Strengthening Public Discourse on Science and Technology Policy in the Era of AI and Technological Hegemony
The Citizens’ Coalition for Realizing a Rightful Science and Technology Society (Fruit Science Association) announced on December 17 that it has elected Junmo Ahn, Professor in the Department of Public Administration at Korea University, as its next Executive Director. Professor Ahn will officially assume the position on January 1 of next year.
Junmo Ahn, Professor at Korea University. Courtesy of Fruit Science Association
Junmo Ahn, the newly appointed Executive Director, graduated from the College of Engineering at Seoul National University with a degree in Applied Chemistry and earned his Ph.D. in Technology Management from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He is an expert in science and technology administration and policy. Entering public service through the 38th National Technical Examination, he has worked at the Small and Medium Business Administration, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, gaining extensive experience across science and technology, industry, and talent policies.
He has since served as Auditor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Co-Representative of the Fruit Science Association, and Director of the Nuclear Energy Cooperation Foundation. He is currently an active member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, an alumni member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, a board member of the Next-Generation Convergence Technology Institute, and an advisory committee member of the Taejae Research Foundation. In academia, he has held positions such as Chair of the Knowledge Information Committee of the Korean Association for Policy Studies, President-Elect of the Korean Society of Technology Management and Economics, Editorial Board Member of the Korean Association for Public Administration, and Associate Editor of the international journal R&D Management (SSCI).
His research achievements are also notable. Over the past five years, he has published a total of 23 papers, including 15 in SSCI journals, authored five books, and contributed three English book chapters. In 2023, he was selected as a Highly Cited Researcher at Korea University (FWCI 4.93).
The Fruit Science Association described Professor Ahn as “a young leader well-suited to guide the association, which marks its 20th anniversary this year, as it aims to become a new science and technology think tank amid intensifying competition in artificial intelligence (AI) and technological hegemony.” The association added, “We plan to strengthen our AI-based civic participation platform and further activate our role in proposing mid- to long-term policy alternatives for science and technology issues in the rapidly changing technological and policy environment.”
Meanwhile, the Fruit Science Association was established in 2005 as the nation’s first civic organization for science and technology professionals, with 265 founding members. It has since worked to promote civic participation and public discourse on science and technology policy.
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