Smart Learning Institute

Each year, CJ Group and UNESCO come together during KCON, the world's largest Korean culture convention attended by over 1.1 million, to promote girls' education.

CJ and UNESCO have been actively leveraging KCON's concert stages and convention booths to raise awareness about the challenges girls face in developing countries to access and benefit from a quality education. Activities also foster action and donations supporting UNESCO's work in favour of girls’ education in various countries.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, KCON has been adapted into a week-long online event, KCON:TACT 2020 SUMMER, featuring concerts and interactive activities 24/7 from 20 to 26 June, delivering its unique KCON experience virtually with 33 K-Pop artists.

The event will support girls' education through UNESCO's #LearningNeverStops campaign which aims to raise awareness about how lives have changed since COVID-19, and the need for ongoing support to ensure continuity of learning and return to school, particularly for girls.

As schools shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, girls have been particularly impacted and more at risk of losing out on their education. CJ and UNESCO are working together to ensure #LearningNeverStops, and to help girls continue learning and return to school when these reopen.

https://youtu.be/M7C3fgE2DUE
 

In addition to raising awareness for girls' education, KCON will donate a portion of its channel membership profits and sales of customized goods of K-Pop artists to UNESCO's efforts to ensure learning never stops. Attendees can express their support for the campaign through donations for the duration of the event.

 The online event is opening tomorrow on Mnet K-Pop's YouTube channel and provides a platform for attendees to experience all things Korean regardless of borders and time, and donate to support girls' education. Donate here.

At its peak, over 1.5 billion learners, or over 90% of the world's student population, have seen their education disrupted and for some interrupted due to COVID-19 related school closures. UNESCO' s Global Education Coalition safeguards learning for all amid this crisis, with a focus Gender Equality, Connectivity and Teachers.

Since 2014, the UNESCO-CJ partnership aims to provide a better educational environment and a brighter future for girls through education. CJ group is a major contributor to the UNESCO Malala Fund for Girls' Right to Education, which expands girls' access to quality education, especially in countries affected by crisis. A strong, sustainable and innovative type of partnership, it has been instrumental to raise awareness on and advocate for girls' education.