Samsung Electronics today announced that the company ranked fourth out of 150 companies in the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA)’s Digital Inclusion Benchmark in 2021. Samsung’s consistent, multifaceted efforts to be digitally responsible have earned the achievement from global tenth place in 2020 to fourth in this year.

The WBA represents an alliance forged among more than 200 global, regional and local organizations to shape the private sector’s contributions to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The WBA examines companies with a focus on seven key categories, including human rights, the environment and digital inclusion. The WBA launched its very first Digital Inclusion Benchmark last year, which evaluated companies’ progress in improving access to technology, enhancing digital skills, fostering trustworthy use and innovating both openly and ethically.

Samsung was recognized for its efforts on digital responsibility as the company had established its artificial intelligence (AI) ethics principles. Having recognized the importance of emphasizing social and ethical responsibility in technology development, Samsung established a set of AI ethics principles to put into practice.

Samsung strives for accessibility in its products, enhancing them with technologies that make it easier for all users to utilize them. WBA recognized Samsung’s SeeColors app¹ that makes color adjustments to aid those with color vision deficiency (CVD) and helps them enjoy a better viewing experience with optimized colors on Samsung TVs.

The company’s C-lab Outside program in Korea that is designed to foster the startup ecosystem was singled out for its social contribution activities, while Samsung’s devotion to support digital education also garnered recognition. With its vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Samsung has been and will continue to operate social contribution activities focusing on youth education and growth for their sustainable development. Samsung operates its global Corporate Citizenship Program, the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) to provide support in the form of job opportunities in future technology fields.

As a company that develops products and technologies that enhance users’ lives, Samsung is committed to promoting digital responsibility. Going forward, the company will continue to explore ways to make it easier for people to access and utilize a wide range of convenient and meaningful digital technologies.

¹ This app is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease or medical problem. Any information found, acquired or accessed through this app is made available for your convenience and should not be treated as medical advice.

According to the Best Global Brands list announced by the global consulting firm Interbrand on October 20 (local time), Samsung ranked fifth with a brand value of USD 74.6 billion, a 20% increase compared to last year. On the back of its strong financial performance, which has recovered to reach pre-pandemic levels, the company’s brand value surged by 20% this year, twice the average brand value growth rate among the top 100 brands in 2021.

Since entering the top five for the first time last year, Samsung has maintained its position for two consecutive years with its largest increase in brand value since 2013.

According to Interbrand, major factors that played a critical role in Samsung’s growth include:

• Its transition to a customer-centric management system, highlighted by the establishment of a new CX (customer experience) team dedicated to prioritizing customer experience and values
• Its ongoing efforts for sustainable development, including various campaigns guided by its CSR vision, ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People,’ as well as company-wide initiatives that promote sustainability, such as the use of eco-packaging for TVs and the Galaxy Upcycling program
• The launches of innovative products including the Galaxy Z Flip3, Neo QLEDs and the Bespoke lineup of home appliances
• Technology leadership as a solid number one in the Memory market and the launches of innovative System LSI products
• Leading the development of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, automotive and robotics through consistent investment

“It is very encouraging to see Samsung Electronics reach the top five in the world last year and then achieve enormous double-digit growth this year — our biggest leap in brand value since 2013,” said YH Lee, CMO of Samsung Electronics. “We promise to leverage our customer-centric management model to keep listening to our customers. This is how we will repay the massive support we have received from customers around the globe.”

Interbrand evaluates businesses’ brand value based on a comprehensive analysis of multiple factors including financial performance, brand influence on purchase and brand competitiveness.

Meanwhile, on October 12, Samsung was also ranked No.1 by Forbes as the World’s Best Employers 2021 for the second consecutive year. As a global organization with employees and businesses around the world, Samsung has, once again, been chosen as the number one employer.

Each year, Forbes surveys around 150,000 employees from 58 countries working for businesses with operations in multiple nations or regions, and this year asked respondents to rank their satisfaction with their employers’ COVID-19 responses and score their employers on image, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility.

※ Reference: Samsung Electronics’ growth in brand value (Interbrand)

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and the Samsung Innovation Campus not only help students across the world – including in the U.K., Vietnam and Turkey – gain more advantages in terms of job opportunities and career paths, but they also combine the efforts of participants in order to harness their skills and solve social issues. Samsung Newsroom heard from some of the young people who are creating a better future through Samsung’s programs.

Alec Conway’s Project Dignity Digital Lockers Help the Homeless Reintegrate Into Society

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is an education program in which young people utilize their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math to solve regional issues and further develop their problem-solving skills. The program, which began in the U.S. in 2010, is now present in more than 30 countries. It is comprised of three steps: identifying an issue, coming up with a solution and making that idea a reality. Samsung employees act as mentors for participating teams, providing them with support throughout the process. The winning team is chosen based on contestants’ presentations and the final products.

Through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, Alec Conway from the U.K. not only developed a novel idea, but also grew his idea into a business proposition. While traveling around Europe, he observed many homeless people carrying their possessions around. He realized that having a place to store their possessions would offer them more independence and opportunities. With this idea, he created Project Dignity and entered the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program.

