South Korea to Train 10,000 STEM Scholars and Strengthen Research Workforce
Creatrip Team
19 days ago
The government approved the 5th National Plan (2026–2030) to boost science and engineering talent amid declining interest and a trend toward medical school. Key measures: increase STEM scholarship recipients from ~3,000 to 10,000; expand research staff at government institutes and the four major science universities (KAIST, etc.); legally recognize postdoctoral researchers as university members; introduce a 'National Science & Technology Leader' system with generous research grants; shift grants toward long-term basic research and simplify spending rules; build 3,000 AI-focused schools and expand AI/AX university programs and infrastructure (GPU support); create industry-linked doctoral tracks ('industrial degree' pilot) and grow joint university–company training; allocate 40% of basic research funding to regions, nurture regional research centers, and recruit 2,000 overseas top researchers with visa and settlement support; and provide career-return and childcare measures for women and senior researchers. The plan also centralizes talent policy and integrates lifecycle data for researchers to make Korea a more attractive place for scientific careers.
