Inclusion of sex-disaggregated data in early career research: South Korea case for gendered innovations for science and technology research
Early career researchers in South Korea who are not typically taught the practice of SGA integration can face challenges due to the increasing complexity of study designs. The limited availability of sex-disaggregated resources — data, animals, cells and other materials that have been collected and analysed separately for male, female and non-binary participants — further complicates matters and emphasizes the need for training to encourage more researchers to consider SGA in their work. As the South Korean government ramps up funding and support for international collaboration, its researchers will need to get up to speed on SGA integration. South Korea joined the European Union’s flagship research funding programme in March and it mandates the integration of SGA in the research it funds.
There is still much work to be done before there is a standardized practice for experimental design. In South Korea, integration is encouraged through initiatives but more policy development and capacity building is necessary to get more people to join. At the Korea Center for gendered innovations for science and technology research (GISTeR) we are investigating the use of SGA in South Korean research. One analysis shows that between the years of 2017 and 2021, just 5% of South Korean biomedical articles included S-gaga. In countries with compulsory integration of the practice, this figure is higher compared to the one relied upon by individual researchers.
Indicators of the integration of the research outputs with the established metrics on quantity and quality must be developed at a global level. The approach would highlight the need and encourage use.
A committee of advisers convened by the South Korean President proposed a number of ways to make research careers more attractive. It suggests giving early-career researchers more freedom to lead their projects, more funding for graduate students in government funded R&D projects, and better employment protection for postdocs in law. This last recommendation is significant, and must result in university postdocs being given the kind of career stability enjoyed by people in other professions.
Equally important as the number of PIs is the amount of research funding that is available to them. In South Korean universities, the average amount of government funding won by male PIs in science and technology areas is 165 million won (US$119,393). 67 million won is the figure for women.
Diversity in South Korea’s centers for quantum nanoscience: a paradigm shift in the R&D Innovation Strategy, as outlined by the Seoul National University
At the Center for Quantum Nanoscience (QNS), nestled in the hilly campus of Seoul’s Ewha Womans University, director of operations, Michelle Randall, shows off the facilities. She points to an 80 ton concrete damper, which reduces interfering movements to near zero, as the place where the scanning tunnelling microscopes are isolated. The creation of a device made from single atoms that allowed multiple quantum bits to be controlled simultaneously is one of the challenges being tackled by QNS researchers. Science 382, 87–92; 2023). The work done by QNS could potentially have applications in communication, quantum computing, and sensor applications.
What gives QNS its edge, says Randall, is the diversity of teams that populate its labs. “Our composition is 50:50, South Korean and international, and we are an English-speaking workplace as a result,” she says. She points to a room with four women, two South Koreans, one French and one Iranian, that exemplifies the collaborative spirit.
The Korean Ministry of Science and ICT’s (MSIT) wider R&D Innovation Plan includes a budget increase. It includes a new Global R&D Strategy Map, which will guide tailored collaboration strategies with specific countries based on their strengths in 12 critical and emerging technologies, such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum science. 17 technologies that help achieve carbon neutrality and mitigate climate change will be considered. In addition, MSIT has amended laws to allow overseas research institutions to directly participate in state R&D projects and aims to develop Global R&D Flagship Projects in key areas that will receive prioritized allocation of government funds.
“It seems that the term ‘budget cut’ really means redistributing money to more applied projects and international research initiatives,” says computational biologist, Martin Steinegger, based at Seoul National University. The National Research Foundation of Korea, the main funding agency for the country, reduces existing grants by 25%. This forced him to reduce conference travel for his students and use older hardware for research. Steinegger said he has less money than last year, but he could apply to many new things.
Taking on more joint projects with Europe could help to diversify South Korea’s internationally collaborative outputs in the Nature Index. The United States, which has deep historic ties with South Korea dating back to the Korean War in the 1950s, is the country’s most important research partner in natural-sciences output, with a collaborative Share — a measure of joint contribution to research tracked by the Index — of 639.94 in 2023. China forms South Korea’s second-strongest partnership, with a collaborative Share of 300.81, followed by Japan, at 114.88 (see ‘Research ties’).