Alec designed a type of digital locker that not only offers a secure storage solution for homeless people, but also provides them with vital information such as maps, accommodations and details on food accessibility through a digital screen that’s built into the locker. Each locker also works as a PO box, providing the user with a permanent address with which they can receive support regarding employment, healthcare and tasks like opening a bank account. While participating in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, Alec received advice from Samsung employee mentors, and eventually took home the top prize. Alec is now working closely with Digital Catapult, a technology innovation center in the U.K., and is exploring partnerships to develop a functioning prototype of his digital locker.

Vietnamese Students’ IoT Device Trap Pests Using Solar Energy

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow offers an opportunity for students like Le Hang, Tuong Vy and Tuyet Nhi of Vietnam to unleash their potential and creativity using science and technology. The trio won Vietnam’s second edition of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow by developing equipment that allows local farmers to enhance productivity by streamlining how they trap pests.

The idea came to the students after they noticed just how often farmers have to enter hazardous zones to eliminate pests. They thought that if a device could take over pest control, the farmers would be able to work under much safer conditions. This led the students to start developing an IoT device that could trap pests in organic vegetable fields using solar energy.

Receiving robust mentoring and support from Samsung Solve for Tomorrow’s online sessions, they designed what they called “Equipment for trapping pests in organic vegetable fields using solar energy.” The team integrated IoT to ensure that the device would operate seamlessly even when it was far away. They credit Samsung Solve for Tomorrow for helping them overcome various obstacles and for teaching them a lot about the importance of teamwork during the problem-solving process, and about thinking critically.

Meet Batuhan, Who Grew Thanks to the Samsung Innovation Campus While Also Participating in the UN Sustainable Development Goals Project

The Samsung Innovation Campus offers various types of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) education to help unemployed young people competitiveness in the job market. The program offers a total of 240 hours of education in key ICT areas. Students can not only learn about technologies such as AI and IoT, but they can also develop crucial employability skills to help create better opportunities for themselves. As of 2020, approximately 160,000 students have graduated from the Samsung Innovation Campus, and the program is available in 20 regions around the world.

In the face of a job crisis that has left 25 percent of Turkish youth unemployed, Batuhan successfully landed a job in the IT industry after finding his dream at the Samsung Innovation Campus. A 2019 graduate of Istanbul Technical University, Batuhan had been interested in IT, but didn’t stand out in the field. Participating in the Samsung Innovation Campus program offered an opportunity for him to learn practical skills and know-how from field experts, and receive helpful career advice from his mentors.

In particular, Batuhan worked with other participants to plan and execute an environmental project in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He utilized everything he had learned in the program, which ultimately helped him broaden his perspective. “The Samsung Innovation Campus was an opportunity for me to challenge myself in a new way,” said Batuhan. “I learned that the hours of learning and hard work were all worth it in the end. If you wish to work in this field, I recommend the Samsung Innovation Campus.”

‘I Should Pay Forward What I’ve Learned’: Meet Passakorn, the Mentee Who Became a Mentor

Graduates of Samsung Innovation Campus often return to the program as mentors in order to pay forward the help they had received. Passakorn is one of those students. Having participated in SIC during its first year in Thailand, he has returned to serve as a mentor. He first got into programming to develop computer games, and received systematic education at the Samsung Innovation Campus. He and his teammates successfully completed the SIC program with their AI-based smart home solutions project.

By utilizing what he learned at the Samsung Innovation Campus, Passakorn was accepted into the robotics and AI engineering program at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. He became a mentor himself to share the special experience that he enjoyed at the Samsung Innovation Campus with more people. He wants students to go through education and training just like he did, and create solutions by collaborating with one another. “Thank you, Samsung Innovation Campus, for opening the door for me to come with my own innovative smart home solutions,” said Passakorn. “I hope to become a driving force for the new generation – the leaders of the future – to achieve innovative and creative feats.”

Technology for All: Meet Carmen, Who’s Lowering Barriers to Medical Support

Technology can create something novel that didn’t exist before, but it can also lower barriers for marginalized communities to access essential services. The idea of helping communities in need is what inspired Carmen, from Italy, to harness technology to make medical support accessible to all.

While in high school, Carmen spent some time teaching English at a rural primary school in Thailand. While there, she noticed that some people with disabilities were not able to receive the medical care that they required. This sparked an interest in robotic medical technology and in building prosthetic limbs and artificial organs.

Carmen joined the Samsung Innovation Campus while majoring in electronic engineering in college. SIC has not only allowed Carmen to acquire technical skills in areas such as AI, IoT and machine learning, but has also helped her strengthen her resilience and emotional intelligence, which are attributes that can separate an extraordinary engineer from the pack.

Carmen is especially interested in IoT, and was thrilled to study applications for IoT in the medical field and learn about the latest smart biosensors. Coming from an engineering background, understanding computer science topics was sometimes a challenge for Carmen. SIC participants, however, tend to come from a diverse range of academic fields and routinely help one another out when it comes to their area of expertise.

“The Samsung Innovation Campus has empowered the world’s youth by providing them with education and technical skills to develop capabilities that will be needed to solve important social issues,” said Carmen. “What I’ve learned here is helping me achieve my goal of creating prosthetic limbs and artificial organs for the disadvantaged. I will keep pushing myself forward to realize my dream and apply my skills and knowledge to make an impact.”

Guided by its CSR vision, “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People,” Samsung Electronics provides educational opportunities to nurture the talent that will be needed to create a brighter future. Head to Samsung’s corporate citizenship website for more stories on how the company’s programs are helping bright young minds build a better tomorrow.

