Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) has signed a scholarship agreement to nurture talent from Africa at SOAS University of London, a university that is home to leading international experts engaged in research and teaching to create meaningful change and empower students to find solutions to global challenges.
A signing ceremony for the ‘Hyundai Motor Group Scholarship’ took place at the SOAS Senate Chamber on February 10. Group attendees included Heung-Soo Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of the Global Strategy Office (GSO), Hyundai Motor Group; Ashley Andrew, President of Hyundai Motor and Genesis UK; and Simon Hetherington, Vice President of Kia UK Ltd.
Attendees from SOAS included Professor Adam Habib, Vice-Chancellor; Professor Elisa Van Waeyenberge, Dean of the College of Development, Economics and Finance; Professor Christopher Cramer; Professor Antonio Andreoni and other university officials.
The Group is actively pursuing collaboration with African nations to achieve mutual growth, aligning with its vision of ‘Together for a Better Future.’ The Group has taken significant steps to leverage its capabilities to establish innovative collaboration models with Africa.
As a first step, in partnership with SOAS, the Group has established the Development Leadership Dialogue (DLD) Institute, a forum for discussions among leaders in the development community, as well as the Centre for Sustainable Structural Transformation (CSST), a research center focused on structural transformation in the context of the climate crisis.
These initiatives aim to enhance the Group’s understanding of the African market and develop sustainable development strategies. Additionally, the Group is expanding its collaboration beyond research by establishing a scholarship program at SOAS to nurture African talent.
Starting in the first half of 2025, the Hyundai Motor Group Scholarship will be offered annually to five master’s and doctoral students coming to SOAS from Africa. Scholars will receive transformational support towards their tuition and living expenses. The Group will invite scholarship recipients to participate in various networking events and seminars hosted by the Group after completing their studies. This network and collaboration model between the Group and the scholars is designed to support this next generation of changemakers beyond their studies as they apply their expertise to careers across the African continent.
In addition, the Group is set to launch the Junior Internship Program for undergraduate and master’s students from Africa at SOAS. Through this program, the Group aims to introduce its vision for the future of Africa and provide participating interns with valuable global business experience.
Hyundai Motor Group has established the DLD and CSST in collaboration with SOAS to gain a fundamental understanding of Africa and is seeking a collaboration model for a desirable future on the continent. As part of our commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders who will drive sustainable development in Africa, Hyundai Motor Group is establishing a scholarship program to nurture the future generations of the continent.Heung-Soo KimExecutive Vice President and head of the Global Strategy Office (GSO) at Hyundai Motor Group
Widening the opportunity for students in the global south to access a SOAS education, both in London and with our partners in the majoritarian world, is central to our mission. Scholarships in both cases have a transformational impact, for the individual and for the society around them. Our partnership with the Hyundai Motor Group helps build capacity for the next generation of leaders to develop the skills and vision to create sustainable and positive change. We are grateful to the Group for their ongoing support of SOAS and look forward to working together to nurture talent from Africa.Professor Adam HabibVice-Chancellor of SOAS The Group aims to cultivate experts for sustainable development in Africa during this transformative period in the global economy and will continue to establish long-term collaboration models for the next generation of Africa.
