KOREAN NET

Vice Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Ryu Kwang-jun (center) on April 25 speaks at a meeting of a special committee on future talent of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology. (Ministry of Science and ICT)

By Yoo Yeon Gyeong

Public funds worth KRW 9.28 trillion this year will go toward development and support for future talent in science and technology.

The Ministry of Science and ICT on April 25 approved its fourth basic plan for developing and supporting science and technology talent at the 21st meeting of the special committee on future talent of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology.

First, the value of scholarships in science and engineering for outstanding students will be expanded from KRW 50.7 billion last year to KRW 57.3 billion this year. Over the same period, the number of students eligible for research grants will also rise from 1,122 to 2,281 and investment in individual basic research will jump from KRW 1.69 trillion to KRW 1.9 trillion.

An innovation academy will stimulate innovative software talent with self-directed learning skills and collaborate with the private sector, companies and top universities to produce key talent in high-tech industries and digital fields.

A new "institutional attraction" system will strategically recruit outstanding scientists from abroad, and improvements to the visa system will support their relocation to and settlement in Korea.

"In an era of technological hegemony in which the level of science and technology decides a nation's fate, the key lies in who secures the best talent and how many of them," Vice Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Ryu Kwang-jun said. "We will devise a big picture of sci-tech talent to ensure that they can fully demonstrate their capabilities in Korea."

dusrud21@korea.kr