Well aware of the great importance of education, Samsung Electronics works to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they will need to build a better world. Firm in its belief that every young person deserves a quality education regardless of their background, gender, ability, or personal circumstances, Samsung has empowered a countless number of young people to slowly but steadily contribute to positive changes in their societies.

To celebrate the United Nations’ International Youth Day on August 12, Samsung has gathered stories of young students from different countries who are creating a better future for all by participating in Samsung’s corporate citizenship programs. Read on to hear about their experiences.

But what exactly does this look like? In order to provide a sneak peek into these global citizenship efforts, Samsung has recently released its ‘Journey to a Better Future’ video series, which features the stories of Samsung employees across the globe in charge of the company’s corporate citizenship programs that focus on providing education for future generations.

Turning Dreams Into Reality to Find Solutions for Society

The Journey to a Better Future series presents experiences from Samsung’s corporate citizenship managers around the world, as well as real testimonies from the students who have participated in their programs.

From Samsung Russia, Sergey Pevnev and Anna Kolganova share their favorite memories from throughout their citizenship careers; Pevnev reminisces about the amazement in the young students’ eyes during the live-streamed lesson he organized featuring Russian astronauts in space, while Kolganova shares her story of launching Samsung Innovation Campus with the same determined mindset of the athletes competing in the Sochi Winter Olympics being held at the same time.

Additionally, students from Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) in Italy share how much closer they are to realizing their dreams of becoming tech experts following the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and programming education they received through the program, and students from the U.K. who participated in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow discuss with their mentors how they developed creative problem-solving skills in the process of realizing their solutions for society during the program.

The stories of the students of Samsung’s education-focused corporate citizenship programs around the world, as well as the managers and mentors who are helping them realize their dreams, will continue to be shared on Samsung’s corporate citizenship website, Samsung Global Newsroom and across social media.

Take a look at some of those stories in the video below.

Enabling People for a Better Future

Under the CSR vision “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People”, Samsung operates a range of educational programs around the world to create more inclusive, quality learning experiences for young people from all walks of life and to empower future generations to achieve their full potential.

Samsung’s leading global corporate citizenship programs for youth education include Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and Samsung Innovation Campus. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow encourages students to use their STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) knowledge to create solutions that can solve societal problems and fosters their creative problem-solving skills.

Furthermore, Samsung Innovation Campus concentrates on developing the young generation’s employment capabilities through ICT education. From 2012 through 2020, Samsung’s global employees have devoted a total of 9.07 million hours to corporate citizenship activities, and around 21.5 million people have participated in Samsung’s youth education programs.

Samsung’s corporate citizenship programs are aligned with Goal 4 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Samsung cooperates closely with the world’s governments, policy makers and institutions to provide diverse and equal opportunities for young people. Samsung will continue to devote both the technologies and the resources in order to bring high-quality educational experiences to young people in every corner of the world.

▲ The cover of Samsung Electronics’ 2021 Sustainability Report

On June 28, Samsung Electronics released the 2021 edition of its Sustainability Report.

Covering the corporate sustainability efforts in 2020, the report includes highlights in each of the following areas: Board of Directors’ independence and transparency; stronger compliance and ethical management; sustainability governance; sustainability in the pandemic era; sustainability achievements by business unit. Detailed activities are presented under the five sustainability pillars of Environment, Our Employees, Empowering Communities, Digital Responsibility and Sustainable Supply Chain.

In this year’s report, the company highlights the new voices of both internal and external stakeholders such as MZ generation employees and NGOs, on top of the message by the Chair of the Board and top management on its unwavering commitment to corporate sustainability.

Following the separation of the Chair and the CEO within its Board of Directors in 2018, Samsung Electronics appointed its first-ever independent director as Chair of the Board in 2020.

For stronger compliance and ethical management, the company elevated its Compliance team to directly report to the CEO, and to ensure the independence and authority of Chief Compliance Officer. The company also expanded a reporting system in which an outside stakeholder can anonymously report a legal violation. The Samsung Compliance Committee, an independent entity separate from Samsung Electronics was also established to strictly monitor compliance risks.

The sustainability governance was also further enhanced. In 2020, the Sustainability Council started to be led by the Head of Corporate Management Office. Furthermore, the Corporate Sustainability Center in charge of sustainability strategies and stakeholder engagement was promoted as a direct organization under the CEO. In addition, Sustainability Management Offices were newly established in business units to strengthen execution of sustainability strategies. Since 2021, sustainability KPIs have been added into the performance evaluation and compensation of executives, encouraging them to consider sustainability management in all parts of the business.

In 2020, Samsung Electronics made various efforts to ensure the safety of its employees, its business partners, and local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company operated in-house screening clinics in Hwaseong, Suwon and Gumi in Korea, and provided personal hygiene products to its employees. Samsung also provided its business partners that were facing economic challenges with business stabilization funds and logistics expenses, among others. Also, the company has donated Galaxy Tab devices to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency for refugee camp youths in Kenya, whose educational environment has worsened due to COVID-19.

The report also presented the sustainability performance by business unit including Consumer Electronics (CE) division’s Eco-Package and solar cell remote control; the Information Technology & Mobile Communications (IM) division’s Galaxy Upcycling and the Samsung Global Goals Campaign; and the Device Solutions (DS) division’s strides in reducing the energy consumption of products as well as activities aimed at reducing the carbon emissions from manufacturing processes.

