Reforming the research ecosystem matters more than naming 100 ‘national scientists’

President Lee Jae Myung speaks throughout a nationwide discussion board on science and expertise, held at the National Science Museum in Yuseong District, Daejeon, on the afternoon of Nov. 7. [NEWS1]

 
At a nationwide discussion board on science and expertise hosted by President Lee Jae Myung on Nov. 7, the authorities unveiled plans to domesticate and appeal to scientific expertise. A brand new “National Scientist Program” will choose 20 researchers subsequent 12 months and 100 inside 5 years, every receiving an annual research grant of 100 million gained ($68,682). The authorities additionally goals to draw 2,000 excellent or early-career researchers from abroad by 2030.
 
The initiative is welcome in precept. Korea’s future development is unattainable with out superior science and expertise. But the query stays whether or not this plan addresses the structural flaws of the research surroundings. The scarcity of scientific expertise and stagnation in innovation stem not merely from a scarcity of individuals however from institutional and systemic constraints that forestall researchers from specializing in research.
 
Korea’s research ecosystem prioritizes equal distribution over excellence and regulation over autonomy. Salaries are managed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, staffing by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Researchers are burdened with efficiency evaluations and administrative paperwork. Presidents of government-funded research institutes serve solely three-year phrases, and fewer than 10 p.c of their budgets can be utilized at their discretion. The retirement age for researchers at such institutes is 62, decrease than the 65 for college professors. The once-prestigious salaries at establishments like the Korea Institute of Science and Technology at the moment are a factor of the previous.
 
 
Universities face related situations. Chinese universities lately despatched recruitment emails to 149 KAIST professors, providing as much as 400 million gained in annual wage and beneficiant research autonomy. If home situations stay unchanged, designated “national scientists” or recruited overseas researchers may have little motive to remain.
 
During the industrialization period of the Sixties and Seventies, Korea handled science and expertise as a nationwide survival technique. Leaders set a imaginative and prescient, and researchers got belief and autonomy. That spirit is what is required as we speak. A technique for nurturing scientific expertise should start with reforming the broader research ecosystem. Patchwork options won’t safe the way forward for Korean science and expertise.

This article was initially written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the assist of generative AI instruments. It was then edited by a local English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.