Louisa Jordaan “Your achievements and potential are being recognised and supported, and this is truly a moment to celebrate”. His Excellency, Ambassador Dong-han Yang offered his congratulatory remarks to the recipients of scholarships donated by the KEPCO KPS company on the 20th of November 2024. This marked yet another event contributing to the strengthening of relations between the University of Pretoria and KEPCO KPS, a South Korean power plant maintenance company.

Korean media entertainment and cuisine are not the only elements that have provided enrichment to a global community, which includes South African students. During the past two years, the esteemed South Korean power plant service and engineering company, KEPCO KPS, has donated multiple scholarships to engineering students at UP.

KEPCO KPS, a South Korean company, have been donating scholarships to UP since 2022 as part of their social responsibility initiative. Before their recent donation, KEPCO KPS has donated 70 scholarships to the total value of R4.6 million as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives. Their most recent donation of X scholarships amounts to a total of 1.8 million ZAR.

During his address to the attendees, Mr Jungnam Lee stated that the total amount of scholarships that they have donated (to both students from UP and other academic institutions) amounts to a total of 103, excluding the scholarships donated on the 20th of November. Another part of KEPCO’s corporate social responsibility initiatives include improving the living conditions of local communities. The company has a history of operating in South Africa that dates back to 1992.

The third speaker at the donation ceremony, Prof Schalk Kok, expressed his gratitude towards KPS on behalf of his students during a tearful speech. “This always catches me by surprise.” Prof Kok further went on to say “I think the students… the students would know what this means to them. I do my best not to prepare for these things. Any case, I think I need to wrap up because if I say what I am going to try to say, it’s not going to come out. But it is deeply appreciated.”

Prof Kok is the head of the department of mechanical and electrical engineering at the University of Pretoria in the faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT). Most of the student recipients are from the EBIT faculty at UP and are thus students in his faculty. Prof Kok also highlighted the university’s five-year plan with strategic drivers and initiatives; one of the most important being student access. The scholarships donated by KEPCO KPS plays a significant role in overcoming issues related to financial access.

This initiative has led to a fruitful relationship between KPS and UP. From 2022 onwards (excluding their most recent donation), KPS has donated a total of R4.6 million in bursaries to engineering students, based on academic excellence. This initiative has helped a total of 70 engineering students to overcome financial challenges with regards to their studies. This initiative is one of many that ensures the success of UP students. Partnerships like these are vital to the university’s success with regards to fostering international connections. While a student’s journey to academic achievements may sometimes be filled with the occasional figurative pothole, this initiative is lessening some of the struggles that many students will face in their academic careers.

KEPKO KPS has grown to a successful comprehensive plant services company since its establishment in 1984 and have entered a partnership with South Africa’s main energy supplier, ESKOM, during recent years. KPS’ partnership with ESKOM encompasses the South Korean company’s services as an energy supplier in conjunction with ESKOM Rotek Industries (ERI). An integral part of this partnership includes the ERI’s initiative that requires all partners to give back to the community in exchange for conducting business with them.