Gyeongsa-yeon Launches 'Social Contribution Committee'... Fulfilling Social Responsibility

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology announced on the 17th that it has formed and launched a Social Contribution Committee upon the voluntary request of research institutes to create social value and fulfill social responsibility as a public institution.

The Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology and its affiliated research institutes actively participated in various social contribution activities to overcome the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and fulfill their social responsibilities as public institutions. These activities included the return and donation of executive salaries, issuance events for Yeominjeon cards (Sejong local currency), participation in blood donation campaigns and donation of blood certificates (Sejong national research institutes, research institutes in Chungbuk Innovation City, etc.), donation of relief supplies such as masks and hand sanitizers, employee donations, and purchasing flowerpots and agricultural products from local flower farms.

The Social Contribution Committee was established to systematically promote the creation of social value and fulfillment of social responsibility by public institutions, as well as to share and disseminate related research outcomes and social contribution activities.

The Social Contribution Committee’s Steering Committee consists of a total of 10 research institutes: Korea Transport Institute, Korea Rural Economic Institute, Korea Legislation Research Institute, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Korea Youth Policy Institute, Korea Institute of Public Administration, Korea Environment Institute, Korea Institute of Child Care and Education, and KDI School of Public Policy and Management.

Going forward, the Social Contribution Committee plans to organize subcommittees such as the Social Contribution Planning Subcommittee and the Social Contribution Activities Subcommittee to focus on detailed discussions and promotion of social contribution and social value creation measures to fulfill the social value creation and responsibility of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology and its research institutes.

Sung Kyung-ryung, Chairman of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, said, "Although various social contribution activities have been carried out in different fields by each research institute, there has been a tendency not to recognize their importance. Through the Social Contribution Committee, we will become a national research institute that continuously leads innovation by embracing marginalized groups and continuously creating social value."