IPA Analysis for Enhancing the Domestic Employment of International Students from a Brain Gain Perspective: Focused on Master’s and Doctoral Programs in Science and Engineering at Government-funded Research Institutes

With Korea's total fertility rate recorded at 0.72 in 2023, there is even a pessimistic prospect that it will become the 'first country to extinguish the population'. In the face of serious demographic challenges such as a population decline, regions disappear, and a lack of high-quality human resources in the industry due to a rapid decline in the fertility rate, the Korean government and each local government are pouring out various policies to alleviate these problems by utilizing the capabilities of international students. This study analyzed the importance of domestic employment promotion activities and differences in the degree of implementation of the employment support system for international students studying as master's and doctoral students at government-funded research institutes using the importance-performance analysis(IPA) methodology. As a result of the analysis, 'recommendation of supervisors' and 'industrial cooperation projects' were evaluated as the most important employment promotion activities, and in the employment support system, 'flexible visa system' and 'simplification of immigration procedures' for researchers were recognized as important. In addition, it was found that there is a difference in perception between the importance and performance of international students depending on the region of residence and country of origin, so a strategy for promoting employment tailored to the region of residence and country of origin is necessary. This study is limited to international students in science and engineering who are enrolled in U graduate university, so there is a limit to the generalization of research results. In future research, extended research is needed including international students from science and technology specialized universities and base national universities. In addition, it is proposed to expand the study on how the expectations and demands of the employment support system of international students differ according to the cultural context by comprehensively considering the country and cultural background and economic conditions that affect the employment activation of international students.