Foreign doctoral students specializing in science/engineering/pharmaceutical fields who received their PhDs in Korea strongly want to remain in Korea, but it was found that improvement in treatment and career path development support is needed. Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET, President Ko Hye-won) published "KRIVET Issue Brief No. 298 (Analysis of Cultivation and Labor Market Transition of Foreign PhD Graduates in Science/Engineering/Pharmaceutical Fields)" on February 13. This analysis covers natural science, engineering, pharmaceutical, and medicine foreign doctoral graduates from domestic universities from 2017-2023. Key findings: most foreign doctoral graduates in STEM fields want to remain in Korea for their career rather than returning to their home country; the main barriers to remaining are lower compensation compared to alternatives, limited career advancement opportunities outside academia, and language barriers in corporate environments; Korea faces a strategic opportunity -- these highly trained researchers represent an immigration pathway that could partially offset demographic decline and research talent shortages; the policy implication is that Korea needs improved post-doctoral career pathways and compensation parity to retain the talent it trains at significant public expense.
Analysis of Status of Foreign STEM and Medical Doctoral Talent in Korea
[Korean article] 이공·의약계열 전공 외국인 국내 박사 인재 현황 분석

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