The Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology (WISET) announced on the 18th that the “Korean Diversity Council,” a public-private-academic partnership aimed at increasing diversity and inclusivity in the domestic science and technology sector, has been launched.
At the inaugural event held at the Korea Science and Technology Convention Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, WISET stated that the Korean Diversity Council comprises eight organizations and companies, including the Diversity Research Center at Korea University, the Diversity Committee at Seoul National University, On Semiconductors Korea, HP, GM Korea, the Inclusivity Committee at KAIST, POSCO E&C, and WISET itself.
Diversity refers to the coexistence of various social characteristics such as gender, nationality, physical conditions, economic conditions, social conditions, beliefs, values, and behavior patterns. Inclusivity aims to create a society that recognizes and respects “otherness” and differences.
The Korean Diversity Council plans to engage in a wide range of activities from enhancing awareness of diversity values to promoting them, including generating discourse on diversity protection and promotion, policy formulation and institutional improvement, and developing diversity metrics applicable in organizations.
Under the theme “Policy Direction for Advancing DE&I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity) in the Science and Technology Sector,” Kwon Ji-hye, director of the Policy Research Center at WISET, emphasized the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the science and technology field, stating that both genders identified ‘a society that recognizes diversity’ as the most important value. Efforts to enhance diversity in the fields of academia, business, and the public sector were discussed at a panel led by Min Eun-ki, chairman of the Diversity Committee at Seoul National University.
Mun Ae-ri, chairperson of WISET, who assumed the role of chairperson of the council, emphasized the need for solidarity and cooperation based on the values of diversity and inclusivity to address issues effectively in the rapidly changing society.
The Korean Diversity Council will initiate workshops to promote corporate diversity in the latter half of this year and will continue to collaborate with universities and research institutes.