Science ministry youth panel urges research culture that tolerates failure

South Korea's science ministry said Friday that First Vice Minister Koo Hyuk-chae met its third 2030 youth advisory group in Seoul to discuss how young researchers see the future of the country's science and technology sector.

The meeting was held over a lunch in a relaxed atmosphere and proceeded in the order of a report on the advisory group's activities, presentations on field cases and a policy debate, the Ministry of Science and ICT said. Two researchers in the group who hold doctoral degrees described the difficulties they faced during their degree programs and the obstacles they encountered afterward.

The policy discussion focused on building a research and development environment in which failure is not feared, and improving treatment for graduate students so that they can work in stable conditions.

Koo said the sustainable future of Korean science depends on how the young people in the room grow and lead, and that the government would not spare investment in training and developing science and technology talent. "I will look carefully at the valuable opinions proposed from the field so that they can be reflected in actual policy," he said.