SK Innovation has donated $50,000 to Rice University in Houston, Texas, to support its Korean programs in the Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication, the company said Wednesday. The donation will also support scholarships for the Rice in Korea study-abroad program as well as Korean cultural programs at Rice University.

SK Innovation’s management philosophy of “growing together with the local community” was behind the company’s decision to make a donation to the program, company officials explained.

Through SK Innovation’s contribution, Rice University will be able to solidify its Korean programs and raise understanding of Korean language and culture on campus by sponsoring scholarships, diversifying Korean-related courses and hosting campus-wide cultural activities, they added.

Choi Dong-soo, president of SK Innovation’s Exploration and Production Business, and Kim Tae-won, head of the E&P North America Business Division, delivered the funds to university representative Y. Ping Sun and interim Dean of Humanities Lora Wildenthal. 

“We are delighted to act upon SK Group’s management philosophy of ‘sharing happiness.’ We hope that our donation enables cultivation of social values while helping the local scholarship program and enhancing awareness of Korea in the community,” Choi said.

Rafael Salaberry, director of CLIC at Rice University, said, “With this gift, we will continue to support students with limited financial means to participate in our Rice in Korea program. The generous support of SK Group will help many students at Rice have access to an educational opportunity that is quickly becoming a needed component of a well-rounded university education.”

Located on a 120-hectare forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by US News & World Report. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)