200 Young Overseas Scientists Choose Korea... First 'Reshoring' Achievement of the Sejong Science Fellowship

107 Korean Researchers Returning, 93 Foreign Researchers Attracted
230 New Projects Selected for Young Scientists

Young scientists who had been conducting research overseas have chosen Korea as their new research base. Through the Sejong Science Fellowship's Return and Attraction Track, newly introduced this year by the Ministry of Science and ICT, 200 overseas postdoctoral researchers have successfully settled into domestic research institutions, marking the first tangible results of the government's global talent reshoring strategy.

On April 13, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the final selection of 230 new projects for the "2026 Sejong Science Fellowship" overseas training and return/attraction tracks. This includes 30 projects for overseas training and 200 projects for the newly established return/attraction track this year.

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The Sejong Science Fellowship is a representative program for fostering young researchers, providing stable research funding to outstanding postdoctoral researchers and non-tenured faculty to help them grow as independent researchers. Since its launch in 2021, it has served as a stepping stone for the growth of early-career researchers, and this year, its role has expanded to include facilitating the settlement of talented individuals from overseas in Korea.

The most notable achievement is the performance of the return/attraction track. A total of 107 Korean researchers who had been working at prestigious universities and research institutions abroad have confirmed their return to Korea, and 93 foreign researchers from 29 countries have also chosen Korea as their research base.

This is particularly significant as it is the first visible result in attracting international talent since the announcement of the "Science and Technology Talent Acquisition Strategy" in November last year. Experts note that this has established a practical foundation to enhance the international competitiveness of Korea's research ecosystem, going beyond simple support programs.

The 30 postdoctoral researchers selected for the overseas training track will receive support of 70 million won per year for one year at world-class research institutions, gaining advanced research techniques. The return/attraction track provides up to 130 million won per year for up to five years, supporting stable domestic settlement and independent research activities.

The selected cases also draw attention. Kim Hyobin, a research professor at Korea University College of Medicine who worked at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the United States and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, decided to return to Korea to conduct research on AI-based precision medicine systems for liver diseases.

Tuçe Sen, a researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at POSTECH from Türkiye, settled in Korea to research biofabrication technology for uterine regeneration. Amarzana Khulan, a researcher at Jeju National University College of Medicine from Mongolia, is conducting research to elucidate the pathophysiology of ADHD.

Cameron L. M. Gilchrist, a researcher at the Korea Basic Science Institute from Australia, who, together with Seoul National University researchers, developed the ultra-fast protein structure analysis technology "FoldMason" and was listed as the first author in the international journal Science, stands out as a symbolic case of this year's attraction efforts.

Yoon Kyungsook, Director of Basic Research Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "The Sejong Science Fellowship is a program that provides the first step for postdoctoral researchers to fully demonstrate their capabilities as principal investigators," adding, "We will continue all-around support so that outstanding young researchers at home and abroad can focus solely on their work and achieve world-class results."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.