Korea steps up as science connector in Asia-Pacific

Korea Herald

15 hours ago

Science Ministry invites over 100 APAC researchers for mentoring, joint lab training ahead of APEC summit in October
South Korea, once considered a scientific backwater, is now solidifying its position as a regional leader in fostering cooperation among science communities in the Asia-Pacific region. As part of its broader global initiative, the Ministry of Science and ICT is launching a program to invite scientists from across the region ahead of the upcoming APEC summit to be hosted by Korea in October.
'For scientists seeking new technological experiences, Korea is, in my opinion, the number one country in the APAC region — particularly in the semiconductor sector,' said Chaikarn Liewhiran, a physics and materials science professor at Thailand's Chiang Mai University, during an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Thursday.
'Korea is a prime example of how the semiconductor industry can lead to commercial success. I believe we can achieve innovative scientific goals through collaboration between Thailand and Korea. That's precisely why I joined this program,' Liewhiran added.
Mark Dennis Usang, a research officer at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency and fellow participant in the Science Ministry's 'APAC Scientist Invitation Program" held from May 26 to June 6, echoed Liewhiran's view.
'In terms of basic science, including fundamental physics, I think Japan is still slightly ahead. But when it comes to applications, Korea is excelling and has nearly closed the gap with Japan in the overall technology sector,' Usang said.
Usang also praised Korea's scientific funding system, calling it more efficient than Malaysia's. He noted that Malaysian scientists must navigate a series of complicated procedures to receive government funding, often forcing them to build their own equipment, which both increases costs and delays research.
Under the program, Liewhiran and Usang took part in mentoring activities aligned with their areas of expertise alongside Korean professors. Usang recalled a three-day collaboration with Ha Chang-hyon, a physics professor at Chung-Ang University, which led to a breakthrough in his future research using cost-effective, easy-to-make equipment.
Before meeting Professor Ha, Usang said he hadn't realized how little effort it takes to assemble a plastic particle detector, which uses similar materials to PET bottles. With adjustments, such as crushing and melting the plastic, the material can be transformed into a functional detector capable of analyzing cosmic particles.
'Professor Ha explained how to make it and how it works. I've studied several detectors before, but I didn't know about this method. I was really surprised, enlightened and very happy,' Usang said.
Liewhiran also noted that he had inspiring discussions with Yoon Young-gui, a physics professor at Chung-Ang University, and Yoon Jung-gi, a professor at Kyung Hee University.
'I learned so much from speaking with the professors, who are true experts in semiconductor technologies. We need to learn from Korea's strong competitiveness in this market,' said Liewhiran. 'They gave us valuable ideas to improve our research, which could ultimately drive our products or prototypes toward commercialization.'
As part of the APEC Scientist Exchange Initiative, the Science Ministry plans to invite over 100 scientists from the region through two formats: a 10-day mentoring program and a 90-day training program involving joint research in Korean laboratories from June through July. Participants must hold a Ph.D. or a Master's degree with at least three years of work experience.
The recently concluded 10-day mentoring program brought together 21 scientists from Malaysia, Thailand and Peru. For its upcoming initiative, the ministry plans to expand participation to include scientists from Indonesia and the Philippines specializing in chemistry, bioscience, geoscience and other fields. The goal is to reach more than 100 participants across both programs.
To support visiting scientists, the Science Ministry has streamlined the visa and immigration process to facilitate easier entry into Korea.
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