Ministry of Science and ICT Introduces Global Cooperation Policies to Foreign Diplomats in Korea

'2024 K-Science & Technology Global Forum' Held

On the 11th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held the '2024 K-Science & Technology Global Forum' at the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel, facilitating exchanges among the government, diplomats, and researchers for international cooperation in science and technology.

The forum consisted of a keynote speech and a total of four sessions, each focusing on policies, case studies, sharing project outcomes of international cooperation in science and technology, and support for participation in Horizon Europe. The forum was attended by over 200 participants, including 108 diplomats from 73 countries and 4 international organizations stationed in Korea, government officials, and researchers involved in international joint research.

In the keynote speech, Eunmi Chae, a rising researcher in quantum computing from Korea University, spoke on the growth of young scientists through international cooperation in science and technology. Following her, Yann LeCun, a world-renowned AI scholar from New York University, attended the event in person and presented on the development of artificial intelligence technology and global collaboration.

Hyukchae Koo, Director General of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Science and ICT, introduced the ministry's 'Science and Technology Diplomacy Initiative.' Director Koo outlined a policy direction for vigorously promoting international cooperation in science and technology through public-private collaboration and stated that strategies in areas such as cooperation ecosystems, channels, and outcomes would be pursued. Based on this announcement, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to prepare detailed measures in cooperation with related ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and announce them in the first half of next year.

In Session 2, diplomats from the EU, the United Kingdom, the United States, Vietnam, and Sweden shared cases of international cooperation in science, technology, and ICT between their countries and the Republic of Korea. They presented key contents and achievements of past cooperation, such as Korea's accession as an associate member of Horizon Europe, hosting the AI Seoul Summit, and the establishment of the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), expressing their commitment to continue promoting international cooperation in science and technology with Korea.

Session 3 shared the outcomes of major international joint research projects newly launched in 2024. Following introductions of international joint research policy directions by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, principal investigators from representative projects conducted this year presented their research content and achievements. These included Professor Seungpyo Lee of Seoul National University and Professor David Golan of Harvard University participating in the Boston-Korea project, Leo Celi, senior researcher at MIT, and Professor Jinseok Lee of Kyung Hee University and Professor Daniel Sodickson of New York University participating in the Global AI Frontier Lab project.

Minister Sangim Yoo of the Ministry of Science and ICT stated, “As the wave of innovation in science and technology sweeps across the globe, we have gathered here to explore new possibilities for international cooperation in science and technology,” adding, “Going forward, we will unite the capabilities of the private sector and government, science and technology, and diplomacy to propel the Republic of Korea’s leap as a global hub for science and technology.”