.
- 1998
- January 22. Dr. Hyo-Gun Kim was appointed as the second GIST president.
- 1997
- February 27. Commencement ceremony for academic year 1996 (first commencement ever, conferred 92 master’s degrees).
- March 4. The first PhD students entrance ceremony.
- June 12. Completed the construction of the LG Science Library.
- 1995
- March 9. Institute opening ceremony and entrance ceremony (admitted the first 113 master’s students).
- 1993
- August 5. The Act on the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology was enacted and proclaimed (Act. No. 4580).
- October 6. The Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology was enacted and proclaimed (Presidential Decree No. 13988).
- October 11. Dr. Doo-Bong Ha was appointed as the first GIST president; held the ground-breaking ceremony.
- November 17. Incorporated and registered GIST (foundation day).
- 1992
- March 26. The Bureau for the Establishment of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology was formed.
- 1991
- October 17. The Steering Committee for the Establishment of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology was formed.
