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Yonsei and Kakao Team Up to Build Smart Campus
Yonsei and Kakao Team Up to Build Smart Campus

New MOU to launch smart campus and develop joint businesses

(from left) Kakao co-CEO Yeo Min-soo, Yonsei President Suh Seoung Hwan


On July 13, Yonsei University and South Korea’s internet portal giant Kakao signed a Memorandum of Understanding for mutual cooperation to launch a smart campus and develop joint businesses. The MOU signing ceremony took place at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, with Yonsei President Suh Seoung Hwan and Kakao co-CEO Yeo Min-soo.


A smart campus refers to a virtual campus that can conduct lectures or academic affairs online without the limitations of time and place, using electronic devices such as smartphones or laptops based on mobile identification cards. Under the MOU, Yonsei will apply Kakao's latest IT technology to its current smart campus initiatives in building a Smart Campus Life and Smart Working Place. The two institutions will also cooperate in developing joint projects related to education, academic studies, medical data, content creation, and educational programs. 


"In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it is now a necessity, not an option, to develop universities' non-face-to-face and online educational environment with the latest IT technology," stated Yonsei President Suh during the MOU signing ceremony. "Yonsei University will pioneer innovation in university education in cooperation with IT leader Kakao."


Kakao co-CEO Yeo commented, "We are pleased that Kakao's technology and platform can contribute to enhancing the academic experience for Yonsei University students, faculty, and staff." He added, “We will work closely with Yonsei to build a smart campus system suitable for the ‘untact’ era and innovate its education platform together."


As the first project of the Smart Campus initiative, Yonsei will utilize KakaoTV and digital authority certification technology to stream Chapel and University Church service this fall semester, and conduct events postponed due to COVID-19 online, such as freshman orientation and alumni mentoring programs for the College of Commerce & Economics and Yonsei School of Business. Yonsei also plans to launch smart administrative services by applying Kakao's latest IT technology to its central university systems for admissions, general administration, and research. 


"We look forward to welcoming a new and enhanced smart working environment at Yonsei by introducing (Kakao’s) user-friendly settings and AI solution to our education, research, and administration systems,” said a Yonsei University representative. 


As the need for smart campuses increases in response to the COVID outbreak, the Yonsei-Kakao cooperation is currently drawing attention from the education and IT industries as a new form of collaboration between tech and academia. 






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