Lee Won-deok (right), senior vice president at Woori Financial Group shows an MOU document with Jang Beom-sik, president of Soongsil University at Soongsil University in Seoul, on June 30. (Photo: Woori Financial Group)

Woori Financial Group announced on Aug. 27 that it will launch the Woori Digital Academy Program with Soongsil University to foster the group’s digital professionals.

The program is part of the Strategic Business Agreement on Fostering Digital Professionals signed by Woori Financial Group and Soongsil University in June.

Woori Financial Group and Soongsil University have been preparing customized curriculums for all digital technologies, including new digital ones.

The training program will run for a total of 15 weeks from Sept. 1. A total of 181 employees from eight group affiliates, including Woori Bank, will participate.

The curriculum will have seven courses, including basic and deepening courses, on new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, digital planning and app development. All courses will use practical training methods such as team projects.

“This training will be carried out through a large-scale industry-academic training program to foster digital professionals at the group level,” said an official of Woori Financial Group.

“We will provide a variety of digital services to customers by fostering talented people who are an integral part of digital innovation.”

Meanwhile, Woori Financial Group is operating a variety of education and training programs to strengthen its digital capabilities across the board.

The group conducted an industry-academic education course in the fields of big data and artificial intelligence in July.

It is stepping up efforts to increase digital expertise through internal and external education, such as a digital finance MBA course and a data expert course.

In addition, Woori Financial Group announced on Aug. 29 that it has joined the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), a global environmental initiative for environmental sustainability.

The PCAF is a global private consultative body that provides carbon accounting standards to measure and disclose greenhouse gas emissions from investments and financial transactions by financial institutions to implement the Paris Climate Agreement.

Woori Financial Group plans to push for the practical implementation of carbon neutrality through its PCAF membership. Apart from measuring carbon emissions from the group’s portfolio of assets in the future, it plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from financial transactions according to global standard methodologies.

In July, Woori Financial Group suggested its mid- to long-term goals of cutting the group’s own carbon emissions and carbon emissions from the group’s asset portfolios 100 percent by 2050 and supporting ESG finance such as ESG financial products, loans, investments and ESG bonds by 2030 with 100 trillion won.

“Based on our membership in the global environmental initiative PCAF, Woori Financial Group will play a role in the transition to a carbon-neutral society by measuring carbon emissions and setting reduction goals according to scientific methodologies,” a Woori Financial Group official said.

Woori Bank joined the Equator Principles in August and is systematically managing environmental and social risks that may arise from financial supports such as large-scale project financing.

In the meantime, Woori Financial Group’s Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation announced on Sep. 2 that it will receive applications for participation in the Career And Education Guide Program for Teenagers.

Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation is a public foundation set up by Woori Financial Group including Woori Bank with 20 billion won in 2012.

This program will provide customized information and one on one college admission consulting for teenagers. It was newly launched by the Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation last year.

It will provide systematic and professional support in collaboration with external educational consulting companies.

The Woori Multicultural Scholarship Foundation will cover all expenses so participants will be able to take part in the program without feeling financial burdens.