Environment-related performance can also be found in the report. In 2018, Samsung committed to source renewable energy for 100% of all worksites in the U.S., China and Europe by 2020. With implemented action plans tailored to each region, the company achieved its renewable energy target for these worksites in 2020.

The company also amended its labor and human rights policies in 2020. It strengthened its Child Labor Prohibition Policy and Migrant Worker Policy. In the Global Code of Conduct, Samsung also guaranteed the right to freedom of association. The report also highlights how the company strived to strengthen its supply chain management and to improve the work environment of suppliers.

For diversity and inclusion, Samsung established its vision, entitled “Be Yourself, We Build a Better Tomorrow” and continued to lead the initiatives through concerted actions with its global employees.

With its vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Samsung has been and will continue to operate social contribution activities focusing on youth education and growth for their sustainable development. As described in the report, Samsung launched educational support programs globally to develop the future technological capabilities of youths. Also the company launched C-lab Outside program in Korea that is designed to foster the startup ecosystem.

Samsung has published the Sustainability Report on an annual basis since 2008. The 2021 Sustainability Report was designed in landscape format for better readability and includes enhanced interactive functions that are optimized for viewing on digital devices.

The full text of the 2021 Samsung Electronics Sustainability Report can be downloaded here.

▲ Samsung’s 2021 Sustainability Report covers the company’s activities and achievements in detail.

SIC provides 240 hours of education on key information and communications technologies (ICT) for young people aged between 18 to 25, as well as young people who are currently jobseekers. The program offers practical skills that can help young people improve their capabilities and subsequently find a job suited to these capabilities.

SIC currently operates in 23 countries around the world, and approximately 160,000 students have gone through a SIC program as of 2020. Samsung Global Newsroom got to know some SIC program graduates from Russia, Turkey and Spain in order to learn more about the SIC experience and achievements it can entail.

Developing a Smart Pill Dispenser with IoT Technology: Vladimir from SIC in Russia

Since 2014, Samsung Electronics had offered Samsung IT School for high school students and Samsung IT Academy for college students in Russia. Building on the educational know-how and successful operation of these programs, SIC was established in 2019.

Vladimir, a graduate of SIC, has developed a pill dispenser called Autopill based on the knowledge he gained while studying at SIC. It is a smart device that automatically dispenses the right dosage of medicine according to a set schedule.

“I’ve believed for a long time how beneficial it would be if there was a device that automatically dispenses pills for everyday use, and I was also very interested in IoT solutions,” explained Vladimir. “After taking IoT classes at SIC, I developed Autopill by applying an IoT solution to a 3D printed prototype.”

SIC provided Vladimir with the right opportunities to be able to develop this smart device designed to solve an issue encountered often in everyday life. After building a foundation through the IoT education course at SIC, conducting consumer research and going through a trial and error process, his solution Autopill was born. Vladimir subsequently won the Samsung Innovation Campus Grand Prix in 2020 for his smart solution.

“I was able to develop technology that everyday users actually want thanks to SIC, and I learned to observe and understand technology from various perspectives,” noted Vladimir. Even though he has now finished his education program, he occasionally helps out students at SIC as a mentor and also continues to further develop Autopill. “My next goal is to upgrade the smart pill dispenser Autopill so that it can be part of the SmartThings Home Solution,” he said.

Solving the Water Shortage Issue with IoT Technology: The 3W Project of SIC Students in Turkey

In order to address the water shortage issue in Turkey, four university students came together to help solve the problem: Asli and Oğuzhan from Boğaziçi University, Bilge from Marmara University and Mert from Doğuş University.

These four university students learnt that the water usage of Turkish households accounts for 11% of the entire nation’s water usage, leading them to develop the Watch Water & World (3W) Project. The 3W Project is a system that lets users participate in the process of saving water by turning it into a game. The 3W Project also comes with a smart water meter feature that utilizes IoT technology, allowing users to track their water usage and easily access their water bill and payment history in order to motivate them to conserve their water usage.

Regarding the establishment of the 3W project, SIC played a big role in getting it started. “I was able to gain information regarding IoT technology in a short amount of time thanks to the classes I took at SIC,” said Asli. “Although I majored in computer science, the reason we could develop the IoT prototype in such a short amount of time was the growth of our capabilities granted by SIC,” she added. “It was very rewarding because all of us in the team were able to think deeply about the issues in our community while working on this project.”

Starting a New Life by Establishing an IT Startup: Araya from SIC in Spain

Some of the SIC courses offered in Spain focus on fostering female IT talent. As a result, a total of 2,300 female graduates of SIC have become IT experts as of 2020.

Araya is one of the entrepreneurs who established her career in ICT field after going through the SIC program. Having previously worked at a consulting firm as a financial manager, Araya came to SIC with simply a desire to learn more about the IT and communications industry. Although she began her course with no background knowledge of software, she managed to successfully complete a challenging 9-month program through dedicated effort and perseverance and subsequently made the decision to change her career path and established an AI startup.

