Increase in Research Institutes' Absence at Simultaneous Science Festival and Science and Technology Expo
Budget Cuts and Rising Costs Increase Burden
Growing Calls for Event Integration
The significance of the 'Science and Technology Expo,' which used to disclose the annual research achievements of government-funded research institutes in the science and technology sector, has diminished. Starting this year, the Science and Technology Expo is held together with the 'Korea Science Festival,' increasing the burden on research institutes that participate in both events, and the number of institutes that do not participate at all has also risen. There are calls for integration rather than holding separate events on the same schedule.
Children are enjoying their time with guardians at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute experience booth set up at the 2024 Korea Science Festival. Photo by Baek Jong-min
At the Korea Aerospace Research Institute booth set up at the 2024 Korea Science Festival, models of the Korean launch vehicle Naro and the Korean lunar orbiter Danuri are on display. Photo by Baek Jong-min
On the 25th, the '2024 Korea Science Festival,' hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and Daejeon City, and organized by the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity and the National Research Foundation of Korea, opened at Daejeon Expo Park. True to its theme, 'The World's Largest Science Lab,' there were more booths to visit compared to previous years. Several exhibition booths from Korea's leading research institutions, including the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), were set up both outdoors and indoors. Thanks to two KARI booths, visitors did not have to line up to take photos in front of the model of the Korean launch vehicle Naroho.
The reason why one research institute or science institute had multiple booths is that the Science Festival and the Science and Technology Expo, which used to be held separately in May and November, were held together. Typically, the Science Festival has been a child-centered experiential event, while the Science and Technology Expo has been an adult-oriented event including professional content. A Ministry of Science and ICT official said, "Combining the two events has increased the amount to see."
While the audience is enjoying themselves, the faces of the research institute staff participating in the event are not bright. The burden of the event is different from previous years. Due to cuts in research and development (R&D) budgets, finances are tight, and many research institutes have given up participating in the Science and Technology Expo. Only some institutes such as KAIST, KARI, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Institute for Basic Science, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, and Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) attended the Science and Technology Expo. This is a completely different scene from past events where almost all research institutes participated.
A representative from a research institute that did not participate in the Science and Technology Expo said, "There is an atmosphere of reluctance to participate in the Science and Technology Expo." A representative from a participating institute said, "If we had known that many institutes would not attend, we would not have set up a booth at the Science Expo." Another representative from a research institute expressed hardship, saying, "(Due to budget shortages) we stretched our resources to attend this event." There were also appeals that, although the two events are held together, there is not much content worth exhibiting.
There was also an opinion that it was difficult to present new attractions because the Science and Technology Expo held last November was only about five months ago. Complaints arose that the burden increased because the organizers operated the event until 8 p.m. for the convenience of visitors. However, some responded that it was better to do what used to be done twice a year just once.
The Science and Technology Expo has recently undergone consecutive changes in venue. The exhibition, which used to be held at KINTEX in Ilsan, was moved to the Gwacheon National Science Museum last year, and this year it moved back to Daejeon. This inevitably limits opportunities for residents in the metropolitan area to check the R&D achievements of research institutes nearby. The Science Festival has also been held in Daejeon instead of Seoul since last year. Some argue, "If this continues, wouldn't it be better to merge the events altogether?" In response, a Ministry of Science and ICT official explained, "It has not yet been decided whether the two events will be held together next year."
At the opening ceremony held that day, instead of the Minister and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, Noh Kyung-won, Director of the Research and Development Policy Office, attended. Director Noh has been appointed as the Deputy Director of the Space and Aviation Administration, which will open on the 27th of next month.
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