POSCO TJ Park Foundation: We Go Together

The world’s most competitive steelmaker. A global leader in revolutionary technology. A pioneer in developing eco-friendly products. These are some of the corporate identities that POSCO has strived to establish throughout the years. But there is another, equally important ideal shared by the POSCO family: to become a company that really cares about being a responsible corporate citizen. And one of the biggest steps that POSCO has taken in realizing that ideal is the establishment of the POSCO TJ Park Foundation. Today, Hello, POSCO blog will introduce the foundation and its various scholarship programs.

POSCO TJ Park Foundation

Named after POSCO founder Tae-Joon Park, the POSCO TJ Park Foundation (Website Link) was established in 2005 as a non-profit organization to make extensive and systematic social contributions. The Foundation runs four core programs: POSCO TJ Park Prize to award outstanding persons in the fields of science, education, and community development & philanthropy; regional contribution programs to participate in the local community and to nurture talents who will contribute to society; POSCO Asia Fellowship for mutual understanding and communication between Asian countries; and TJ Park Science Fellowship to support young and talented basic scientists in Korea. Through these core programs, the Foundation strives to carry out the social responsibilities of POSCO and contribute to its sustainable management.

Let’s have a closer look into the core programs managed by POSCO TJ Park Foundation:

The Core Programs of the POSCO TJ Park Foundation

#1. TJ Park Science Fellowship: Awarding Outstanding Achievements in Science

The TJ Park Science Fellowship selects and supports talented scientists who study and research in a university or institution in Korea, not abroad, to allow them to grow into scientists of global standard. This Fellowship is designed to help young scientists, including graduates of doctoral studies, post-doctoral researchers, and young assistant professors in the fields of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and Biological sciences so that they can focus on their research in Korea with stability and a sense of pride.

#2. Regional Contribution Programs: Nurturing Future Talents

POSCO Rising Star Scholarship

This Scholarship is awarded to high school students in Pohang and Gwangyang where POSCO is located. The purpose of the Scholarship is to practice the corporate philosophy of POSCO to participate in the local community and to nurture talents who will contribute to society.

POSCO Vision Scholarship

This Scholarship is awarded to young students in poor circumstances in Pohang and Gwangyang, where POSCO is located, with the aim to help them focus on their studies with the right attitude and thereby grow into outstanding members of society.

#3. POSCO TJ Park Prize: Honoring Philanthropic Social Contributions

The POSCO TJ Park Prize was established to honor the achievements of POSCO’s Honorary Chairman, Tae-Joon Park, and to promote the company’s efforts to respect creativity, nurture talent, and practice philanthropy – the driving forces behind the company’s success – with the hope that this will encourage the public to make even greater contributions to social progress in the future. The Prize is given in three fields: science, education, and community development & philanthropy to individuals and/or organizations that are selected through a fair, transparent, and strict selection process. The prize presentation ceremony is held every year, where a medal and prize money of KRW 200 million (approximately USD 170,000) is awarded to each laureate. Through the POSCO TJ Park Prize, the Foundation hopes to arouse the drive for research and the pride of the nation’s science & technology sector, contribute to grounding an exemplary image of an educator, and awaken a sense of value in fulfilling the spirit of community development & philanthropy.

#4. POSCO Asia Fellowship: Encouraging Collaboration and Exchange in Asia

One of the key enterprises of the Foundation, the POSCO Asia Fellowship provides scholarships, facilitates academic research, and publishes literary works with the aim to enhance mutual understanding and collaborative exchanges between Asian countries. The objectives are nurturing prospective young talents and encouraging exchanges and collaboration between intellectuals in Asia. Through such efforts, the Foundation aims to contribute to the mutual prosperity of Asian countries as well as the building of a network of talents.

[box] Programs and Scholarships Available within POSCO Asia Fellowship

Scholarship for Asian Students Studying in Korea

This Scholarship supports the prospective leaders of Asia by providing full tuition and living expenses to young talents from Asian countries as they enroll in master’s or doctoral programs at some of the most prestigious Korean universities or institutions and experience the Korean society and culture.

Asia Regional Expert Nurturing Program

This Program is designed to nurture Korean experts of the Asian region by supporting their education abroad so that they can acquire a sound understanding of the language, history, and culture of various Asian countries and establish a solid foundation for further studies and research endeavors. The Program will enable Korean experts to lead the regional studies on Asia and ultimately contribute to the development of the Asian region.

Scholarship for Prestigious Asian Universities

The Foundation is building cooperative relations with prestigious universities in Asia and awarding scholarships to the excellent Asian students at those universities in order to boost their academic achievements.

Asia Research Grant Program & POSCO Asia Conference

This Program aims to support the intellectuals of Asian countries, including scholars, professors, and researchers, as they conduct in-depth research on the cultural and social fields regarding Asia. The POSCO Asia Conference is an international convention where Asian scholars share the results of their research conducted for 1~2 years with the support of the Foundation and establish academic networks.

Publication of the Literary Journal ASIA

The quarterly literary journal ASIA is published to help Asian writers and artists pursue their creative activities and to improve exchanges and networks between countries in Asia through the literary endeavors of intellectuals and literary persons.

◈ To learn more about the eligibility and scope of support for each scholarship/program, click here[/box]

The POSCO TJ Park Foundation is dedicated to further expanding Asia’s academic and cultural networks, nurturing young leaders who will open up a brighter future for the region, and sharing with its neighbors in need. By standing tall as a foundation that establishes POSCO as a respected and loved company by the people and that serves the nation, we will be at the forefront of the efforts to make the world a more abundant and warmer place.