KICS and Codeit Have Formalized Their Collaboration Through the Signing of a MOU for the Information-Vulnerable Support Project
by Wan Choi, Seoul National University, South Korea
On Monday, September 25th, 2023, the Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences (KICS), Korea’s largest leading information and communication technology (ICT) institute comprising leading ICT experts, entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Codeit Co., Ltd. (Co-CEOs: Kang Young-hoon and Lee Yun-soo). This collaboration marked the commencement of an information-vulnerable support project as part of a digital environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiative. The primary objective of this project is to bridge the knowledge–information gap and contribute to society, particularly to information-vulnerable classes, by providing complementary online coding education.
Codeit (https://www.codeit.kr), a key participant in this initiative, is the leading online coding education company in Korea with the largest number of service subscribers. It offers a diverse range of education, from basic training to professional employment training, through online coding and boot camps (Codeit Sprint), boasting a cumulative student count of 400,000. Collaborating closely, KICS and Codeit aim to deliver free coding education to low-income and information-disadvantaged groups, thereby supporting informatization education and fostering the establishment of an information infrastructure for the information-vulnerable. In this regard, KICS grants free online education rights to the information-disadvantaged through donations from member companies, whereas Codeit provides the corresponding online education services free of charge. The first beneficiaries of this complementary online education project included the corporate entity YANA (https://yana.or.kr), which has partnered with KICS. The project targets young individuals transitioning from orphanages and offers them various free online coding education courses provided by Codeit to prepare them for independent living. Further details on this project can be found on the KICS website (https://www.kics.or.kr). KICS is actively involved in social contribution projects, fulfilling its role and responsibilities as experts and making significant contributions to the development of a sustainable society. Notably, the institute distinguishes itself as the first domestic academic organization to undertake such initiatives. In addition to the information-vulnerable support project, which focuses on providing free coding education to low-income and information-disadvantaged groups, the Digital ESG projects undertaken by KICS since 2023 encompass the following:
Matching Projects Between Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Technological Challenges and Experts: This project aims to enhance domestic SMEs’ research and development competitiveness by leveraging the expertise of KICS’s top professionals in the information and communication field. Unlike large enterprises that have access to advanced technology and resources, SMEs often face challenges in addressing problems that arise during the research, development, and production processes. This is often due to difficulties in acquiring specialized professionals. The expert-matching project bridges this gap by identifying and connecting experts capable of resolving specific technological challenges faced by SMEs in product development. When an SME seeks assistance with a technology-related problem through the KICS website, we locate an expert capable of solving the problem, establish a connection between them and the company, and resolve the problem.
Knowledge Sharing Business: The KICS Knowledge Sharing Project aims to disseminate knowledge and information through communication with the public. By making ICT easily accessible and usable, we can expand the knowledge base in this domain and actively raise awareness regarding the importance of ICT. This was achieved by offering free customized courses on the KICS website and YouTube channels. These courses cater to individuals ranging from beginners to experts, enabling them to acquire and apply knowledge in the ICT field.
