Korean Air sponsors US Center for Excellence in Education to nurture global STEM talent

Korean Air announced Friday that it will sponsor the Center for Excellence in Education, a US nonprofit, as part of its efforts to cultivate global talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae signed the sponsorship agreement Thursday morning at the US Capitol, meeting with key figures including Sen. Todd Young — an honorary member of the CEE board of directors — and CEE President JoAnn DiGennaro.

The CEE supports high school students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement by providing STEM education and opportunities to network with prominent business leaders.

Under the agreement, Korean Air will serve as a CEE sponsor for four years beginning this month. The airline will award scholarships in its name to multinational high school students selected for CEE's Research Science Institute program, and will deliver lectures on aviation technology and research and development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston for a separate group of selected students.

"As a global network carrier, we hope to contribute to nurturing talent in aviation and the broader STEM fields," a Korean Air official said. "We plan to give outstanding students around the world the opportunity to engage with Korean Air and to continuously give back to society."

Meanwhile, Korean Air recently joined Asiana Airlines to hold a career lecture for some 60 teenagers interested in becoming pilots at the Hwagok Youth Center in Seoul's Gangseo-gu, part of the airline's broader efforts to support talent development across various fields.