Choi Tae-won: "Let's Find Ways to Practice Deep Change"... SK Icheon Forum 2021 Opens

Online Event on "SK's Deep Change Practice for a Sustainable Ecosystem"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoonju Hwang] SK Group will hold its knowledge management platform, 'Icheon Forum 2021,' online for four days starting from the 23rd.

On the 22nd, SK announced that global scholars and experts from various fields will give lectures and engage in passionate discussions under the theme of "SK's Deep Change Practice for a Sustainable Ecosystem." As with last year, considering social distancing due to COVID-19, the event will be conducted online by connecting the SKMS Research Institute studio in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, and other locations.

The Icheon Forum was initiated in 2017 when SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won proposed that "in a rapidly changing business environment, companies need a forum for discussion to develop insights to prepare for the future by understanding technological innovation and socio-economic demands to avoid sudden death."

Now in its fifth year, this year's forum will feature thematic lectures, keynote presentations, and panel discussions on topics such as ▲ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) ▲Environment ▲Social ▲Institutions and Fairness ▲Work and Happiness ▲Governance Financial Story ▲Technology. In addition to the existing core agenda of the Icheon Forum, such as ESG, new topics like ‘Fairness’ and ‘Social’?which address social diversity and are of high contemporary interest?have been included to support SK’s practical changes for ‘Deep Change.’

Notably, for the first time this year, about 500 external participants including university students, executives from partner companies and social enterprises, and invited professors from the in-house capability enhancement platform Sunny (mySUNI) have been invited to participate in major session discussions. This marks an evolution from an internal SK forum to an 'open forum' that communicates with external parties to collectively contemplate a better future.

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK stated, "I hope this forum becomes a place where members and stakeholders can discuss SK’s responsibilities and practices for a sustainable future ecosystem," and emphasized, "Furthermore, let us not stop at mere discussion but also seek practical methods for implementation," according to SK.

On the opening day, the 23rd, in the ‘Institutions and Fairness’ session, world-renowned scholar Michael Sandel, a professor at Harvard University in the U.S., will participate via video conference to deliver a lecture followed by a lively online discussion with 100 SK members. Professor Sandel, famous for his books such as "Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?" and "The Tyranny of Merit," is expected to share his views on the recent hot topic of fairness discourse during his lecture.

On the same day, in the ‘ESG’ session, Rebecca Henderson, a world-leading scholar in sustainable management at Harvard University, will lecture on the significance of ESG management in the era of a major transformation of capitalism. On the 25th, Amy Edmondson, a tenured professor at Harvard Business School known as a ‘leadership guru,’ will give a lecture on ‘Work and Happiness in the New Normal Era’ and engage in discussions with Seoul National University professor and happiness research authority Incheol Choi and SK members.

Sessions will also be held to explore the latest technological paradigm shifts such as the metaverse, AI (Artificial Intelligence), and big data, along with new business opportunities, together with internal and external experts.

Additionally, in ESG-related sessions strongly promoted as part of SK’s ‘Deep Change,’ topics such as overall ESG, net zero, hydrogen society, resource circulation, social agenda, and how to accelerate SK’s board-centered management through governance innovation will be broadly discussed. A Financial Story session, proposed by Chairman Chey Tae-won as a management theme to gain stakeholder empathy and have future corporate value recognized in the market, will also be held.

On the final day, the 26th, a closing session will be held where Chairman Chey will review the forum’s themes and implications with members. Prior to this, the awards ceremony for the first ‘SK AI Competition,’ held for SK members with the aim of finding technological solutions to social problems and creating a sustainable society, will take place.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.