The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Innovation Foundation announced the results of the 2024 annual evaluation of the nurturing project for small and medium-sized research and development zones. The small and medium-sized research and development zones are designated to foster small-scale, high-density innovation clusters at the local government level, with currently 14 regions operating as small and medium-sized zones. Among these, Jeonbuk Gunsan, Seoul Hongneung, Gyeongbuk Gumi, and Gyeonggi Ansan obtained the highest rating last year. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to systematically support the small and medium-sized research and development zones by providing incentives for the next year to strengthen the second-phase specialized development support.
The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced on the 31st that it has been selected as the final operating institution for the Immigrant Early Adaptation Program organized by the Ministry of Justice. The Immigrant Early Adaptation Program is a system aimed at supporting the initial settlement of newly arrived foreigners by providing them with information about Korea's systems, legal order, culture, and lifestyle. President Im Gi-cheol noted, "GIST has been building various settlement support systems to alleviate the anxiety and discomfort that foreign students feel in a new environment, and through this selection, we will strengthen our role as a practical support base for foreign students."
The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) installed a "Global Partner Lab" at the Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge in the UK and held an opening ceremony on the 25th (local time). The Global Partner Lab is an international joint research platform newly introduced by IBS this year. The two institutions plan to use the partner lab as a strategic cooperation base to embark on extensive joint research aimed at realizing next-generation quantum technologies in the field of quantum materials and devices. In addition to the University of Cambridge, IBS operates Global Partner Labs with Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the U.S. and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland.
The College of Engineering at Seoul National University announced that it has signed a scholarship agreement amounting to 400 million won from the DB Kim Jun-ki Cultural Foundation to work together in attracting outstanding engineering talent from Vietnam. This collaboration is aimed at addressing the issue of a shortage of skilled professionals in Korean society due to population decline. The two institutions agreed to early discover outstanding talent in Vietnam, which is the fastest-growing country in Southeast Asia with increased educational investment, foster them at Seoul National University's College of Engineering, and support their employment in domestic corporations or local Korean companies.
The Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology announced on the 31st that it successfully held the 1st Future Conference at the Restree Resort in Jecheon, Chungbuk. The Future Conference is a policy-academic convergence platform planned to organically connect the research field and policy field of the life sciences to keep pace with the rapidly changing scientific and technological environment. Approximately 120 members of the society, including leaders and early-career researchers in the domestic life sciences sector, representatives from the Korea National Research Foundation, and research and development (R&D) policymakers from government bodies attended the event, engaging in active discussions.