As tightening US visa restrictions and geopolitics lock out Asian researchers from Western institutions, South Korea is emerging as a new academic sanctuary for top talent.
According to Yoo Ji-beom, president of Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) in Seoul, that reflects a broader trend that has seen the West giving way to Asia after decades of dominance – particularly in the field of applied technology in China, Japan and South Korea.
“Technological competition and global talent mobility are reshaping the knowledge ecosystem. Competition to attract and retain the very best researchers has become far more intense than before,” Yoo said during an interview in Hong Kong.