In order to minimize its exposure to any supply-chain disruptions or political risks associated with the ongoing US–China Tensions, South Korea must look farther than it has done before, according to Lee Myung-hwa. She says to build trust with collaboration partners they need to be long-term and stable, and not swayed by policy directions.
South Korea has long had interests in southeast Asia, and it’s a place with potential for joint innovation projects. She says there is no governmental institution in charge of artificial intelligence in Indonesia.
It’s unclear whether efforts to attract international students will bring more of a spotlight to the challenges faced by those who are already in the country. Lewis Nkenyereye, who studies computer and information security at Sejong University in Seoul, expresses concern for the many foreign students who work part-time to satisfy the minimum bank balance requirements of their enrolments. Nkenyereye, who is from Burundi, said that language barriers have led to some being deported for not having adequate permits. “The government is aware that most foreign students have part-time jobs and should adapt its policies to better accommodate their needs,” he says.
Religious and cultural differences also pose difficulties. A student of computer science in Daegu, who left Pakistan to pursue his degree, is having strong opposition from the local community because he’s involved in a mosque-reconstruction project next to his university. Razaq says he’s heard many stories from other Muslim students across South Korea who describe being taunted by their peers over food choices and who lack designated spaces for practices such as ablution before prayers.
Attracting and Retaining Foreign Talent in South Korea: Results from a 2023 Survey by the Korea Institute of Public Administration
It is hoped that government-funded initiatives such as the Brain Pool programme, which gives doctoral researchers access to up to 300 million won annually for three years, and Brain Pool Plus, which offers outstanding researchers with expertise in core technology fields up to 600 million won annually for up to ten years, can help to attract and retain foreign talent. New arrivals will be given support programmes to help them settle in and build networks.
The company that develops software for automated driving and traffic management requires an English speaking work environment in order to attract international talent. Despite the fact that many companies in South Korea have English speaking requirements, they are often not enforced. “The ability to communicate in English without constant translation and cultural interpretation has been a significant advantage compared to more traditional South Korean companies,” he says.
Thomas said that cultural attitudes towards foreigners can affect long-term retention. He says foreigners are discouraged from arriving in South Korea because they are viewed as temporary visitors rather than long term residents. A 2023 survey by the Korea Institute of Public Administration, a government-sponsored research institute in Seoul, seems to back this up, reporting that less than half of the respondents say they accept foreign nationals as members of South Korean society.
A student from Vietnam, Hong Bui, accepted a post at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in April after completing her PhD at QNS. There are limited permanent career opportunities for international researchers in Korea and that is one of the reasons why they are looking to leave. “South Korean companies often value overseas experience more than domestic experience, and many workplaces require Korean language proficiency,” she says.
South Korea is seen by many as the best in the world. According to 2021, it’s spending on research and development is one of the highest in the world. The automotive and technology giants are household names. In 2021, South Korea had more researchers for every million people than any other nation. The country is home to a global cultural movement, K-pop.
South Korea has the world’s lowest birth rate, at 0.72 births per woman, in spite of its declining birth rate for decades. Prospective student numbers will decline as a result. In 2040, an estimated 280,000 young people in the country will be eligible to enter university — a 39% drop from 460,000 in 2020.
The analysis shows that 51 out of 195 universities have failed to meet their targets this year. The media has dubbed thesezombie universities because of their low student numbers. It would be bad news for both industry and academia if under-enrolment were to continue.
Boosting cross-sector mobility and collaboration by forming formal links between universities and start-ups in the framework of the Sloan Digital Frontier Initiative (SDI 2016)
Policymakers are mindful of this and are looking at ways to boost cross-sector mobility and collaboration. The report of the government’s advisory committee, for example, proposed formally linking researchers and start-up companies, so they can solve technical challenges together.