An impossible dream?

By Bien Sun-hee

The Korean economy is among the top 10 in the world, and the country successfully hosted the G20 recently. Korean athletes have won many gold medals in the Olympics, and the famous Kim Yuna is on top of the world in figure skating. Still, we have not produced any Nobel Prize recipients in science, which is ironic since Korea is known as one of the countries with an extreme fervor for higher education.

Most people are familiar with the Swedish chemist, Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite and establisher of the Nobel Prizes. Every year, at this time, each Nobel laureate becomes the focus of attention. However, we generally tend to have more interest in Nobel prizes for peace or literature compared to chemistry and physics, since the achievements of science are, for the most part, too difficult to understand.

I personally had a special interest in the Nobel prizes since I was a little kid. My favorite laureates were Marie Curie, James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, Eric Kandel, and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi. I had always dreamed of becoming a great scientist with bright prospects, and envisioned myself making an outstanding contribution to become a Nobel Prize recipient one day.

This year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded jointly to Richard F. Heck, Ei-Ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki “for palladium catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis.” Their scientific research has contributed in making revolutionary substances such as plastic and the development of new medical treatments. I have been very interested in this area since I began studying chemistry.

I was astonished by the fact that our body is constituted of a myriad of chemical molecules. Everything we do, including eating, running, thinking, and feeling, is performed by chemical reactions. I chose chemical and biomolecular engineering as my major because I wanted to create medical treatments using my engineering skills by analyzing chemical reactions inside our body.

Thus far, most Nobel Prize laureates had achieved bringing big changes to the world. It is needless to say that scientific research has enabled human history to make great progress.

The first Korean laureate Kim Dae-Jung, a former Korean president, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his long-standing opposition to authoritarian rule. I remember that it was a sensational affair; newspapers and magazines reported the news competitively and every Korean was genuinely excited.

So then, why can't we produce a Nobel Prize recipient for science? Is it an impossible dream for us? I think Korean people have a great deal of potential in doing whatever they chose. In my opinion, a long-range educational plan is very crucial. It will be hopeless if we continue this cramming system of education in the days to come. The sustaining development of basic science rests on the fact that scientists put their heart into their research. How can they give themselves to their work under circumstance clinging only to immediate profit?

I think now we need to examine the case of Japan. Including the two laureates of chemistry this year, Japan has produced 17 Nobel Prize laureates with distinguishing talent. Among them, there are seven in the field of chemistry, six in physics, and one in physiology. Although Japan has not shared a friendly relationship with Korea in history, we should admit that it is a country with competence in fundamental science and technology.

I hope that Korea will produce another laureate for academic accomplishments in the near future. Numerous scientists who have majored in engineering, pure science, medicine and pharmacology are striving at research the majority avoid doing. It goes without saying that our goal of a Nobel Prize cannot be achieved without a great deal of labor. I'm sure that this will be amply rewarded someday.

Bien Sun-hee is a third grade student majoring in Chemical and biomolecular engineering at Yonsei University.