International Youth Day 2023: How Samsung Empowers the Innovators of Tomorrow

Every year on August 12, the United Nations’ International Youth Day (IYD) serves as an essential day of awareness to spotlight the challenges faced by today’s youth and applaud their remarkable achievements and potential.

The World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report¹ underscores the growing prominence of technology in the job market. As approximately 75% of companies intend to integrate technologies such as big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) within the next five years, it’s important for young individuals to familiarize themselves with these tools to stay competitive. What’s more, widespread digitalization significantly impacted commerce and trade, with 86% of companies considering platforms and app adoption. Now more than ever, technology skills are necessary for young job seekers to succeed in today’s evolving business landscape.

Through its global corporate social responsibility programs, Samsung Electronics remains committed to empowering, engaging and nurturing the creativity of young minds who aspire to be the problem solvers of tomorrow. One such program, Samsung Innovation Campus, plays a crucial role in shaping and honing the capabilities of young individuals by providing comprehensive training in information and communications technology (ICT). To date, this initiative has expanded its reach to 35 countries worldwide — successfully impacting 119 thousand talented participants.

Samsung Newsroom takes a deep dive into this global initiative, highlighting how Samsung fulfills its corporate social responsibilities and celebrates the empowerment of youth around the world.

Türkiye: Unlocking the Future With Samsung Innovation Campus — Özge Özkaya

“Through Samsung Innovation Campus, you can find solutions and apply them to areas where they are most needed in society.”

“Draw your future with Samsung Innovation Campus to become an AI engineer, big data analyst or AI researcher — like I did!”

Türkiye is among several nations with a growing demand for ICT specialists in its job market — approximately 18% of Turkish businesses hired an ICT specialist in 2022 compared to 12% in 2020.² Turkish students have an opportunity to stand out from other job applicants through the technical education and hands-on experience offered by Samsung Innovation Campus.

One of these students is Özge Özkaya, whose life took a transformative turn when she participated in Samsung Innovation Campus to fulfill her passion for AI and big data. Now, working at an AI Lab under the United Nations Development Programme, Özge attributes her achievements to the invaluable knowledge gained from the program. By collaborating with her friends, Hale Afra İriş and Gözde Gözütok, Özge developed an AI solution capable of predicting forest fires, an essential asset for building sustainable cities and communities. The team meticulously worked on web scraping, API calls, data cleaning and feature engineering to develop an advanced machine-learning model with an impressive 80% accuracy rate in forecasting potential fires.

This success showcases the real-world impact that Samsung Innovation Campus strives to deliver — offering a beacon of hope to young minds, such as Özge, who aspire to make a positive impact on the world.

“Through Samsung Innovation Campus, you can find solutions and apply them to areas where they are most needed in society,” said Özge. “It’s a worthwhile experience. Draw your future with Samsung Innovation Campus to become an AI engineer, big data analyst or AI researcher — like I did!”

South Africa: Fueling the Dreams of a Young Technologist — Katlego Magoro

“Students now have the necessary skills to make meaningful contributions to society one day.”

“Technology can be a powerful tool for ending social divides, promoting greater equality and extending opportunities to all South Africans.”

Katlego Magoro is one of the recent graduates of Samsung Innovation Campus at Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. After losing his parents at a young age, Katlego was raised by his grandparents. He credits his seamstress grandmother for instilling the value of hard work and attention to detail. Although his lifelong dream was to become a lawyer and fight for underserved communities like his own, fate had other plans for Katlego. When he missed the chance to enroll in law school, he found himself studying Information Technology (IT) at Walter Sisulu University. This is where Katlego discovered his passion for coding and programming despite his initial hesitation.

With the support of university lecturers and Samsung’s program, Katlego excelled in IT and became a skilled software developer. “Samsung Innovation Campus focused on applying our theoretical knowledge to solve real-world problems. This practice equipped us with the relevant tools to stand out as aspiring software developers, data analysts and scientists in this highly competitive industry,” said Katlego. “Thanks to Samsung and the university, students now have the necessary skills to make meaningful contributions to society one day.”

Katlego’s passion for bringing digital strength to South Africa is stronger than ever — where only 22% of households have a computer and a mere 10% have internet access.³ Katlego strives to build the foundation for a brighter future by supporting marginalized communities in his country and granting them access to big data analytics. “Technology can be a powerful tool for ending social divides, promoting greater equality and extending opportunities to all South Africans,” he explained.

Fueled by the belief in technology’s potential for positive change, Katlego and other Samsung Innovation Campus students are determined to pave the way for a more inclusive and connected future.

Greece: From Student to Samsung’s AI Linguist — Georgia Maniati

“The program’s excellent curriculum surpassed my expectations. Exposure to real-world scenarios and collaboration with like-minded individuals were the most valuable parts for me.”

“We can actively contribute to bridging the gap between skills supply and demand while fostering innovation and driving the industry forward.”

