KAIST Professor Seo Yong-seok Highlights the Importance of Talent in the Era of Technological Hegemony
Cites Singapore Government Model as an Example
Seo Yong-seok, a professor at the Graduate School of Future Strategy at KAIST and regarded as a leading futurist in South Korea (photo), stated that "a 'Global Talent Agency' should be established to secure outstanding personnel."
On the 18th, Professor Seo delivered a breakfast lecture on the theme of 'The Conditions of Talent in the Era of Technological Hegemony Competition' at the Anmin Policy Forum seminar held at iTower in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
He said, "Science knows no borders, but technology does. We are currently in a talent war," adding, "It is necessary to attract excellent overseas science and technology talent and prevent the outflow of our own outstanding talent abroad."
He proposed making the 'Global Talent Agency' an external agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT or the Prime Minister's Office. This agency would identify the status of outstanding overseas talent by field, focusing on science, technology, and engineering, and connect them with domestic demand.
Professor Seo said, "Singapore established a control tower in the late 1990s to encourage the settlement of high-level talent, and in 2023, it newly introduced a specialized visa for overseas networks to support long-term residence."
He also suggested expanding fast-track permanent residency and naturalization systems for outstanding talent and increasing the quotas of science high schools and gifted high schools to allow early admission of excellent overseas talent.
Professor Seo emphasized, "The younger they are, the easier it is for them to adapt to Korean society and culture, so it is necessary to nurture them as science and technology talent," adding, "At KAIST, a system is in place where foreign students who obtain master's and doctoral degrees receive 'residence status' through the president's recommendation."
He stressed that improving the environment is also important to prevent the outflow of high-level talent. He said, "KAIST master's and doctoral graduates are employed by overseas companies such as Micron, Nvidia, Google, and Tesla," adding, "Although we lose the talent we have nurtured with our budget and efforts, it cannot be prevented because the treatment is different."
Professor Seo stated, "Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data will become public goods in the future, and individuals, companies, and nations are actively utilizing these public goods," adding, "It is necessary to conduct business and create added value based on them."
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