Kakao Impact Foundation, the corporate foundation of Kakao (035720.KS), is stepping into artificial intelligence (AI) talent development through public-private-academic cooperation.
According to industry sources on Wednesday, Kakao Impact Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) the previous day at Kakao's Pangyo Agit to jointly pursue the "University AI Basic Curriculum Development Support Project." The signing ceremony was attended by key officials including Vice Education Minister Choi Eun-ok, Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) President Lee Ki-jung and Kakao Impact Foundation Chair Ryu Seok-young.
The agreement was designed to expand "Tech for Impact Campus," Kakao Impact Foundation's flagship education program, nationwide. The program is a project-based education initiative in which university students collaborate with nonprofit organizations to plan and develop technology solutions for social problems. Since launching at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2023, about 500 students from nine universities have participated, focusing on nurturing AI convergence talent.
A notable feature of the new program is its linkage with the government's "University AI Basic Curriculum Development Support Project." The initiative aims to strengthen university students' foundational AI capabilities and expand education opportunities, previously concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, to 20 universities nationwide to ease regional education gaps.
Each institution will jointly pursue the project based on its role. The Ministry of Education will oversee the selection of participating universities and provide policy support, while KCUE will manage participating universities and oversee overall project operations. Kakao Impact Foundation will provide its in-house education model and content and run the "Tech for Impact Campus" program.
Specifically, the foundation plans to support students in various ways so they can gain field-oriented experience through mentoring by working Kakao developers, hands-on projects and performance presentations.
Kakao Impact Foundation plans to spread "helping technology" and broaden the foundation for sustainable social change based on a "collective impact" model that brings together universities, social innovators and companies.
"This agreement carries great significance in that the 'Tech for Impact Campus' education model will be linked with a government project and expanded to universities nationwide," Chair Ryu Seok-young said. "Going forward, we will continue to discover and cultivate core AI talent equipped with problem-solving capabilities through hands-on education linked with regional universities."