Greece’s tech sector has surged recently, driven by an increase in government and foreign investments around innovation. Thanks to heightened demand, Greece is now actively seeking tech-savvy individuals.⁴

One such example is Georgia Maniati, a language engineer from Greece, who deepened her passion for AI at Samsung Innovation Campus. Following her linguistics and AI studies in the U.K., she returned to Athens to dive deeper into data analytics.

She credits Samsung Innovation Campus for expanding her horizons. “Despite my experience in AI, I had no background in big data or e-commerce,” said Georgia. “The program’s excellent curriculum surpassed my expectations. Exposure to real-world scenarios and collaboration with like-minded individuals were the most valuable parts for me.”

Now, as an AI speech and language research scientist at Samsung, Georgia works on projects like Samsung’s Bixby digital assistant, product launches and updates, and global language endeavors. “As part of the Samsung family, I take pride in the company’s commitment to equipping recent graduates with AI and data analytics skills,” she said. “We can actively contribute to bridging the gap between skills supply and demand while fostering innovation and driving the industry forward.”

Thailand: Clearer Vision Ahead — Sirithorn Pinthong & Jitchaya Phuwanatum

“Samsung Innovation Campus provided me with step-by-step guidance starting from the basics and unwavering support from teachers and mentors.”

“Now, I have a clearer vision of my engineering career path!”

Over the past decade, Thailand has transformed into a tech-driven economy, fostering innovation and attracting funding for new technologies. With a target to invest 2% of its gross domestic product in research and development by 2027, the country is enhancing its appeal as an investment hub and emphasizing education that cultivates innovation, moving beyond traditional industries.⁵

Samsung Innovation Campus plays a pivotal role in line with Thailand’s shift towards innovation. Two high school students from Thailand embarked on their tech journey through the program and built a foundation for their education and careers: Sirithorn Pinthong from Suankularb Wittayalai Rangsit School and Jitchaya Phuwanatum from Princess Chulabhorn Science High School Pathumthani. Both students share a deep interest in data science and had wonderful experiences with the program.

“I lacked solid Python skills and felt unsure about developing them,” Sirithorn explained. “However, Samsung Innovation Campus provided me with step-by-step guidance starting from the basics and unwavering support from teachers and mentors. Now, I have a clearer vision of my engineering career path.”

Jitchaya recommended the program to fellow students who share her interest in data science, emphasizing the increasing relevance of new technologies across all industries. “I am grateful for the opportunity to explore new concepts and subjects through Samsung Innovation Campus,” she said. “The program was rich in knowledge and hands-on activities, greatly enhancing our learning experience.”

Spain: Deeper Into the World of Data Science — Yana Gizdova

“Through immersive training, access to the latest technologies and guidance from industry experts, Samsung Innovation Campus equipped me with the skills I needed for the real world.”

“Samsung Innovation Campus has been a driving force for my growth, leaving me well-prepared and enthusiastic to embrace the exciting challenges of the data-driven world.”

In Spain, companies face challenges in filling job vacancies, particularly in ICT and STEM fields. Data analysts, computer engineers, big data experts, IT security technicians and other renewable energy, business intelligence and data mining roles have become increasingly difficult to fill, especially in 2022.⁶

Amidst this demand for skilled talent, Yana Gizdova, a STEM student from Bulgaria studying computer engineering and business administration in Spain, plans to make a positive impact through data-driven solutions. Discovering Samsung Innovation Campus in 2022 became a game changer for her career.

“Through immersive training, access to the latest technologies and guidance from industry experts, Samsung Innovation Campus equipped me with the skills I needed for the real world,” said Yana.

She had a rewarding experience with Samsung Innovation Campus, working on a capstone project that involved analyzing false social media content by detecting and studying programmed bot users. This opportunity not only improved her data science skills but also emphasized the importance of ethical data handling.

Thanks to the program’s unwavering support, Yana secured an internship in the data field, further preparing her for a promising future in data science. “My goal is to become a skilled data scientist, crafting captivating stories and empowering individuals and organizations to make informed decisions,” described Yana. “Samsung Innovation Campus has been a driving force for my growth, leaving me well-prepared and enthusiastic to embrace the exciting challenges of the data-driven world.”

Samsung is committed to empowering bright young minds worldwide through educational programs that nurture their talents and help them become leaders in their communities. For more inspiring stories about how Samsung is encouraging the problem solvers of tomorrow, stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom.

¹ World Economic Forum, The Future of Jobs Report 2023, May 2023
² Turkish Statistical Institute, Survey on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Usage in Enterprises, September 2022
³ Africa.com, The Digital Divide: Barriers To The Realization Of Digital Rights For Learners In South Africa, March 2023
⁴ Bloomberg, Greece Goes All In On Tech — Now It Needs Skilled Workers, December 2022
⁵ Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council, Public Policies and Measures Aim at Boosting R&D Expenditure to 2% GDP by 2027, June 2023
⁶ EURES, Labor Market Information: Spain, March 2023