[Reporter’s Notebook] Scientists Remain Uneasy Even After Earning a PhD in Engineering

Outflow of STEM Talent and Medical School Preference
Need for Expanded Science Investment and Better Treatment
Learning from China's Scientific Rise in AI

"If you graduate from medical school, at least a minimum level of success is guaranteed, but if you graduate from an engineering school, you feel insecure even after studying for more than 10 years."

This remark was made by the head of the IBS chapter of the Public Research Union, who identified himself as a former member of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), during a town hall meeting held by President Lee Jaemyung in Daejeon earlier this month. He expressed that, despite working diligently as a postdoctoral researcher to achieve his goals, the treatment and compensation are poor, leading to a sense of relative deprivation as talented individuals flock to medical schools where success is perceived to be guaranteed. After the town hall meeting, President Lee sent Ha Jungwoo, the Chief of AI Future Planning, to IBS to listen to voices from the field and to convey the government's commitment to supporting basic science.

The reason this remark by the IBS chapter head came to mind was because the reporter witnessed a similar scene during a recent visit to Seoul National University. At the university's first-ever career seminar on U.S. big tech companies, not only master's and doctoral students but also undergraduates packed the venue. A researcher, who earned a doctorate from this university and is scheduled to join Meta in August 2025, explained his reason for joining a U.S. big tech company: "You receive fair compensation based on performance rather than seniority, and you can learn advanced AI technologies in an environment with ample investment and support." While domestic tech companies offer annual salaries barely exceeding 100 million won, global big tech companies offer starting salaries of 500 to 600 million won, making it difficult to turn down such opportunities.

While Korean AI talent is knocking on doors overseas, another wave of innovation has emerged in China. The large language model (LLM) "Kimi K2," released this month by Beijing-based startup Moonshot AI, has demonstrated outstanding performance. The international journal Nature described Kimi K2's remarkable performance as a "DeepSeek-level shock." Yang Zhilin, who founded Moonshot AI in 2023, earned his doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, worked at Facebook and Google, and is now an assistant professor at Tsinghua University.

He explained that his decision to return to China after earning his degree in the U.S. and working at big tech companies was greatly influenced by the country's full-scale support. The social atmosphere that treats scientists as "heroes" also played a significant role. This environment has enabled China to rapidly acquire cutting-edge innovative technologies and strengthen its presence in AI, despite strong checks from the United States.

The Lee Jaemyung administration has pledged to make South Korea one of the "top three AI powerhouses." While the scientific community welcomes this goal, there is skepticism about how it will be achieved. Without bold measures to attract and retain talent, it will be impossible to stem the outflow of skilled individuals overseas. Fortunately, universities have begun to increase enrollment in computer engineering-related majors. There is also a growing assessment that engineering schools are gradually regaining vitality. We must closely examine what we can learn from China's scientific rise.