KIA Europe GmbH

01/27/2023 | Press release | Archived content

Kia Slovakia enters partnership with University of Zilina

  • Kia Slovakia and University of Žilina sign Memorandum of Understanding
  • Memorandum represents a mutually beneficial agreement on education, science, cooperation and research activities

January 27, 2023 - Yesterday, the President and CEO of Kia Slovakia, Mr. Geon Won Shin, signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding with the Rector of the University of Žilina, Prof. Ing. Jan Celko. Both parties decided to formalize a mutually beneficial agreement on education, science, cooperation, and research activities.

"With the signing of the Memorandum, we formally start the cooperation which will bring many benefits to both parties," says Geon Won Shin, President, and CEO of Kia Slovakia. "This is primarily in the areas of projects, grants, and solutions in the fields of education, science, and research. I believe that the mutual support and cooperation of experts from both sides in the fields of engineering, Industry 4.0, management, ergonomics, and other issues related to the automotive industry will soon bring the first results."

"I am pleased that we are expanding the possibilities of mutual cooperation, which, thanks to our researchers and students, can also bring practical outputs for the needs of practice and enable the development of education according to the current market requirements," says Ján Čelko, Rector of UNIZA.

The President of Kia Europe, Jason Jeong, also attended the signing ceremony, as Kia Europe oversees all operations within the region and is fully committed to attracting the best talent on the continent for all business areas.

"Kia recognizes that to be the number one mobility provider, we require winning the race for talent amongst likeminded individuals - in this case, the youth - who will strongly determine not only the future of Kia, but also the future which we will live in," says Jason Jeong.

In addition to mutual consultations between experts from both sides, the memorandum is also intended to facilitate research, development, and other creative activities of students in the preparation of their bachelor's, master's, and doctoral theses. Kia Slovakia also commits to provide free internships, work experience or even paid scholarships for students at the University of Žilina.