Look beyond the horizon: Fostering a culture of intellectual exchange

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Look beyond the horizon: Fostering a culture of intellectual exchange

Published: 26 Jun. 2025, 00:06

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Lee Woo Young

The author is an HCMC distinguished professor at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study.

“He was out of my league, so I gave up. Still, I can’t forget him.”

This refrain, from an old song, was often hummed by Heisuke Hironaka, the 1970 Fields Medalist, during his years studying alongside mathematical giants like David Mumford and Michael Artin. Hironaka once shared this story when I met him while he was teaching a student named Huh June (June E Huh) at Seoul National University as a visiting professor. He added, “Young scholars must have opportunities to engage with the world’s best. They grow through despair.”

Professor Huh June, who teaches mathematics at both Princeton University in the United States and the Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS), poses with his Fields Medal after receiving the award at the International Mathematical Union (IMU) ceremony held at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, on July 5, 2022. [YONHAP]

One reason the scientific revolution in the 17th century was able to take root was the emergence of collaborative spaces. Rather than remaining isolated, scientists began forming associations to exchange ideas. The Royal Society of London was founded in 1660, followed by the French Academy of Sciences in 1666. Until then, knowledge had largely been passed down individually. These new institutions opened the door to shared understanding and critical discussion — practices that have since become standard.

Today, the speed and complexity of scientific progress have outpaced what even the most brilliant individual can track alone. In response, universities and research institutes worldwide have adopted collaborative models of “collective intelligence.” Leading institutions like the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, the Isaac Newton Institute in Cambridge, and the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques near Paris regularly host Fields Medalists and other top scholars. These academics engage in vigorous discussions with emerging researchers, shaping the next generation of scientific thought.

Heisuke Hironaka, professor emeritus at Harvard University. [HARVARD UNIVERSITY WEBSITE]

For Korea, still heavily reliant on project-based research, these global models offer an enviable vision. Fortunately, there is encouraging news. In honor of Professor Huh June’s 2022 Fields Medal win, the “Huh June Mathematical Challenges Institute,” launched in 2023 as a platform for young thinkers, will soon have a permanent home on KAIST’s Seoul campus.

We look forward to a time when world-class scholars will routinely spend time there, engaging in spirited exchanges with Korea’s young researchers. Science is a long journey. While it may be tempting to focus on immediate rewards, we must lift our gaze to what lies beyond the near horizon.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.