“SIC was an opportunity to jump into the field of ICT and a shortcut for developing practical skills,” said Araya. She is currently involved in actively supporting other aspiring female IT experts as a coordinator at SIC. “The unique advantage of SIC is that it provides you with so much knowledge that can be applied across various fields including design, marketing, and finance even if you are not a developer,” she added. “As long as you don’t limit yourself in terms of how much you can achieve, then SIC is the program where you can realize what you want.”

Samsung is continuing to grow SIC so that more young people from even more countries around the world can develop their ICT capabilities. This year, SIC is set to provide education to over 30,000 students in 28 countries. SIC is also currently working on developing a big data curriculum, which is set to be available to students starting from 2022.

Under the company’s overarching CSR vision of “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People”, Samsung will continue to support their future generation to unleash their full potential and pioneer positive changes for all through education, support and more.

To help these small and medium-sized businesses cope with surging demand for their products in Korea and abroad, Samsung conducted thorough assessments of the companies’ manufacturing processes and shared insights on ways to reduce inefficiencies and maximize productivity. The results of the collaborations were outstanding, with each company reporting significant production gains.

Recently, Samsung checked in with the manufacturers to find out just how much growth they’ve experienced since participating in the program. Check out the video below to hear what the companies had to say.

©UNHCR/Samuel Otieno

Given the ongoing global pandemic, young people around the world are having to adjust to the new normal of digital and distance learning, but for refugee youths, obtaining necessary tools to study with is harder than it is for others.

In order to provide affected refugee youths with better learning experiences, Samsung Electronics has donated 1,000 Galaxy Tab devices to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, which will be delivered to 15 locations including schools and community centers in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in Kenya.

Providing Quality Education for All

The refugee camps in Kakuma and Dadaab are two of the oldest ones in the world and, as of January this year, host approximately 380,000 refugees. It is estimated that 40%, or around 160,000, of those living in the camps are school-aged children.

However, even though the schools in these refugee camps reopened in January this year after nine months of lockdown due to COVID-19, it remains difficult for refugee students to have access to stationery, textbooks and other necessities for learning – an issue that prevails even after the reopening of schools.

Thanks to the donated Galaxy Tabs, the tablet distribution rate per refugee student will be improved in these camps, and refugee students will be able to utilize the devices to participate in the school classes and tune into extensive digital learning materials.

UNHCR plans to utilize these Galaxy Tabs in its Instant Network Schools program, an initiative to provide digital learning supports to young refugees.

“The contribution from Samsung is a good practice of how a global company can help the most vulnerable people access to education with its technology. UNHCR Korea looks forward to developing partnership with Samsung Electronics now onwards,” noted James Lynch, Representative of UNHCR Korea.

Together for Tomorrow: Enabling People

©UNHCR/Samuel Otieno

“It is important for us to be supporting the youth in refugee camps, who are considered as one of the most vulnerable groups to be hit hard by COVID-19, so that they could continue with their studies,” noted Won Kyong Kim, Executive Vice President and head of Samsung’s Corporate Sustainability Center. “Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all young people is essential for a sustainable future for all.”

With its vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Samsung has been and will continue to operate social contribution activities focusing on youth education and growth for their sustainable development, including Samsung Junior SW Academy, Samsung SW Academy for Youth, Samsung DreamClass, Samsung Smart School, and more.

Along with the expansion of its youth education programs to an increasing number of nations worldwide, Samsung has been launching initiatives, including a range of Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) programs, dedicated to nurturing young talent around the world – even in the face of a global pandemic.

Introducing Samsung Innovation Campus Saudi Arabia

This year, Samsung launched its latest Samsung Innovation Campus initiative in Saudi Arabia, a program dedicated to supporting and nurturing young Saudi talent. The program, which this year has a particular focus on Internet of Things (IoT) and AI, aims to help young people find long-term success by equipping them with advanced and professional skills.

In November 2019, representatives from Samsung Electronics and Misk Academy sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to nurture young Saudi talent

The Campus was launched in collaboration with Misk Academy, a non-profit founded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with a vision in line with Samsung’s focus on helping young people thrive. “The SIC program aligns perfectly with Misk Academy’s mission to accelerate learners’ careers with industry-relevant skills that are in high demand in the Saudi job market,” said Dr. Bandar Al-Hejin, Director of Programs at Misk Academy.

Even amidst the closure of in-person schooling brought on by the pandemic, the program still offers its students 240 hours of comprehensive and practical eLearning lectures, exercises and a capstone project over 12 weeks.

Students of Samsung Innovation Campus Saudi Arabia participate in this year’s online program

Evolving Youth Education Programs to Bridge Educational Divides

In line with the company’s mission of empowering and equipping future generations with the skills and resources they need, Samsung has not just been launching online programs but has also been shifting existing programs from in-person to online to ensure that students’ education can prosper.

In 2019, Samsung successfully launched its Samsung Innovation Campus in Turkey in partnership with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Turkey, the Turkish Informatics Foundation (TBV) and Istanbul Technical University. The Samsung Innovation Campus in Turkey was launched in order to equip young Turks with critical technical skills and bridge educational divides to enhance the employment opportunities of all students, an objective that the initiative continues to pursue even as classes moved online in 2020. From February to June this year, the program held a course titled ‘Internet of Things’ that saw an application rate of 175 applications per available place, and while the course was not conducted in-person, experts from the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Goals program and Samsung Electronics employees were still able to mentor, motivate and keep students on track through distance learning tools.

