Kiturami Scholarship goes to 50 DGIST, 20 GIST and 50 UNIST students
41 years, about 70,000 scholarship recipients, 65 billion won given back to society
600 million won purse for Korean Academy of Engineering award, 150 million won for mechanical engineering prize
Kiturami Group said Friday that it presented 100 million won ($74,700) in "Kiturami Scholarships" to 50 UNIST students. On July 24, it gave 50 million won to 50 DGIST students, and on Sept. 4, it gave 50 million won to 20 GIST students.
DGIST, GIST and UNIST are research-focused institutions that carry out education and research in cutting-edge fields such as AI, semiconductors, robotics and mobility, biotech, and energy. Kiturami Group provided this support as part of an effort to expand its scholarship program for science and technology talent majoring in future industries.
Kiturami's scholarship program has continued for 41 years since the establishment of the Kiturami Culture Foundation in 1985. According to Kiturami Group, it has supported about 70,000 scholarship recipients nationwide to date.
Kiturami Group is also expanding support in science and engineering fields. The group has sponsored the Korean Academy of Engineering award for 30 years, from the first edition in 1997 through this year. This year's total purse is 600 million won, with 400 million won going to the grand prize winner and 100 million won each to the winners of the Young Engineer Award and the New Frontier Award.
Kiturami also runs the Kiturami Academic Award with four mechanical engineering societies — the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers of Korea, the Korean Society of Combustion, and the Korean Society for Fluid Machinery. The prize money for outstanding researchers and full-time faculty totals 150 million won.
Kiturami Boiler Chairman Choi Jin-min said, "To boost South Korea's future competitiveness, it is important to create an environment where the talent who will lead science and technology can learn freely and develop their capabilities to the fullest." "We will continue our support so that the people driving South Korea's scientific and technological development — from students to researchers and engineers — can grow," he added.
Through the Kiturami Culture Foundation and the Kiturami Welfare Foundation, Kiturami Group carries out scholarship programs, academic research support, development funds for educational institutions, support for social welfare facilities, and residential environment improvement projects. The group said its cumulative social contributions over the past 41 years total about 65 billion won.
hong@heraldcorp.com
