Jeong Jin-ho, the newly appointed head of The Korean Academy of Science and Technology, said he would launch a 'Nobel Prize project.' He noted that the internal control issues that arose during his predecessor's tenure would be addressed by opening the board of directors to external members and by liberalizing the closed culture of the academy.
On the 18th, Jeong held a press conference at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, to introduce the operational direction of the academy. A leading authority in toxicology, Jeong served as a professor at Seoul National University for 34 years. He was elected as the head of the academy through last year's academy member elections.
Jeong emphasized that his most important initiative during his term would be the 'Nobel Prize project.' He said, 'The Nobel Prize in Literature came from Korea, and the next Nobel Prize should come in the science institutional sector.' He added, 'While the goal of science is not the Nobel Prize itself, I believe that receiving a Nobel Prize is related to the prestige of the nation.'
Jeong noted, 'After Professor Heo Jun received the Fields Medal, interest in mathematics increased among middle and high school students,' adding, 'This is the kind of ancillary effect that the Nobel Prize has.'
Regarding the Nobel Prize project, Jeong explained, 'We will select outstanding scientists who are Nobel Prize candidates and provide them with concentrated support,' indicating that 'it is not about research funding but about supporting and facilitating networking for excellent scientists in the international scientific community.'
Strengthening various collaborations and joint academic events in partnership with the international scientific community is also part of the Nobel Prize project. The academy held a joint symposium on energy transition with the German Leopoldina Academy in January this year and is also collaborating with the Italian Accademia dei Lincei and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. An academy representative explained, 'We aim to become a channel for promoting the exceptional capabilities of domestic scientists internationally through civilian scientific diplomacy.'
Jeong also expressed his intention to improve the academy's closed structure. The academy faced criticism last year during his predecessor's tenure over allegations of abuse by the executives and a decline in morality. The budget received from the government was also significantly cut.
Jeong mentioned, 'We are discussing plans to create an advisory committee with external commissioners and to open up the academy,' and added, 'We are reviewing ways to amend outdated bylaws and systems, and to change the composition of the board of directors.'