"Research Budgets Must Be Stable," Advice from a German Scholar

"Research funding requires stability. Regardless of the amount, if it is provided steadily, researchers can undertake more adventurous studies."

Patrick Cramer, President of the Max Planck Society in Germany, is holding a press conference at Yonsei University on the 11th. Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

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Patrick Cramer, President of the Max Planck Society in Germany, who visited Korea to collaborate with the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Yonsei University, repeatedly emphasized the importance of stable budget support for basic science researchers. He stated that although Korea is the best partner country, neglecting basic research fields such as cutting national research and development (R&D) budgets should be avoided. The Max Planck Society is a world-leading research organization in basic sciences, having produced as many as 39 Nobel laureates.

At a press conference during the 'Global Science Leaders Forum' jointly hosted by IBS, Yonsei University, and the Max Planck Society at Yonsei University on the 11th, President Cramer said, "Compared to projects that require results in two or three years, a 10-year project allows for more adventurous research."

A former biochemistry professor at the University of Munich, President Cramer emphasized the need for continuous nurturing of basic science, saying, "There was a case where studying ant communication, which seemed to have no significant economic benefit, led to the discovery of chemicals secreted by ants. Sometimes results come from completely unexpected and different fields. This is evidence of the important role basic science plays in leading to applied science."

He added, "Politicians want quick results, but science takes a long time to solve difficult problems." According to him, Nobel laureates produced by the Max Planck Society were awarded based on research results accumulated over decades.

When repeatedly asked about last year's cuts to Korea's government R&D budget and the situation in Germany, President Cramer refrained from direct comments but pointed out, "If budgets for certain fields are reduced because they are seen as having little immediate economic relevance, experts and students in those fields will be lost." He also stressed the need for caution in budget adjustments, saying, "When a country starts saving on budgets, cuts are made sequentially starting with fields less related to the future economy, making it even harder to catch up later."

Regarding international research collaboration, President Cramer said, "Korea is the world's best partner," explaining that Korean and German researchers have already collaborated to publish 2,400 papers and conducted many joint studies. He also praised Korea as "an innovative country that invests the most in science and technology research."

Meanwhile, on the same day, IBS, together with the Nano Medical Research Center and the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, established a collaborative nano medical research hub at Yonsei University and revised and extended a memorandum of understanding to promote cooperation in basic science fields, including the use of research facilities and strategic field collaboration. Furthermore, efforts are underway to establish an IBS-Max Planck Center in Korea. The Max Planck Society currently operates 84 research institutes within Germany, as well as 5 overseas institutes and 17 centers, but in Asia, it only has a center at Japan's RIKEN.

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