SK Materials is actively stepping up to foster talent that will be responsible for the future of Korea's advanced materials.

SK Materials announced on the 5th that it held a scholarship donation ceremony on the 3rd to present scholarships totaling 150 million won to 68 university students majoring in advanced materials.

Misoin is an abbreviation for "future materials talent," and it began when SK Materials employees proposed a scholarship program based on the judgment that talent development is necessary to strengthen the competitiveness of the advanced materials industry.

It also incorporates SK Group’s talent development philosophy of discovering the academic potential of creative and motivated individuals and supporting them to contribute to social development, reflecting the determination to foster leaders who will lead Korea’s advanced materials industry.

The donation ceremony was held on the 3rd at the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and was attended by SK Materials President Lee Yong-wook, officials from the Seoul Community Chest of Korea, and 10 representatives of the scholarship recipients.

The scholarships were established with funds raised through the Happiness Sharing Fund, created by members of SK Materials and its subsidiaries donating 0.5 to 1% of their monthly salaries, and the company matching the same amount on a 1:1 basis.

Based on this, 2 million won annually is provided to 68 university students in their first to fourth years majoring in advanced materials, such as chemistry and materials science and engineering, from 10 universities nationwide, including Seoul National University, Korea University, Yonsei University, Hanyang University, and POSTECH.The scholarship is planned to provide support from the time of initial receipt until graduation, so that recipients can focus on their studies stably without financial burden.

SK Materials hopes that this scholarship program will provide an environment where talented individuals in Korea's materials sector can focus on their studies, thereby strengthening the country's competitiveness in advanced materials technology in the long term.

Lee Yong-wook, President of SK Materials, said, “In a situation where the whole world is competing for supremacy in semiconductors and batteries, the competition among nations and companies to secure raw materials and advanced materials technology is so fierce that the term ‘super gap’ is used. I hope that all scholarship recipients will take pride in being the future of Korea, devote themselves to their studies without wavering, and grow into global talents in advanced materials in the future.”

Meanwhile, in addition to the scholarship program for fostering Miso-in, SK Materials is also providing scholarships to high schools in regions where its subsidiaries' business sites are located, such as Yeongju, Sejong, and Sangju, to support the development of the materials industry. Along with this, the company plans to conduct various follow-up programs, including networking between industry seniors and juniors and the provision of practical know-how.