SK Group's talent development organisation has launched a new programme to support early-career researchers. The Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS) said on June 23 that Chey Tae-won (최태원), SK chairman and chairman of the foundation's board, selected 3 inaugural winners of the "KFAS Young Scholar Award" at an event held on June 22 at the foundation's building in Seoul's Gangnam district.

The KFAS Young Scholar Award was launched to support researchers in the early stage of becoming independent researchers after earning a doctorate. This year it targeted social sciences researchers in the area of social innovation. The recipients were Kim Jin-hwan (김진환), a professor at Kyung Hee University's College of Medicine, Yang Jae-seok (양재석), a professor in the Department of Geography at Chonnam National University, and Choi Seok-young (최석영), a professor in Yonsei University's Division of Communication and Media. Each recipient will receive a total of 40 million won, including research support funds.

The foundation will also help early-career researchers build academic networks so they can grow into scholars of global standing, beyond providing research funding. It will run seminars, peer research exchanges and mentoring programmes with leading scholars at home and abroad. It also plans follow-up activities so research results can lead to social change and policy innovation.

In his remarks of encouragement that day, Chey said, "With the arrival of the AI era, the standards for talent are also changing." He added, "You must think about how to cooperate with and use AI in your research and field of expertise." He continued, "With the mindset of 'Eumsusaweon,' please remember that today's achievements were possible not only because of individual talent and effort but also thanks to the opportunities created by society." He added, "Please become people who contribute to the society that nurtured you with your talent and capabilities."

Kim Yoo-seok (김유석), head of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, said, "The KFAS Young Scholar Award is an award that invests not in completed achievements but in a researcher's potential." He added, "We will develop it into South Korea's leading academic award that helps young scholars explore freely and grow into world-class researchers."

The Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies is a public interest foundation established in 1974. Over the past 52 years, it has supported about 5,300 scholarship recipients through overseas study scholarship programmes and produced about 1,000 doctorates at leading universities around the world.