Aims to build international competitiveness of Korea's science culture Since the Korea Science Foundation acquired a new chairperson, Dr. Na Doe-sun in late March this year, the Foundation is searching for a new vision, that will underline its position as a pivotal institution of the national, focused on innovation and building a science technology-oriented society with an international outlook. In her inauguration address, Dr. Na points out that she believes Korea Science Foundation has to play a pivotal role in constructing a science technology-oriented society. To this end, she says in a special interview with The Korea IT Times, the Foundation first of all needs to build in-house system to be able to strengthen innovation capability.

Dr. Na Doe-sun, chairperson of the Korea Science Foundation

The chairperson underscores that she will do her best for this kind of culture to be able to take root, adding that strengthening the Foundation capacity can be accomplished via anagement innovation to boost its management efficiency and the embodiment of a 'studying organization.' Dr. Na also points out the Foundation international outlook still remains insufficient. In that respect, she plans to make efforts such as concluding MOUs with countries advanced in science and culture as well as hold international conferences to consolidate its international base. Not least, the Korea Science Foundation is assessed to have played a pivotal role in building a science technology-oriented society by means of the broader science movement that is known as cience Korea. In spite of Science Korea project importance, Dr. Na explains that the project planning, as well as its preparation period, was not sufficient. She said that the Foundation would establish middle and long-term plans to become second to the U.S. and China by intensively benchmarking examples from foreign countries, explaining that Science Korea was actually started as a movement to spread interest and awareness in science throughout the entire nation, much like the U.S. project 2061 and China 2049 Action Plan. The chairperson further stresses that the Foundation plans to substantially carry out Science Korea cardinal projects by building an effective partnership with various private sector partners in step with the national blueprint, the ive-year Science Technology Culture Promotion Plan. She said it is a matter requiring immediate attention to beef-up programs and to consolidate them by connecting established projects organically rather than embarking on new projects, pointing out that it is necessary to drive forward step by step in order of priority to develop Science Korea Project even further. In connection with the policy of MOST (Ministry of Science & Technology) to nurture a cience/ Industry Culture from this year, the chairperson explains that its significance lies in igniting the spread of a science-based culture by facilitating private participation, saying that the government science culture project initiative has been an important contribution to exciting interest in a national science culture, but there is a limit to what even the government can do in this regard. For instance, the Korea Science Foundation will help MOST nurturing policy strike root by undertaking market analysis of the science culture industry as well as establishing a plan to foster the science culture industry during the first half of the year, chairperson Na said. During her tenure, she emphasizes that the Foundation would give preference to accelerating three priority projects, that is: 1. To consolidate the Korea Science Foundation legal and financial foundation 2. To acquire Daejeon Expo Science Park to effectively drive forward the national science culture, and 3. Beef up the Foundation international outlook and footing