“SIC offered me the opportunity to create my own project out of my own software, hardware and ideas,” affirmed Ebrar Omer, a student of the Samsung Innovation Campus in Turkey’s program. “The experience really refreshed my self-confidence and strengthened my belief that I can actually achieve something.” Fellow student Naime Akgun expressed her appreciation for the program’s focus on IoT; “As my software knowledge grew at SIC, so did my interest in the field. I firmly believe that, in the future, we can develop effective solutions to the world’s problems using IoT.”

A student of the Samsung Innovation Campus in Thailand’s program takes part in an online class

Elsewhere around the world, 2020 saw the expansion of the Samsung Innovation Campus in Thailand’s program. Established in 2019, the initiative was launched to bridge educational divides in order to equip young Thai individuals with basic coding, programming and technology-oriented skills. This year’s expanded iteration of the program, which took place online over a total of 75 dedicated learning hours, involved the inclusion of new modules to help equip the students with even more skills. The new ‘Understanding of Technology’ module helped introduce the importance of technological skills within the modern job market, while the ‘Innovator’s Toolbox’ module helped showcase to students how they could put their new-found skills into practice.

“SIC makes me confident in being able to prepare myself for the many new innovations the future will bring,” affirmed Chanudom Tassanawitoonkrit, one of the Samsung Innovation Campus in Thailand’s 2020 program graduates whose dream is to become a computer engineer. Fellow student Kittisak Suedee found the program’s comprehensive introduction to technology-oriented skills most useful; “SIC has provided me with new knowledge and experiences of coding and programming, something I have never studied before.”

Adopting New Modes of Education to Keep Young People Motivated

In South Korea, the Samsung Software Academy for Youth (SSAFY)’s 4th program had its entrance ceremony, which celebrates the beginning of its trainees’ journey towards becoming leading software experts, take place online this July. Samsung DreamClass, a program that has been supporting South Korean middle-school students with their after-school learning since 2012, also began the first of their online classes to support students week-round.

In order to ensure educational continuity and safeguard the dreams and aspirations of young people everywhere, Samsung has been and will continue working towards providing young individuals with the resources and skills they need, even during the heavily-disrupted learning circumstances of late.

Samsung believes that young people have the power to navigate the world through the crises it currently faces using their own creative potential, and will continue to empower young people around the world to pioneer positive social change and build a better world for all.

For more information on Samsung’s corporate citizenship, visit csr.samsung.com.

Samsung Electronics has announced the launch of a new global website dedicated to sharing an aspect of its operations that it holds quite dear: corporate citizenship. By spotlighting the inspiring stories of the countless people who have made the company’s citizenship activities over the last eight years so memorable and fulfilling, the new website reminds us that when it comes to making the world a better place, we’re all in this together.

The website was created to provide these incredible individuals with the spotlight they deserve, and to share their stories – and Samsung’s values – in a way that resonates with readers. It offers visitors everything they need to know about the company’s citizenship vision, “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People,” as well as insight into initiatives that are changing people’s lives. The website is available in a variety of languages and includes information on citizenship programs around the world.

Head to csr.samsung.com to see how empowering future generations to achieve their full potential enables us to equip them with the skills they’ll need to pioneer positive social change and build a better world for us all.

In October, over 300 volunteers cooperated with local NGOs to take part in outreach efforts in a range of countries. The group of volunteers was made up of employees from Samsung Electronics’ Southeast Asia & Oceania Headquarters and their family members, and worked to provide educational opportunities and improve learning environments for young people according to Samsung’s global citizenship vision of ‘Enabling People’. The initiative promoted investment in educational infrastructure and welfare for youths living in areas with low socioeconomic statuses in Laos, New Zealand and Thailand, among others.

On October 17, Lao Samsung sent 30 employee volunteers to Vientiane Capital Special School in the country’s capital to teach sign language using Samsung tablets. The company’s Laos branch has already supported the establishment of a library at the school, provided it with six tablets equipped with the sign language learning app HANDME, and donated more than 400 textbooks to improve learning opportunities for the deaf and speech-impaired students that study there.

October 23 saw 43 employees from Samsung New Zealand travel to Onepoto Primary School as part of the Samsung Love & Care program. Nearby redevelopments had led to a decline in school grounds and facilities in recent years, and so the volunteers set out to contribute to refurbishment efforts. Samsung employees repaired the roof and guttering on the school’s sheltered seating area, and then gave the structure a fresh coat of paint. Samsung New Zealand also provided the school with Galaxy smartphones and tablets to support digitalization and improve educational opportunities for the next generation.

On October 3, 70 Samsung Thailand employees and their families visited Ban Suansom School in Chanthaburi Province. 30 percent of the students from the school live in households that subsist on less than USD 100 per month, and the school has struggled to get support from government bodies and local charities. Samsung Thailand helped refurbish dilapidated buildings at the school, set up a school library and provided teachers with UHD TVs to use as educational tools.

Speaking about the Samsung Love & Care initiative, K.Thananchai from Samsung Thailand, who joined the activity with his son said, “The CSR activities and games we’ve participated in today have really helped us get to know each other better and bond as coworkers. It was great to see the enthusiasm with which my colleagues involved themselves in the work and the desire they had to give back to these communities.”

Samsung will continue rolling out its volunteering program across Southeast Asia and Oceania, with Cambodia and Myanmar named as two of the upcoming destinations for the Samsung Love & Care program. This year, the program expects to empower and enrich the circumstances of approximately 3,500 people across the region.

