[Meeting the Italian Ambassador to Korea] "Korea and Italy Must Actively Cooperate in STEM... Expanding Women's Participation Will Drive Innovation"

Emilia Gatto, Italian Ambassador to Korea
Korea and Italy: Complementary in Basic and Applied Sciences
"Gender Balance Needed for Further Progress in STEM"

"Korea and Italy can realize infinite possibilities together by collaborating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) based on each country's strengths. Furthermore, if women's participation in STEM increases, it will accelerate innovation in science, technology, and advanced industries."

Emilia Gatto, the Italian Ambassador to Korea, made these remarks during an interview with Asia Economy at the Italian Ambassador's residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on April 22.

Emilia Gatto, the Italian Ambassador to Korea, is giving an interview to Asia Economy. Photo by Dongju Yoon

Ambassador Gatto is a veteran diplomat with 36 years of experience, having accumulated extensive on-site expertise in media, economic affairs, and international cooperation through postings in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Paris, and New York before her appointment as the Italian Ambassador to Korea in September 2023. On this day, Ambassador Gatto introduced herself with a clear Korean pronunciation, saying, "Nice to meet you. My name is Emilia," and added, "Today is a day to honor the achievements of Italian scientists while also reflecting on the importance of women's rights and gender equality."

The Italian Embassy in Korea held a special event called "Ambassador for a Day" on this day. Launched in 2022 to promote the value of gender equality, this event is now in its fourth year and selects one female university student studying at a domestic university to spend a day with Ambassador Gatto. This year's event, held in celebration of "Italian Science Day" and themed around STEM, selected Go Minyoung, a graduate student majoring in chemical engineering at Dongguk University, as the Ambassador for a Day. She participated in meetings with key figures in the STEM fields from both countries and carried out various tasks.

Ambassador Gatto explained, "The Ambassador for a Day program was inspired by the fifth goal of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 'Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.' This year, the event was held on the same date as the birthday of Rita Levi-Montalcini, a renowned Italian female scientist and Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine for her research on nerve growth factors, making it especially meaningful."

Emilia Gatto, the Italian Ambassador to Korea, is explaining various materials introducing Italy to student Go Minyoung, who was selected as the Ambassador for a Day. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Italy's Deep Roots in Science, Korea's Strength in Application... "An Ideal Partnership"

Italy is a powerhouse in basic science, having produced several Nobel laureates such as Rita Levi-Montalcini, who contributed to neurobiology; Enrico Fermi, who established the foundations of nuclear science and excelled in both theoretical and experimental physics; and Giorgio Parisi, well known for his research on spin glass and complex systems physics. Ambassador Gatto stated, "Going further back in history, Galileo Galilei, known as the 'Father of Modern Science,' and Leonardo da Vinci, the 'Renaissance Master' who merged science and art, are also representative figures who contributed to Italy's basic sciences. As a result of Italy's long-standing focus on pure, theory-based scholarship, many Italian universities have achieved world-class research results in fields such as physics, chemistry, and biology. For young Koreans wishing to study these fields, studying in Italy would be a great opportunity."

Ambassador Gatto explained that because Italy has outstanding research capabilities in basic science, it is well-matched with Korea, which has strengths in applied science. She said, "Korea has invested heavily in applied sciences such as engineering over the past several decades. As the world knows, that strategy has been successful. Historically, Korea overcame difficult times and focused on developing human resources, and these are the results. However, when you focus on one area, it's inevitable that something else is overlooked; in Korea, basic science research is sometimes seen as relatively less developed compared to engineering. If Korea now seeks to strengthen theory-based research, we are in an ideal partnership to complement each other's shortcomings."

She continued, "In particular, Italy looks forward to cooperation with Korea in STEM fields. For Italy, which needs to focus more on applied sciences, this is a great opportunity. For example, I believe Italy can learn a lot from Korea in the semiconductor sector. Korea is far ahead in memory semiconductors such as DRAM. I once visited a Samsung Electronics plant and saw everything was automated, which made me realize there is much Italy can improve. While I mentioned semiconductors as a representative example, there are many other fields for cooperation, such as aerospace, automobiles, and artificial intelligence (AI)."

More Women Needed in STEM... Support from All of Society Is Essential

Emilia Gatto, the Italian Ambassador to Korea, is giving an interview to Asia Economy. Photo by Dongju Yoon

Ambassador Gatto emphasized the need to further expand women's participation in STEM fields. She said, "Rita Levi-Montalcini, whom I referenced when planning this year's Ambassador for a Day event, once said, 'Humanity is composed of women and men, and both genders must represent all of humanity.' This means that participation by both women and men should be balanced in STEM fields. However, I often feel that reality does not reflect this."

She added, "We must address the imbalance in participation between women and men in STEM fields. Otherwise, not only will we lose talent, but society may also miss opportunities to advance. I believe this applies not only to STEM but to all areas. I have often seen women around me achieve outstanding results at school or work, only to give up their studies or careers due to family responsibilities. This was truly regrettable. Society as a whole must help alleviate the burden of caring for the family."

Finally, Ambassador Gatto shared her personal story of living as both a female diplomat and a 'mother' of a family. She said, "Because I have a somewhat perfectionist personality, I have always had a lingering pain in my heart, wondering, 'Can I not be a perfect mother?' I raised three children. There were many times when it was difficult and exhausting. Although the world has changed a lot now, it was not easy to say at work that I had three children when I was relatively young. This is because, in Italy, it is common to have only up to two children."

Ambassador Gatto said, "I have long believed that true change for women's advancement in society begins with making paternity leave mandatory for men. If men are required to take parental leave, women and men can finally compete on 'equal terms.' For example, imagine a company CEO interviewing a man and a woman, both around 30 years old. The CEO might think, 'The female candidate is married and has one child, and may soon have a second or take parental leave, so let's hire the other candidate.' However, if parental leave is mandatory for both women and men, such situations may be reduced."

She emphasized, "Within the family, if fathers spend more time with their children through mandatory paternity leave, they will have more opportunities to make their own decisions about childcare and feel a sense of responsibility. This will naturally lead to an environment where women can feel less burdened in balancing work and life."