Complete Overhaul of Samsung's CSR Program
Addition of AI Education Courses and Infrastructure Support
Government Officials and Lawmakers Attend 12th Graduation Ceremony
Samsung Electronics has completely revamped its youth education program, the Samsung Youth SW·AI Academy (SSAFY), to focus on AI-centered education in line with the government's initiative to foster AI talent.
On June 24, Samsung Electronics announced that it had fully restructured the SSAFY curriculum to focus on AI-centered education in order to contribute to the national effort to nurture AI talent. SSAFY is a CSR (corporate social responsibility) program for young people that Samsung launched in 2018 to boost the economy and create jobs.
SSAFY has been upgraded to 'SSAFY 2.0' by newly introducing eight AI education courses and providing infrastructure to enable trainees to directly utilize AI models in various practical courses.
Additionally, the program has strengthened the depth and breadth of its education by introducing a hands-on curriculum that enables trainees to apply AI technologies in real-world situations. Reflecting this change, the program name has also been updated from 'Samsung Youth SW Academy' to 'Samsung Youth SW·AI Academy' by adding 'AI' to the title.
With the enhancement of AI education, SSAFY has increased its total annual training hours from 1,600 to 1,725, allocating 1,025 of these hours to AI education and practical training in AI applications. This ensures that trainees can fully develop their AI competitiveness. Approximately 60% of the entire curriculum is now dedicated to AI-related courses, shifting the program's focus toward strengthening AI capabilities.
In the first semester, trainees acquire basic knowledge through introductory AI lectures. Subsequently, they receive intermediate and advanced training, including AI programming, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the AI field. In the second semester, they participate in special AI practice lectures and form teams with other trainees to plan and execute projects, thereby developing practical skills that can be immediately applied in the workplace.
To help trainees acquire AI-related knowledge through self-directed learning, SSAFY has also launched its own learning platform, the 'SSAFY AI Portal.' Through this portal, trainees can take online courses in the AI field and freely share AI knowledge and expertise with one another.
Samsung Youth SW AI Academy (SSAFY) 12th batch trainees are having a discussion to carry out a team project. Samsung Electronics.
SSAFY provides a systematic infrastructure, including a high-performance GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) management system necessary for efficient AI model training. This enables trainees to conduct model training and experiments at a professional level.
Since the start of its first cohort in December 2018, SSAFY has seen a total of 9,144 graduates through its 11th batch, with 7,727 of them finding employment, achieving an employment rate of 85%. Including early hires from the currently enrolled 13th batch, the cumulative number of employed graduates exceeds 8,000, who are now working as developers in companies across various industries.
Meanwhile, on this day, the 12th graduation ceremony was held at the SSAFY Seoul Campus in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The event was attended by Kim Minseok, acting Minister and Vice Minister of Employment and Labor, Lee Yongwoo, member of the Democratic Party of Korea, Woo Jaejun, member of the People Power Party, Lee Haemin, member of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Lee Jooyoung, member of the Reform Party, Park Seunghee, President of Corporate Relations at Samsung Electronics, as well as outstanding graduates, their families, and about 100 participants in total.
President Park said, "I trust in your passion and diligence, and I hope you will become developers who make the world a little warmer and a little more convenient."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
