Leading basic science research institutions from Korea and France are stepping up efforts to enhance international research collaboration. The Institute for Basic Science (IBS, President NOH Do Young), the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS, President Antoine PETIT), and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF, President HONG Won-hwa) will jointly host the Korea–France Research Leadership Forum. The event will take place on Tuesday, June 24 at the IBS Building on the Yonsei University campus.

This forum was organized in light of Korea’s recent accession, as the first Asian country, to Horizon Europe—the world’s largest multilateral research and innovation program—as of January this year. With Korea’s participation, Korean institutions and researchers can now take part in Horizon Europe projects, valued at approximately €95.5 billion from 2021 to 2027, alongside European researchers.

CNRS, the largest basic science research institution in Europe, leads global research through over 80 international research networks and 11 overseas offices, and is the top recipient of Horizon Europe grants. During the forum, CNRS will share its international collaboration strategy and present examples of Korea–France research cooperation, while also exploring concrete strategies to expand joint research and researcher exchange.

Key CNRS figures visiting Korea for the event—including President Antoine PETIT and Director of European and International Relations Alain MERMET—will engage in discussions with IBS and Korean researchers to strengthen collaboration. HWANG Sunghoon, Director-General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and ICT, will also attend the forum to encourage sustained bilateral research partnerships.

In the keynote speech, CNRS President Antoine PETIT will introduce CNRS’s global strategy and explain how the institute became the leading beneficiary of Horizon Europe. The subsequent presentation session will feature Alain MERMET, Associate Professor KIM Eun Jung (IBS Visiting Research Fellow, KAIST), and Professor KIM Sang Woo (Yonsei University, CNRS Joint Research Director), who will share real-world collaboration cases and institutional foundations, while exploring ways to expand joint research.

The panel discussion will feature IBS President NOH Do Young and CNRS President Antoine PETIT, representing their respective institutions to discuss strategic cooperation between the two countries’ basic science communities. Professor Emeritus KIM Eun Kyung of Yonsei University will share insights as the Korean lead of “2B-FUEL,” the first International Research Laboratory (IRL) established by CNRS in Korea, offering suggestions on the lab’s operation and expansion. Dr. Tomasz WIERZBOWSKI, Head of EURAXESS Korea, will also participate to share multilateral cooperation strategies through Horizon Europe. EURAXESS is an EU-run platform that supports international mobility of researchers and promotes collaboration between European and non-European researchers.

President NOH Do Young of IBS remarked, “This will be a meaningful occasion to envision the future of Korea–France science and technology collaboration, especially as we approach the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2026.” He added, “We hope this forum will further solidify our collaborative framework and lead to more active joint research and researcher exchange between the two countries.”

IBS Public Relations Team
William I. Suh