Science and education are worldwide enterprises, and all highly developed countries invest heavily in science and education. Korea is developing strong research to grow its economy, enhance public good and develop world-class universities that will be outstanding centers of research and learning. Korea already has a well-developed scientific infrastructure and university system, and is well positioned to achieve these goals.

Three areas will have a positive impact on scientific research and education in Korea ― namely, first, recruitment of foreign faculty and students, second, the importance of English, and third, science education.

Do Korean universities need foreign scholars and students? One needs only to look at the rankings of the world’s top universities to observe they have a strong foreign faculty and student presence. Great universities are melting pots comprised of faculty and students from different countries. A university benefits from foreign faculty and students because of the different academic expertise and cultural perspectives they bring to a university campus.

As a graduate student at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, I met a Japanese scientist in the laboratory who introduced me to the tradition of removing shoes before entering one’s home. It was a habit that I adopted in my own life. Such exposure to various cultures and traditions helps in understanding people of different backgrounds. This can greatly facilitate the development of a multicultural society.

Finally, due to the low birth rate Korean universities will be challenged to maintain adequate enrollment. Foreign students will be one important component in maintaining a sufficient student population.

Can Korean universities be attractive to foreign scholars and students? Korean universities have excellent infrastructure, faculty and students for scientific research and therefore the environment for conducting research is as good as any in the world. However, even in the best-case scenario Korean universities might not be attractive to faculty and students for a number of reasons.

The first and foremost is language. Most foreign faculty will initially come to Korea unable to communicate in Korean. Until foreign faculty members can learn Korean, support to help adapting to life in Korea will have to be provided by the institutions to which they are recruited. Likewise, most foreign students will encounter a similar language barrier, as well as cultural challenges. Korean students could be assigned to act as student-mentors in helping the foreign students adjusting to life at their respective university. The students would gain by learning about each other’s cultures, in addition to exchange of language skills.

English is the international language of science and education, as well as in business and international relations. English permeates all facets of scholarly endeavors including textbooks, scientific journals and conferences. With a common language, scholars in any country can communicate with their colleagues around the world. Most Korean professors realized this during their academic studies, and many studied overseas in foreign institutions to gain training in their chosen field, as well as to develop strong skills in English.

Given the importance of English, how do we prepare Korean students to become proficient in English? In universities there is much debate how to integrate English into the curriculum. Some schools have adopted an English-only policy for formal lectures. This presents some formidable problems for both faculty and students.

Overcoming this obstacle to using English in the classroom is not easy. In some cases, Korean professors will use both English and Korean to clarify their lectures. Ideally a happy medium can be found where Korean university students can be exposed to lectures and written assignments that facilitate strong English skills, without compromising their learning.

How do we prepare students for careers in science? The curriculum for students in the 21st century needs to be altered from what was established and used in the 20th century. Science is not simply memorizing facts in textbooks. We need to teach students the joy of scientific exploration, how to obtain information and then apply knowledge to various problems they will encounter in their daily lives and as a professional.

Another important issue is how do we identify and select students who are well suited to a scientific career? There is much emphasis on the use of grades and test scores to select the best and brightest. However, science requires skills that are not detected by traditional testing measures, such as passion, curiosity, creativity and perseverance. Potentially outstanding future scientists are being lost in the current system.

Take for example the recipient of this year’s Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine, British scientist John Gurdon. During his studies in high school he was ranked at the bottom of his biology class compared to 250 students, and was also in the lower ranking in all his science classes. His biology teacher wrongly suggested that he avoid biology in any future studies. Thankfully, he ignored this teacher’s assessment, and continued in biological sciences where has had an extraordinary career with many important contributions. How we identify these types of students must be explored. Such “late-bloomers” could be tomorrow’s noble prize laureate!

The most wonderful part of teaching at a Korean university is the students. They are truly exceptional. Their dedication and commitment to their studies and learning is exemplary, and their respect and caring for their professors is something I find amazing. We owe it to them and future generations of students an education that is truly made for the 21st century.

By David M. Helfman

The writer is a professor at the department of biological sciences and graduate school of nanoscience and technology at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. ― Ed.