Since the results of the allocation and adjustment of the 2024 National Research and Development (R&D) budget were announced by the government in late August, talks among students about the possible implications of the major budget cuts are still ongoing. When minor issues with school operations arise, such as limited funding for a club event or postponed heating availability in dormitories, students often jokingly note, “This is all because of the budget cuts.” While these may be passing remarks, they also seem to point toward a vague fear of how our lives would change once the adjusted R&D budget comes into effect. 

Admittedly, these fears are primarily based upon the unique circumstances of KAIST as an almost entirely government-funded university. Most students do not have comprehensive knowledge of how the school budgets are categorized and distributed, let alone the specific categories the recent budget cuts concern. With limited knowledge, it is easy to presume that school operations would also be affected to some degree. For students already involved in research or those looking to advance into graduate school, this sense of apprehension is further compounded because of their direct relationship with research funds.

There is no doubt that the R&D budget cut will have tremendous repercussions on the scientific community in Korea. The government’s choice to “focus” on areas of research with higher performance such as artificial intelligence, semiconductor, space, and advanced biotechnology, while drastically reducing funds for underperforming or new projects may undermine diverse, novel research. For KAIST students, this may translate to forecasts of reduced job availability and security, as well as a reduced number of externally commissioned research projects for those in laboratories. 

But apart from these aspects, our daily lives at KAIST — especially for undergraduate students — are not expected to change drastically. According to the interview that KAIST Times conducted with the Budget Team Manager in September, only 1.3% of KAIST’s total budget was reduced, which is relatively lower compared to other institutions affected by the R&D budget adjustment. The reported budget cuts of 11% only pertain to the “main business expenses”, out of the three major categories of the KAIST budget: main business expenses, institutional operating expenses, and facilities expenses. Even within the main business expenses, items such as the educational or library program expenses remained unchanged. In other words, only the scale of internally offered research projects at KAIST is directly affected by the R&D budget adjustment. This information was not made easily accessible for KAIST students, leading to a spread of uncorroborated thoughts.

As such, part of what made the announcement so disputed was inadequate communication. This was true not only within the KAIST community regarding the R&D budget cuts, but also for the process of deciding on the R&D budget cut itself. One of the biggest issues that researchers in affected institutions find with the change is that the plans and rationales were not discussed in advance with the scientific community, nor explained convincingly. 

In the end, more active discussion and a smoother relay of information from the government to KAIST, and from KAIST to its students has to be established. The “University Student Joint Action Statement in Response to R&D Budget Cut’' announced on October 30 by the Undergraduate Association is one step toward improving this communication. While calling for reconsideration of the policy, it also acts as a means of informing the entire community about its possible implications for the research environment in Korea. Nevertheless, more concrete information should be officially provided. Despite the updates through the UA’s monthly reports, there is an evident lack of details. For instance, although the October report mentions the “current status and measures of our institution on the R&D budget cuts” in a meeting with the Senior Vice President for Planning and Budget, the average student does not know what those measures are. It is recognized that some details may be more classified and sensitive to share with the whole student body. However, information such as explanations of the background of the policy, the expected implications within KAIST, measures to mitigate those implications, and the overall stance of the university can be provided through writing or student-involved conferences. We should be aware of what the facts are, and our opinions should be formulated based on those facts. 

It may turn out that the R&D budget cuts will in fact affect student life at KAIST. This might be in the form of the school making up for losses in payroll costs with its own funds and reducing other resources; it might be in the form of diminished expenses on materials and activities that affect academics. There are possibilities, and any developments should be properly communicated moving forward. As a final note, perhaps we as individuals also need to be more aware and look out for opportunities to become informed.