Living as foreign scientists : stories of nineteen expatriate professors in South Korea

Abstract

This paper discusses an important dimension of the globalization of science by investigating the lived experiences of nineteen expatriate scientists in six institutions in South Korea. Although much has been written on the globalization and science, few works have dealt with scientific expertsʼ migration across national borders in contemporary contexts. In this regard, the lives of foreign science professors in Korea offer an interesting case, as they illustrate how the ideas of global science both clash with and appropriate Koreaʼs local practices and discourses. I argue that the globality of science is a main factor that fosters the continued Korean stay of many foreign scientists, who manage and appropriate what is entailed in this globality, namely, Koreaʼs perceived status as a peripheral country in the dynamics between “center” and “periphery.” This includes several strategies and unintended situations differing according to each foreign scientistʼs ethnic origins, professional experiences, and institutional circumstances, which lead them to make sense of their continued stay in Korea