[Reading Science] Taiwan's Solution for Revitalizing STEM Fields

Measures to Revitalize Science and Engineering to Be Announced Soon
Limitations of Government Support Alone
Need to Examine the Science and Engineering Enthusiasm in Taiwan Ignited by 'Jensen Huang'

The framework for the science and engineering revitalization measures prepared by the government is expected to be unveiled by the end of this month or early next month. It has been three months since the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Education jointly launched a task force (TF) to promote the revitalization of science and engineering fields.

The TF has held several on-site meetings to gather diverse opinions. Participants?including scholars, science and engineering undergraduate and graduate students, returning startup entrepreneurs, researchers from government-funded research institutes, and science YouTubers?offered sincere feedback and questioned whether the government truly has the will to act. At the 4th TF meeting on science and engineering revitalization, Park Seong-hyun, CEO of AI semiconductor company Rebellion, stated, "Providing support of around 100 million won per returning technician would help in recruiting talent."

There has never been a government that did not emphasize the need to support science and engineering fields. However, this time is different from the past. The measures are being pushed forward amid the national research and development (R&D) budget cuts and a significant increase in medical school quotas. While increasing medical school quotas, the government must prevent the concentration of students in medical schools. It may seem contradictory, but it is a difficult equation that must be solved.

Regardless of the government's intentions, the R&D budget cuts have undeniably dampened the morale of not only science and engineering students but also scientists. Announcements to drastically increase medical school quotas followed one after another. It is natural for science and engineering students to feel disheartened. At this point, it is only natural for high school students, repeat exam takers, and even top-tier science and engineering university students to seriously consider whether they should transfer to medical schools, where lifelong employment is guaranteed. Kim Seong-won, who entered the Department of Chemistry at KAIST after initially attending medical school but preferring chemistry, said at the TF meeting on science and engineering revitalization, "A common trait among students who prioritize medical schools is that anxiety, rather than hope for the future, weighs heavily on them." He argued that these students seek comfort in medical schools precisely because of their anxiety.

International competition ultimately depends on talent. While expanding medical personnel responsible for public health is necessary, the importance of science and engineering personnel who will bear the nation's future goes without saying. No one can deny that the United States, which leads the global economy, has achieved continuous economic growth through innovations in space, information technology, the internet, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology. The U.S. government is also aware that it faces serious problems in the healthcare sector. The world witnessed the catastrophic state of the U.S. medical system during the COVID-19 pandemic, but paradoxically, vaccines to combat COVID-19 were developed by scientists. In a way, science accomplished what medicine could not.

In the science and engineering revitalization measures, compensation is important, but role models and honor for talent are also necessary. Although we have called ourselves an IT powerhouse since the 1990s, there are no visible role models to lead future generations. In this regard, Taiwan is enviable. A student who emigrated to the U.S. via Thailand recently returned to Taiwan at the age of 60 and has sparked a nationwide sensation as the "Godfather of AI." This is Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA. CEO Huang has publicly declared his intention to establish large-scale research facilities in Taiwan?not the U.S. that raised him?and to form partnerships with universities and various companies. The intensity of the message and the response witnessed on-site were fierce. Thanks to such a strong role model, the concentration of students in science and engineering fields is reportedly spreading even more in Taiwan. Could there be a better measure to revitalize science and engineering fields than this?