Foreigners in R&D like Korea for lifestyle, salary
Published: 31 Dec. 2024, 18:00
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- LEE TAE-HEE
- [email protected]
![Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon introduces plans to attract more international graduate students that study science and engineering during a press conference held on May 20, 2024. According to a survey by the Korea Research Institute for Professional Education and Training, international students in science and engineering and foreigners currently working in R&D said they are working, or wish to do so, in Korea due to the living environment and salary levels. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2024/12/31/143ce1f8-b90c-4b97-8185-5a1a63dc89d9.jpg)
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon introduces plans to attract more international graduate students that study science and engineering during a press conference held on May 20, 2024. According to a survey by the Korea Research Institute for Professional Education and Training, international students in science and engineering and foreigners currently working in R&D said they are working, or wish to do so, in Korea due to the living environment and salary levels. [NEWS1]
Foreigners in R&D fields wished for, or got jobs in Korea, because of the living environment and higher salary, although hopes for relevant support policies weren't as high.
In a survey of 534 international graduate school students studying science and engineering in Korea conducted by Korea Research Institute for Professional Education and Training (Krivet), 37.8 percent said they wish to get a job here because of salary levels in terms of lifestyle-related reasons. Living environment followed with 17.4 percent.
In terms of work-related reasons, 34.1 percent again said they wish to work in Korea due to salary levels and 27.2 percent said it is to develop their career.
Asking the same question to 1,000 foreigners who work in R&D, 20.2 percent said they sought jobs in Korea due to the living environment in terms of lifestyle-related reasons. Another 16.8 percent said so because of salary levels. In terms of work-related reasons, 30.2 percent chose to work in Korea to develop their career and 18.4 percent due to research infrastructure in the county.
"To strategically invite skilled foreigners, we need to have different support policies for each career stage such as offering better compensation in early phases when they start working and enhancing living infrastructure during the long-term settlement phase," said a spokesperson for Krivet.
Of the 534 international students, 56.6 percent said their quality of life will remain similar in the next year compared to now, with 35.4 percent saying it will improve and 8 percent saying it will deteriorate. Among those who already have jobs, 58.9 percent said quality of life will improve next year, with 37.2 percent saying it will remain similar and 3.9 percent expecting it to deteriorate.
Both students and current employees expected R&D career prospects to be similar next year, although a higher percentage among those employed thought it would improve.
A total of 55 percent of international student respondents said career prospects in R&D will be similar next year, with 24 percent saying it will improve and 21 percent saying it will be worse. For those working in R&D, 46.8 percent said prospects will be similar, while 43.8 percent said it will improve. Another 9.4 percent said it will be worse.
Among various expectations for next year, respondents weren't as optimistic about improvements to support policies for foreigners working in R&D.
For international students, 62.3 percent said support policies will be similar next year, with 28.9 percent saying it will improve and 8.8 percent saying it will be worse. Of those employed, 64.2 percent said support policies will be similar and 19.6 percent said it will improve, while 16.2 percent said it will be worse.
"The survey shows that respondents have lower expectations regarding government support policies compared to other areas," said a spokesperson for Krivet. "If we strategically develop relevant policies and promote them to find ways to improve the long-term living conditions of highly-education foreigners in Korea, we expect it to have a positive impact on the long-term R&D labor market."
BY LEE TAE-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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