Supporting the Return of Women Scientists
Discussing Support Measures for Senior Researchers
Lee Jaemyung Administration to Promote Science and Technology Talent Policy as a National Agenda
The National Policy Planning Committee, which is shaping the policy blueprint for the Lee Jaemyung administration, held a field discussion to strengthen science and technology talent policies, where participants discussed institutional improvements such as expanding scholarships and supporting the return of women scientists and engineers.
On the morning of July 3, the Economic Division 2 of the National Policy Planning Committee held a "Science and Technology Talent Policy Roundtable" at the National Science and Technology Advisory Council in Seoul. The meeting brought together a diverse group of researchers?including young scientists, women, and regional scientists?to discuss ways to foster science and technology talent and improve their working conditions. Attendees included Division Head Lee Chunseok, committee members such as Hwang Jeonga, graduate students in science and engineering, postdoctoral researchers, corporate researchers, and policy experts.
Participants emphasized the need to significantly expand scholarships and research activity incentives for undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering, in order to provide a stable environment for study and research. There was also a suggestion to develop industry-academia-research collaboration programs that reflect the needs of the industrial field. Additional proposals included clarifying the legal status of postdoctoral researchers and strengthening institutional support to help early-career researchers advance to mid-career positions.
Supporting the return of women scientists and engineers, who have so far lacked sufficient institutional support, was also a major topic of discussion. Participants suggested helping women scientists who have experienced career interruptions return to research, and enabling retired scientists to contribute to research and society by leveraging their knowledge and experience. Other proposals included expanding investment in regional strategic research and development (R&D) fields and promoting collaborative projects to address the concentration of resources in the Seoul metropolitan area and to build a regionally centered science and technology ecosystem.
Additionally, the need to establish a national-level control tower and detailed guidelines to ensure laboratory safety was mentioned. In response to concerns that science and technology talent policies are inefficiently dispersed across multiple ministries?such as education, research, and industry?there was a proposal to unify the support system to implement a consistent strategy for each stage of talent development.
Lee Chunseok, head of the division, stated, "Strengthening science and technology talent policies is urgent for Korea's sustainable growth. As the Lee Jaemyung administration promised to strengthen national-level support and create an environment where researchers can focus on their work as part of its presidential campaign pledges, we will strive to ensure that the opinions presented today are reflected in national policy tasks."
President Lee Jaemyung pledged during his presidential campaign to expand support for young science and technology personnel. The administration is pursuing policies to ensure research stability, such as supporting the growth of early-career researchers, clarifying the legal status of postdoctoral researchers, and increasing compensation for student researchers. In addition, the administration is working to integrate science and technology talent policies that are currently scattered across different ministries, and is emphasizing a policy shift focused on fieldwork, regions, youth, and women.
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