Brain Korea-21: Linking State, Market and Society for Techno-Scientific Excellence

Dr. Jitendra Uttam, Jawaharlal Nehru University, will address the performance-based collaborative mechanism between state, market and society for the promotion and development of scientific research, through examining the Brain Korea (BK21) project, specifically designed to nurture high-qualified scientific manpower in Korea. BK21 aims to produce “the next generation of creative leaders” by supporting students in Master’s or Ph.D. degree courses and post-graduate researchers.
As the Korean “developmental state” graduated from the era of “reverse reengineering” tailored for the needs of export-led industrialization, the old state-supported Government Research Institute (GRI) system has lost its relevance. By mediating collaboration between market and society through programs such as BK21, the “post-developmental state” in Korea is trying to facilitate interest convergence between government agencies, universities and industrial powerhouses.