Kano said that the tendency to pursue “stable careers” was present among Japanese researchers as well and that the size of research grants had shrunk, leaving young scientists with worse prospects for a stable job. (Image: LG Chem / Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – Hosted by the newly formed Young Korean Academy of Science and Technology (founded in February), the “Young Scientists Talk 2017” Q&A session at The Plaza Hotel Seoul was attended by under-45 scientists from Japan, Sweden and Britain, during which they discussed the struggles young scientists face in their respective countries.
Professor Mitsunobu Kano from Okayama University said, “Science is a discipline that requires people to ask new questions and answer them with trustworthy evidence. There needs to be freedom to ask any question one desires, but the scientific environment of Japan in that regard is not great.”
Kano added that young Japanese scientists feel pressured from the moment they choose their research topics, because of the need to receive funding.
She shared the difficulties faced by scientists in Sweden, adding, “In my country, going on ten years we have consistently been calling for stable support so that young researchers can pursue bold ideas.” (Image: Yonhap)
Umeå University professor Marie Wiberg chimed in, saying, “The younger the researchers are, the more creative their ideas.” She shared the difficulties faced by scientists in Sweden, adding, “In my country, going on ten years we have consistently been calling for stable support so that young researchers can pursue bold ideas.”
Moritz Riede of Oxford University concurred with Wiberg’s statements, mentioning that the research ecosystem must be modified and improved so that “young scientists taking their first step into the field as researchers can undertake their chosen area of study with independence and a sense of unencumbered freedom.”
At one point during the discussion, the visiting scientists nodded understandingly when informed about the issues surrounding South Korean researchers’ employment status, particularly in the wake of the election of President Moon Jae-in.
Kano said that the tendency to pursue “stable careers” was present among Japanese researchers as well and that the size of research grants had shrunk, leaving young scientists with worse prospects for a stable job.
To increase the number of young scientists in research, professor Riede said, guaranteeing “continued research” through employment stability must become an industry requirement.
S.B.W. (sbw266@koreabizwire.com)
