Composed of excellent young scientists with an average age of 43, Y-KAST was created.    

Seventy-three founding members included young college professors who were already in spotlight with awards and prizes won at the youngest age.  

But the joy of being recognized for having the potential of a scientist is all so fleeting. Even they are not sure of the advantages that Y-KAST members will enjoy or the roles that they should play. 

For they have been selected as next-generation players for the community of science and technology, not out of their own needs but by being recognized by their senior scientists. 

Then, what kind of role should they perform as the leading young scientists who will lead the future of Korean science?  

On such a topical question, thoughts were shelled out at a sitting by the Vice Chair for different divisions who have to shoulder a burden as founding members and Chair of Y-KAST Yong-ho Park, who leads them on behalf of the fellow of KAST.

Young scientists are doing research just for the present.

Yong-ho Park (SNU professor & Chair of Young Korean Academy of Science and Technology): One of the reasons why KAST created Y-KAST is that it wanted to support the best young Korean scientists in creating a network with world-class research groups and thereby get acknowledged.   

To be specific, as a Nobel Prize requires not only excellent research achievements but also worldwide recognition, we want to make that part. 

However, what we as senior researchers want to create for junior researchers with potentials is not a severe sense of burden about the Nobel Prize but an environment where it’s fun to do science. 

The research practice of current young scientists should be different from our practice, and we wonder what you think of it. 

Ki-won Lee (SNU professor & Vice Chair for Agricultural and Fishery Sciences Division): What every country expects of its young scientists should be creativity. 

They want to see new ideas that shatter the existing framework.  

However, creativity is not related to thoughts grounded in the present. 

It is about conducting research on an idea that will possibly be fulfilled in 30 years with one’s discovered motive.  

In that sense, when we wonder if our country provides a creative research environment for young scientists, that doesn’t seem to be the case.  

A lot of researchers are looking for research topics which will turn out to be useful within this year, instead of in three years.

Jwa-min Nam (SNU professor & Vice Chair for Natural Sciences Division): While we lately witness some change, I continue to feel that the type of research that’s hectically trying to catch up is dominant.  

Especially when evaluating research achievements, it has to focus not so much on short-term performance as on their long-term and international influence and academic significance. Otherwise, young promising scientists wouldn’t be able to take up challenging research projects. 

Ki-tae Nam (SNU professor & Vice Chair for Engineering Division): I agree to the opinion on evaluation.   

People can propose creative research projects when evaluation focuses on quality instead of quantity. 

I hope that extra research funds can be assigned so that researchers’ creative ideas can be realized. 

With a creative research environment in place, many young star scientists would come out, which would then change the public perception of science.

Hyong-bum Kim (Yonsei University professor & Vice Chair for Medical Sciences Division): I agree with you both.  

And I think research support could be implemented more in a long-term fashion. 

Part of the reason that short-term evaluation is done is perhaps the lack of trust in researchers.   

I have seen a lot of researchers who, writing a proposal and doing a customized research to get research fund, can hardly change the direction of the research and ends up failing to do a creative research.  

It is hard to change the content of a research in progress that is oriented to a short-term evaluation. 

Personally, I think that if a researcher conducts a research on his own for about seven years and then further support is decided through a thoroughgoing evaluation, researchers could engage in more challenging and innovative researches.

What kind tomorrow should Y-KAST give to young researchers?

Yong-ho Park: Like the young academies in other countries, Y-KAST should take the lead in not only tapping into the potential abilities of the country’s next-generation scientists but also creating a well-organized system designed to foster them as Korea’s leading scientists. 

The goal is quite clear. 

But there may be different ways to it. 

They could be policy activities or international exchange. 

This year, I want to take a look at the activities of the young academies in various countries and listen to the opinions and thoughts of the founding members.

Hyong-bum Kim: This year, I’d like to see opportunities for Y-KAST members to network among themselves first. 

Members need to present their own researches and communicate with one another.

Ki-tae Nam: I want to try new things with young scientists. 

As what hasn’t been done with the existing academic societies, we can break the academic framework and thereby contribute to the fusion of disciplines and discuss various policy proposals for science.

Jwa-min Nam: It is the premise that Y-KAST must be an organization which is equipped with academic excellence and can thereby represent young scientists.   

And it should serve as a stepping stone and a passage that help young scientists to grow into world-class scholars. 

Particularly, it should be able to see eye to eye with the world’s scientists and set forth agendas for the future of humankind by working with young scientists.

Ki-won Lee: I agree that academic excellence constitutes our identity.  

As KAST is a group that engages in advanced science, it finds its raison d’être there.  

Also, Y-KAST should be able to provide powerful motivation for younger scientists.  

To use an analogy with sports, the members of KAST are already professional players, whereas associate members and Y-KAST members are amateur national representatives.  

I hope that just as people grooms their dreams by looking at professional players, we could convey the preciousness and fun of science to younger people.

Yong-ho Park: Y-KAST has launched with a view to expanding possibilities for the future and providing opportunities to take initiatives.  

As there was no organization for young excellent scientists previously, it is meaningful that Y-KAST has been created. 

And it is important to create a basis that can ensure continuity instead of rushing to finalize something.  

This year’s goal lies in accumulating experiences instead of focusing on performance; it is important to figure out the role of Y-KAST and carry it to the next generation of members. 

And it will be truly desirable if benefits from such role and activities reach not only the current members but also even younger talented individuals.