French economist Jacques Attali ( right ) is interviewed by Choi Jung - wha , president of the Corea Image Communication Institute . ( YouTube channel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Korea ) French economist and futurologist Jacques Attali said “ to act altruistically ” is the only way to fight against the COVID - 19 pandemic , in an interview conducted as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ’ “ Insight Series ” on the post - coronavirus era . “ By protecting others , you can protect yourself . However , many people thought the opposite , ” Attali said in an interview with Choi Jung - wha , professor of the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and the president of Corea Image Communication Institute . “ They thought that isolating , closing doors and rejecting others was the solution to protecting themselves . Today , this response is not appropriate because the world we live in is very interdependent . ” In his “ Dictionary of the 21 st Century ” and “ Future vs . Prediction , ” Attali had predicted that humanity may face a number of catastrophes by 2030 , and one possibility is a pandemic . Speaking on the theme of future prospects in the post - coronavirus era , Attali said he regards altruism as an evolved form of egoism , which will eventually protect oneself from others . “ People must be convinced that altruistic behavior has an egoistic trait that benefits them . Think about wearing a mask . If I wear a mask , I protect others and others wearing masks also protect me . So if I wish to protect myself , it is beneficial to protect others , ” he said . Attali calls this phenomenon “ self - interested altruism , ” which will move toward “ disinterested altruism ” ultimately . For the future where more pandemics are expected , Attali urged that humankind must use all means to develop the health industry , including medical facilities . “ The companies that boast the greatest sales in the world should be medical companies . It is also important to develop all industries relating to education , ” he said . “ Health and education are key factors for the future . ” On other industrial sectors , including automobile , aviation and tourism , Atalli said , they “ need to go through great change if they wish to become industries of the future . ” The Foreign Ministry has posted a series of online interviews with global intellectuals on the post - coronavirus era . Featured in previous installments are Michael Sandel , author of “ Justice : What ’ s the Right Thing to Do ? ” and Guy Sorman , a globally acclaimed critic of culture and civilization . By Park Yuna ( yunapark @ heraldcorp . com ) [ 네이버 에서 코리아 헤럴드 구독 ] ▶ KH Podcast    ▶ KH Video <ⓒ KoreaHerald ( www . koreaherald . com ) 무단 전재 및 재 배포 금지 >