Chairman Chey Tae-won: "I hope to become a big tree that gives back what I received from society"

Selected over 4,000 Scholarship Students in 47 Years
Produced Over 820 Domestic and International PhDs

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK and Chairman of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, is taking a commemorative photo with scholarship students at the overseas study scholarship certificate awarding ceremony held on the 11th at the SK Seorin Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by SK

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] "Always be grateful for the benefits you have received from the world, and become a great tree that knows how to give back to society."

On the 12th, according to SK Group, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won made this request while awarding scholarship certificates to scholarship students departing for overseas studies with support from the Korea Higher Education Foundation at the SK Seorin Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul the day before.

As chairman of the Korea Higher Education Foundation, Chairman Chey encouraged the students by saying, "Being selected as scholarship students is the result of fierce effort, but in fact, it means you have received an opportunity from society," and emphasized, "As the saying 'Eumsu Sawon (飮水思源)' goes, grow into leaders who feel gratitude for the benefits received from the world, and always imagine ways to give back to society in the future."

Chairman Chey added, "Society is changing much faster and more complexly than 47 years ago when the foundation was first launched," and said, "Now, rather than pursuing a degree as the sole purpose, please pioneer your own path that fits the changes of the times."

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK and Chairman of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, is giving an encouraging speech at the overseas study scholarship certificate awarding ceremony held on the 11th at the SK Seorin Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by SK

The event was attended by 41 scholarship students and foundation officials including Choi Byung-il, Secretary General of the Korea Higher Education Foundation. Chairman Chey, who has shown special interest in nurturing talent, has personally attended the scholarship certificate awarding ceremony every year to encourage the students.

The Korea Higher Education Foundation was established in 1974 by the late Chairman Choi Jong-hyun, father of Chairman Chey, with the belief of "planting trees looking ten years ahead, and nurturing talent looking a hundred years ahead." During his lifetime, Chairman Choi Jong-hyun expressed his intention to engage in scholarship projects by saying, "The hope of this land without any resources is talent."

The foundation has supported outstanding Korean students to obtain master's and doctoral degrees at top overseas educational institutions. Over the past 47 years, it has supported about 4,000 scholarship students through overseas study scholarship programs and special university scholarship programs, producing over 820 doctoral graduates from world-renowned universities.

Recently, efforts have been made to cultivate new talent suited to the changing times. To this end, the existing undergraduate scholarship program has been restructured to go beyond simple tuition support, requiring participation in various lectures, discussions, and team projects, thereby fostering intellectual leaders with creative and convergent problem-solving abilities.

Meanwhile, Chairman Chey also serves as chairman of the Choi Jong-hyun Academy, established separately from the Higher Education Foundation in 2018 to mark the 20th anniversary of the late Chairman Choi Jong-hyun, with a personal donation of about 50 billion KRW.

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