Last year, for the first time, a researcher of Korean nationality was appointed as the Director General at the Max Planck Institute, regarded as the world's top research institution in Germany. Professor Cha Mi-young from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is the one. Now that a year and a half has passed since she started her research in Germany, what kind of time is Director General Cha spending?
Director General Cha returned to Korea after more than a year to attend the "Women in STEM Symposium" held at the Songdo Convensia in Incheon on the 13th. He summarized his past time with a simple principle: "Everything gets resolved when you just go for it."
The event was organized to discuss ways to expand women's participation in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju on October 10th. It was co-hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Foundation for Women In Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET).
Currently, Director General Cha is also working as a professor in the Department of Computer Science at KAIST and as the Director General at the Max Planck Institute. After moving to Germany with her two children, she is managing childcare, housework, and research all by herself. She said that while working in Korea, she prepared presentation materials even at a postpartum care center, feeling the many barriers as a female scientist.
Director General Cha mentioned, "I took my 6-year-old and 13-year-old children to Germany. It wasn't easy as I had to manage cleaning, childcare, and research all on my own, but it is a rare opportunity to live with kids in Europe. I thought of it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I decided to put my worries aside and just go for it."
The research culture in Germany was a refreshing shock. Director General Cha said, "The vacation is 30 days, and there are many remote work options," adding, "Asia is growing fiercely, but Europe is continuing science while protecting welfare." At the same time, he noted that in the rapidly changing AI technology landscape, Europe's system may struggle to keep pace with speed-centric countries like China.
While leveraging the advantages of Europe, Director General Cha is integrating Korean research culture into Germany to ensure that Korea does not fall behind in global competition. He is leading a "Korean-style research team" that does not shy away from weekend or evening work. Director General Cha stated, "Local researchers in Germany find our team's lifestyle fascinating, but it's a process of finding answers in our own way."
Currently, Director General Cha's research team is expanding on problem-solving AI research done in Korea, focusing on topics such as economic indicator detection using satellite images and automatic classification of fake news. He remarked, "As the models advance, it has become much faster to complete a research project within a few months and move on to the next stage," saying, "Now, what matters is not performance, but how much social impact it can have."
He expressed that, just as much as research, the culture and system of the laboratory are important, realizing this in Germany. Director General Cha said, "Currently, about 20% of the overall directors at the Max Planck Institute are women, and the ratio of foreigners is 40%. It is an environment where researchers with diverse gender identities coexist naturally, and there is a strong consensus that diversity and inclusion are essential for scientific advancement."
He pointed out, "At a time when technological advancements are faster than ever, it seems to create opportunities for women. Tasks that were thought to require significant physical strength are being automated, thus broadening the areas where women can excel." Director General Cha herself received guidance from Professor Moon Soo-bok, the first female professor in the College of Engineering at KAIST.
Director General Cha advised junior female scientists, "The first thing to do is to break down the 'wall of mentality' that you have." He said, "I once believed that I couldn't wake up at 5 a.m., but one day I did, and a new world opened up. The important thing is not to believe that you 'can't' in the current environment, but to ask yourself, 'Where can I go if there are no constraints?'"
Finally, Director General Cha remarked, "Five years ago, I couldn't imagine where I am now. The laboratory that once hoped to have at least one postdoctoral researcher until my retirement now has 20 postdoctoral researchers. What seemed impossible back then has ultimately become possible. It just takes time."