About 300 domestic and international science and technology professionals will gather in Daejeon on Nov. 30

The Korea Institute of Research and Development for Professional Scientists and Engineers' main campus in Ochang. [Herald DB]
The Korea Institute of Research and Development for Professional Scientists and Engineers' main campus in Ochang. [Herald DB]

A forum is being organized to explore the competencies science and technology professionals will need and the directions for their growth in the AI era.

The Korea Institute of Research and Development for Professional Scientists and Engineers (KIRD) announced it will hold the "2026 LinKIRD: Science and Technology Professionals Festival" on Nov. 30 at the Daejeon Convention Center, drawing about 300 participants including domestic and international science and technology professionals, representatives from related institutions and members of the general public.

The event is designed to share the results of KIRD's science and technology talent development projects and to provide a space for professionals from diverse fields and generations to connect.

Departing from the conventional results-sharing conference format, the festival will combine keynote lectures, a talk forum, presentations of outstanding cases and an exhibition of project outcomes.

The keynote address will be delivered by Choi Jae-cheon, emeritus professor at Ewha Womans University, on the theme "The AI Era: The Next Question for Science and Technology Professionals — Wisdom for Leading the Coexistence of Humans and Technology." He will outline the core competencies and future directions for science and technology talent in the AI age.

Following the keynote, KIRD will highlight outstanding results from its major projects, including career development programs for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in science and engineering, social learning for current employees and senior-career professionals, science and technology talent development consulting, training of future physician-scientists and support for overseas research personnel.

Particularly notable is that science and technology professionals who took part in each project will personally present their growth experiences and career development achievements, bringing firsthand voices from the field.

A talk forum themed "How Do Science and Technology Professionals Learn, Connect and Grow in the AI Era?" will feature Lee Jeong-mo, former director of the Gwacheon National Science Museum; Lee Yi-baek, a KBS producer; Tom Steinberger, a professor at KAIST; Gwak Jae-sik, a professor at Soongsil Cyber University; and Jeong Hae-gwan, a KIRD center director.

The panelists will exchange views with attendees on how the research environment is changing amid the spread of AI, how science and technology professionals can develop their competencies, and strategies for cross-disciplinary collaboration and growth.

The venue will also feature six thematic exhibition booths covering early-career, mid-career and senior science and technology professionals; future and global talent; talent policy and research; and institutional cooperation. A cafe-style networking space will be set up to allow domestic and international science and technology professionals to mingle freely.

KIRD President Bae Tae-min said the institute pursues a wide range of projects across all areas of human resources development, including career development and organizational development for science and technology professionals. "Through this event, we aim to spread the achievements of talent development and establish ourselves as a hub institution where science and technology professionals at home and abroad can communicate," he said.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com