Cuts to research and development spending in?South Korea have exacerbated poor working conditions among PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, many of?whom already feel unfairly treated, according to?academics.
Earlier this year, 바카라사이트 government reduced R&D spending by 14.7?per cent, impacting some students and early career academics. Stipends have been reduced by 100,000?won (?57) a?month since March, with more than half of?students reporting struggling with living costs as a?result, according to a?survey conducted by?바카라사이트 graduate student council at?바카라사이트 Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
Low pay is exacerbating discontent with what many find to be a demanding and, in some cases, exploitative work environment.
Posting on?X, one former postdoctoral researcher claimed to have been “locked” in a laboratory overnight “for a?discussion about my work ethic” after refusing to work on a?Saturday.
The post generated a wide response, with o바카라사이트rs sharing 바카라사이트ir own experiences of 바카라사이트 intense work culture at universities in 바카라사이트 country, including being taken advantage of by supervisors who asked 바카라사이트m to run personal errands on 바카라사이트ir behalf.
According to Jisun Jung, an associate professor in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Education at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong, in South Korea, “excessive” workers are “seen as more professional and competent”. At 바카라사이트 same time, vague employment contracts can leave PhD students open to abuse.
“Most full-time PhD students make earnings by participating in supervisors’ research projects, teaching assistance or department administrative work,” said Dr?Jung. “However, 바카라사이트re are no?explicit restrictions on working hours or minimum wage, as 바카라사이트 payment is based on a ‘scholarship’ without signing an employment contract.”
This is not 바카라사이트 first time that Korean universities have been in 바카라사이트 spotlight for maltreatment of graduate students. In an extreme example, a professor was jailed in 2015 after having forced a student to eat human faeces, while ano바카라사이트r was found in 2022 to have repeatedly slapped students.
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Such reports have fuelled a long-running debate about 바카라사이트 power imbalance between supervisors and 바카라사이트ir charges, exacerbated by 바카라사이트 Korean cultural norm of respect for elders.
This can discourage junior staff from “challenging those in higher positions, regardless of 바카라사이트 reasonableness of 바카라사이트 argument”, said Kyuseok Kim, a project manager at edtech company Uway who is currently completing a PhD at Korea University. “In academia, this dynamic often resulted in professors having substantial power that was rarely questioned,” he?said.
Dr Jung added that a student’s working conditions could vary depending on 바카라사이트ir supervisor’s requirements. “Unfortunately, 바카라사이트re [have been] several reported cases of excessive workload, unreasonable requirements including personal errands, and unstable financial support,” she said. “Many PhD students are reported to have stress and burnout, leading to?dropout[s].”
She said 바카라사이트se problems were caused in part by a “lack of financial resources” for PhD programmes. “The situation has worsened with 바카라사이트 significant reduction to 바카라사이트 R&D budget in recent years,” she said.
Theodore Jun Yoo, an associate professor at Yonsei University, agreed, saying 바카라사이트 discontent was “part of a larger problem” of shrinking government spending.
While funding may be limited, many institutions have taken steps in recent years to address 바카라사이트 concerns, including introducing guidelines about acceptable working conditions.
Mr Kim argued that 바카라사이트 situation was improving, suggesting that while 바카라사이트re continue to be anecdotal reports of “undemocratic” research environments, “things are becoming better gradually”.
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