Jeonnam Education Dream Realization Foundation launches four strategic initiatives to nurture future talent

【Financial News, Jeonnam-Gwangju = Reporter Hwang Tae-jong】 The Jeonnam Education Dream Realization Foundation, chaired by Kim Dae-jung, superintendent of education of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City (Gwangju Special City superintendent of education), is launching four strategic initiatives to nurture future talent.
The initiatives aim to actively address the threat of regional depopulation. Their four key areas are supporting local talent to settle in the region, nurturing future talent, securing stable scholarship funding, and expanding educational exchanges with overseas Koreans.
A foundation official emphasized, “We will actively help realize ‘education produced and consumed locally,’ where outstanding talent in South Jeolla Province learns in the region, finds work there, and builds a life there. Through transparent and responsible operations, we will deliver tangible results that students and the local community can experience.”
First, through the “Local Settlement-Focused Dream Realization Scholarship Program,” the foundation plans to help local talent settle in the region by establishing a step-by-step scholarship support system covering everything from attending a local university to finding a job, starting a business, and settling in the special city.
It will also develop talent equipped with advanced technology and expertise through its “Next-Generation Future Talent Development Project,” linking fields such as culture, the arts, sports, and the humanities with future regional industries, including artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging energy industries.
To secure scholarship funding, the foundation will broaden participation by local governments, regional businesses, universities, and residents to build a stable and sustainable support base.
The initiative to “Expand Educational Exchanges with Overseas Koreans” will invite overseas Korean youth and expand mutual exchanges to strengthen South Jeolla students’ global communication skills. It will also broaden educational contributions and its support base by building ties with overseas Korean networks and related institutions.
The foundation also plans to strengthen its financial independence by moving away from a funding structure centered on contributions from the education office and interest income, and establishing an independent revenue-generating base to create a stable and sustainable system for scholarships and talent development.
A foundation official said, “We plan to pursue discussions on revising the special act from multiple angles, in close consultation with the National Assembly and central government agencies, to establish a legal basis for independent revenue-generating businesses. Since there are considerable practical and institutional obstacles to amending the law, we will devote every effort to developing arguments in support of legislation and persuading relevant agencies, while exploring various ways to diversify our funding sources.”
Meanwhile, the foundation plans to transfer its existing “Dream Realization Life School” and “Jeonnam Student Public Diplomacy School” programs to the Jeonnam Student Education Center and the International Education Center, respectively, to improve expertise and operational efficiency.
However, the foundation will continue to operate the “Retired Educators’ Education Support Volunteer Center,” which draws on the experience and expertise of retired education personnel to support schools, and plans to strengthen its support for schools.

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