This summer saw a second AI Bootcamp Summer School take place in Moscow; Samsung’s DesArrolladoras program, designed to help women break into technological fields, launched its third phase in Spain this September; and Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) launched this October following several successful similar initiatives around the world.

Where Technology Meets Business

The second annual AI Bootcamp Summer School for local students took place at the Samsung Artificial Intelligence Center in Moscow (SAIC-Moscow) this summer. Following a competitive application process, sixteen students from local higher education institutions took part in two weeks of classes on big data for business organized by Samsung Research Russia.

Along with a program similar to the 2018 AI Bootcamp Summer School, which familiarized students with approaches to solving non-trivial tasks related to computer vision, this year’s AI Bootcamp Summer School saw the inclusion of an introduction course to the data-analyst and contemporary marketing professions, providing students with the opportunity to learn how to work with big data and machine learning in business contexts.

The AI Bootcamp Summer School program was also supplemented by additional lectures on biometrics, computer vision and the management of research projects. These lectures were given by Samsung Research Russia employees, providing students with first-hand, practical perspectives on these subjects. The program ended with student presentations and an awards ceremony during which participants received certificates of completion.

Shifting the Balance for Women in Technology

Samsung’s DesArrolladoras program launched its third phase this September in Madrid following the successful outcome of its previous iterations, which have already helped over 1,000 women of various ages expand their technological knowledge to the end of personal and professional development. The initiative, in partnership with Bejob, provides training to women in programming and other technological fields regardless of previous experience.

Participants from a variety of different stages in their careers took part in the DesArrolladoras program. 60% were employed while attending, 22% were seeking work and 11% were pursuing other studies while undertaking the program, which provided its students with the opportunity to acquire highly valuable skills and knowledge for today’s competitive job market. Furthermore, the top 40 achievers of the program’s 300 students will have the opportunity to take a course on AI and big data, valued at 7,000 euros.

The program’s curriculum provides an introduction to the fundamentals of AI, natural language processing, machine learning and deep learning, as well as programming languages required in the field of AI. Furthermore, in the Big Data unit, students are trained in data analysis, management and storage, as well as programming and Business Intelligence.

With this latest edition of the DesArrolladoras program, Samsung is strengthening its commitment to helping women succeed in the field of technology, providing the students with the necessary expertise for a constantly shifting, increasingly demanding sector.

An Education for Future Generations

Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC), a new program that builds on the positive outcomes of Samsung’s previous youth education programs including the Samsung Tech Institute, which has been running since 2013 and provided valuable experience for over 110,000 young people in over 30 countries, launched this October in Russia. SIC offers young people the chance to enhance both their practical technological knowledge as well as their employment prospects through both classroom learning and online-based courses (the latter from 2020).

Culminating in official certification, the skills at the core of the SIC curriculum are rooted in future technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud and mobile platforms, and more. On top of this core syllabus, additional programs, tailored to each country where SIC takes place, will offer students a uniquely customized course experience. Some examples of Samsung Innovation Campus programs include the educational projects “SAMSUNG IT SCHOOL” and “Samsung IT Academy”, which have been successfully developed in Russia.

Having launched in Russia, the initiative will gradually expand to Vietnam, Spain, Indonesia, Chile, Thailand and other countries in the near future, so as to empower and enable a new generation of problem solvers by equipping them with the future-proof skills and localized knowledge to work towards a brighter future.

With initiatives such as these, Samsung is bringing activities to educate people on the skills and technologies key to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as AI, to people all over the world. Since the launch of its new vision for its global citizenship initiative, “Enabling People”, Samsung has been working continuously towards helping people succeed within the field of technology for the betterment of their own, as well as the global, community.

“The Present” follows Sang-gu (Ha-kyun Shin), a man brought to present-day Seoul via time-travel from 1969. Sang-gu meets young entrepreneurs Ha-neul (Jun-myeon Kim, also known as EXO’s Suho), Bo-ra (Seul-ki Kim) and Young-bok (Su-bin Yoo) and ends up helping them as they work to create a thermal imaging camera to use in fire and rescue operations. “I wanted the film to be entertaining,” noted Director Jin-ho Hur, chiefly known for his work in the melodrama genre, “but I also wanted to accurately capture all the joys and sorrows faced by today’s young people as they go about launching their own business endeavors.”

(From left to right) Bo-ra, Sang-gu and Ha-neul, characters from “The Present”

The film features Samsung’s venture acceleration program C-Lab Outside, which supports young Korean startups by facilitating optimal environments for them to grow and create new value. Samsung’s IGNIS Thermal Imaging Camera, developed by Samsung’s in-house corporate incubation program C-Lab to help firefighters in prevention and rescue activities, also takes a starring role in the short film.

As well as being released on YouTube, Facebook and other portal sites, Samsung is hosting a special screening of “The Present” for 400 people in Seoul, attended by Director Jin-ho Hur, several of the production’s stars and C-Lab officials.

“We hope that ‘The Present’ will encourage young adults who are working hard to keep pursuing their dreams,” said Jae-woong Jeong, Vice President of Samsung Electronics’ Corporate Communications Team, “and that the film will convey to audiences Samsung’s citizenship vision of Enabling People, which itself reflects the company’s commitment to helping fulfill the innate potential of each and every individual.”

