The ACES 2016 awards judging panel (from left): Irene Ng, Shanggari B., Hemant K. Batra, Dr. Jayanthi Desan, Andrew Bryant, Dr. Jeffrey Goh Sim Ik

Samsung Electronics was named ‘Community Care Company of the Year’ at the 2016 Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) Awards, held on November 17 at Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel. The award is the highest accolade in its category and testament to Samsung’s continued commitment to global citizenship and creating positive change around the world.

“Samsung is honored to be recognized for our community care efforts once again, and it gives us tremendous pride to be awarded the highest accolade for this category,” said Irene Ng, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania. “We strongly believe that success goes beyond tangible business achievements, and giving back to the communities that we operate in has always been an integral part of our brand philosophy. Over the years, we have established scalable and sustainable citizenship programs across the region, placing education at the core of how we serve each community.”

According to Dr. Jayanthi Desan, a member of the awards’ judging panel and the founder and Managing Director of Synergio, one of Malaysia’s leading sustainability strategy consultancies, the ACES Awards champion companies in Asia that have exhibited extraordinary leadership and sustainability. With the award, Samsung joins a list of winners in the ‘Top Community Care Companies in Asia’ category that have been deemed to have demonstrated exceptional citizenship to bolster the wellbeing of society at large.

Enriching Communities, One Classroom at a Time

Samsung has helped communities across Southeast Asia and Oceania establish more than 160 Smart Schools and Libraries to bridge the digital divide and provide students with a smarter approach to education. These institutions collaborate with government bodies and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to harness technologies and create immersive learning opportunities for students in the form of tailored education programs and enriching infotainment content.

In addition, Samsung has developed 20 Tech Institutes to nurture talent across these regions – providing local youths with opportunities to attain a better future while simultaneously addressing the industry’s shortage of technical talent.

Samsung also recognizes the need to tackle other issues of vital importance to these communities beyond these educational pursuits, and has accordingly rolled out initiatives such as SONO Schools, which feature customized training curricula for medical students, and Culture Connect, its flagship regional citizenship program that celebrates aspects of each community’s distinct culture and heritage.

[Students learning essential skills required in the digital age at one of the Smart Learning Centres in Thailand]

Samsung Electronics was named the Top Community Care Company in Asia at the Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) Awards 2015. This award is a testament of Samsung’s efforts and commitment in using its global network and innovation to create positive change for people everywhere, helping them to live a better life that is full of possibilities.

“We are honoured to be named the Top Community Care Company in Asia. This award bears testimony to the community work that Samsung is driving in local communities where we operate in. Samsung is committed to create positive change for people everywhere, creating possibilities for them by using our technology to tackle key problems in education, employment and healthcare areas,” said Irene Ng, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania.

The Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability Awards (ACES) recognizes successful companies and individuals in Asia across two domains including leadership and corporate social responsibility. The Top Community Care Award is presented to companies who have enriched communities through various outreach initiatives. Award recipients epitomize the mission and values of an organization that cares for the community and demonstrates exemplary active citizenship in promoting the well being of society at large.

She continued, “One of the key areas that Samsung focuses on in our Citizenship efforts is education, as we want to help create a better future for disadvantaged youth by providing quality learning environments and access to technology. Using our know-how and technology expertise, we have established over 170 Smart Schools and Libraries, and Tech Institutes across the region. Through these programs, we hope to help close the education and digital gap, and equip youth with the skills they need to find a job in today’s digital economy.”

Samsung’s Community Efforts in Education

Across Southeast Asia and Oceania, Samsung supports a total of 165 Smart Schools and Libraries in nine countries including New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia Philippines and Vietnam. Working with various government bodies, local non-government organizations (NGOs) and educational institutes, Samsung has established Smart Schools and Libraries that feature interactive and immersive learning environment through the use of technology such as tablets and smart televisions, and tailored educational programs that offer enrichment and infotainment content.

To help provide youth with opportunities for a better future and address the industry shortage of technical talents, Samsung has established the Tech Institute, a vocational training institution where young people can learn fundamental IT and engineering skills. Regionally, Samsung supports a total of 14 Tech Institutes across seven countries Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines and Indonesia. In Samsung Tech Institutes, youth are given the best-in-class training environment and practical lessons that equip them with both broad and deep skills that prepare them for the workforce.

Other Citizenship Initiatives in Southeast Asia & Oceania

Beyond education, Samsung has also launched healthcare initiatives in Southeast Asia to support communities that lack sufficient medical technologies and trained staff which may lead to problems such as high infant and maternal mortality rates. In Samsung SONO Schools in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines, Samsung works closely with hospitals and medical facilities, to provide equipment such as ultrasound systems, educational devices, electronic boards and large-format displays (LFD). It also partners local medical associations and institutions to design a strong curriculum and operate courses for medical professionals in the area of ultrasound diagnosis, obstetrics and gynaecology.

As Samsung explores new business areas including healthcare, wearable devices, biotechnology, education, the Internet of Things and Smart Home, it continues to be committed to being a responsible global citizen to create positive change in the communities where it operates in.