Inaugurated on the 15th... Swift Recovery of Basic and First-Time Research
"Master's and Doctoral Talent to Decline Starting This Year... Need Strategies for Overseas Recruitment and Retraining"
"Preparing for the Post-AI Era... Policy-Driven Discovery of New Technologies such as Quantum and Advanced Bio"
Koo Hyukchae, the new First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated on July 15, "The most important task is to quickly restore and recover the difficulties faced in the research field due to the recent years' cuts in research and development (R&D) budgets." Meeting with reporters at the Sejong Government Complex that day, Vice Minister Koo identified expanding the R&D budget, securing key talent, and responding to the post-artificial intelligence (AI) era as his main priorities after taking office.
First, he expressed his intention to focus on restoring the foundation of the R&D field. He said, "The budget must be expanded quickly because only on that foundation can more advanced research become possible." Pointing out the weakening of support for basic research and first-time research grants, he emphasized, "If there is a setback in the early research career, the impact is significant, so swift recovery is necessary."
As a second priority, he addressed the issue of talent. Vice Minister Koo said, "Starting this year, the number of master's and doctoral-level personnel will begin to decrease," and added, "It will take 20 years to reverse this trend." He continued, "A multi-layered response is needed, such as attracting overseas talent and retraining talent from other fields," highlighting the need for a mid- to long-term talent strategy.
He also mentioned technology strategies to prepare for AI and the era beyond. He stressed, "We need to utilize AI effectively to lead R&D in a more sophisticated and advanced direction," and said, "A post-AI strategy to prepare for what comes after AI is also important." He explained that since all new technologies such as quantum and advanced bio are connected to AI, it is necessary to identify and support them through policy so they can develop into future industries.
Regarding policy implementation, he said, "Data-based scientific policy decisions are important," and added, "Even when forming expert committees, objective data must be the foundation."
He also emphasized the need for fair evaluation of research achievements and external communication. He said, "It is a reality that the achievements researchers work hard to produce in the field are not well known," and added, "I will consider ways to publicize these results more effectively." He also revealed that a communication platform is being considered to directly hear the opinions of the research, industry, and academic communities.
Finally, he said, "The year after next marks the 60th anniversary of science and technology policy," and added, "We are at a turning point for transformation. I will work to make a good start together with the new minister." He also stated, "We will strive to move one step ahead in the fields of basic research, talent development, and post-AI."
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