“The Present” is the latest in a series of films made by Samsung to entertain, motivate and inspire young people today. The first, “Two Lights”, was released in 2017, followed by “My Dream Class” in 2018 and “Memories” earlier in 2019.

Check out “The Present” in full below.

Education for Future Generations

The company had been helping educate young people all over the world through programs such as Samsung Junior SW Academy, Samsung SW Academy for Youth and Samsung Tech Institute, the last of which has been running since 2013, providing valuable experience for over 110,000 young people in more than 30 countries. Following the successes of these programs, Samsung Tech Institute, which has evolved and grown, is now being newly launched as Samsung Innovation Campus as part of the company’s new corporate citizenship vision.

SIC offers young people the opportunity to enhance their employment prospects and gain a practical education in technologies through both classroom learning and, from 2020, online-based courses that can lead to official certifications.

The skills at the core of SIC curriculum are rooted in technologies which are keys to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud platforms and mobile platforms. Additional programs have also been established to help the participants build their skills in creativity, communication and teamwork for future employment.

Curating Collaborative Experiences

SIC will provide tailored curriculums in different countries and work closely with local schools and NGOs in order to operate these programs effectively and ensure the experiences offered by the courses are uniquely customized for the local participants.

“Samsung Innovation Campus aims to empower a generation of problem solvers by equipping them with future-proof skills and giving them practical understanding of the technologies that will shape their future and enrich sustainable growth of the world,” said Seonghee Kang, SIC program manager at Corporate Citizenship Office, Samsung Electronics.

SIC is set to begin on October 1 in Russia, where previous Samsung programs such as Samsung IT Academy and Samsung IT School have been well-received. The new initiative built on the successes of these curriculums will gradually expand to Vietnam, Spain, Indonesia, Chile, Thailand, and other countries in the near future.

SIC is a part of Samsung Electronics’ new vision for its global citizenship initiative, Enabling People. Launched in February, this vision reflects Samsung’s commitment to helping the future generation fulfill their true potential and work towards a brighter future for themselves and their communities. Since the launch, the company is continuously working to build on and expand the programs it offers to young people all over the world.

This article is based on an original essay by Eunsung Lee from Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Division,
and was edited by Samsung Newsroom

Last February, Samsung Electronics announced its vision for its global citizenship program – Enabling People. The company has been running numerous volunteer youth education programs for over a decade, and since the recent announcement has been strengthening the programs it offers in the interests of enabling young citizens the world over.

For Samsung’s employee volunteer initiative OneWeek, around 200 Samsung employees traveled to six different countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Nepal and Hungary – to engage in collaborative activities with local communities.

I was part of the second volunteer team to travel who visited Kazakhstan, a country 27 times the size of my native Korea but with less than half the population. There, we participated in activities like showing children how to use computers and teaching them about coding. I was pleased to have been given the opportunity as, in order to take part in Samsung OneWeek, employees have to be ready to use up five days of their annual leave – but competition for the program was still fierce.

Getting to Know the Kazakh Community

Despite extensive preparation and constant review of our education materials during the long journey to Kazakhstan, we were still inevitably nervous once we arrived to greet the children we would be volunteering for and spending time with.

At first meeting, they appeared cautious, but even as we formulated the best way to introduce ourselves, they quickly broke out into boisterous cries of welcome.

Following that, the local students entertained us with songs and dance performances they had prepared. Us OneWeek members provided snacks and toys to the mix, and quickly, our nervous first meeting had become a party.

One member of our team even broke into funny faces to make the children laugh, and soon enough we were chatting and having fun as if we had known each other much longer than a matter of hours.

Education Against All the Odds

After this opportunity to get to know the children, we busied ourselves with immersing ourselves in their daily lives. By contrast to the school start times we were accustomed to back in Korea, we learnt that these Kazakh children arrived to school around 10am.

In order to fully understand this daily routine, we traveled on the school bus that departs their area, a village near the border, at 6am every morning. Having traveled along a dirt road for hours to reach the Mynjylyk area, we encountered a military barrack complete with guard checks, an obstacle in this daily journey that is due to the proximity of the border. Having gone through this sobering experience, we were happy to finally greet the children and join them as they began the school day.

Technology for Good

Once at the childrens’ school, our volunteering activities began in earnest. We taught children how to use Scratch, a universal coding methodology. Despite the difficulty of the subject, the language barrier and the resulting slow rate of progress, the children were enthusiastic and eager to learn throughout – we found ourselves often conveying key messages to each other through body language alone.

Given that a primary means of employment in this mountainous area of Kazakhstan is livestock rearing, we also held educational IT sessions for local nomads, many of whom had never even seen a computer before but who approached the task with just as much enthusiasm and determination to learn as the children had.

Experiences from the Heart

Our time in Kazakhstan was a gift to all of us who went, but we were especially touched when, upon the conclusion of our time with them, one child brought us a gift of hand-milked local horse milk. Such generosity inspired us to return, and to work harder at our next volunteering opportunities to give back and share as much as we can.

Every member of the Samsung OneWeek in Kazakhstan team had a great time sharing their knowledge to the best of their abilities and engaging with the local community despite obstacles. We hope that the Kazakh people we met will remember us, the teachers in blue, just as we will never forget the heartfelt gifts and experiences they gave us.