S. Korea, ASEAN university students develop female-centered apps, ICT skills

Sharing skills and culture, young women from South Korea and Southeast Asia are helping each other grow as strong, competent females in their respective societies.
As part of a university exchange, students from Seoul's Sookmyung Women's University visited Laos and Indonesia this summer to help their local counterparts develop IT and leadership skills.

"We helped them develop apps, based on the android and arduino platforms. I think that to come up with practical, useful solutions for women, we need female developers in IT all over the world."

"While preparing for a presentation together on solving social problems, we were able to brainstorm and narrow down ideas together. I enjoyed this the most and got to know the other students better as well."

Local students came up with ideas such as baby monitor apps for working women in rural areas.

"This is my first time to learn exactly new skills about ICT. I love to see how technology can invent to reduce problems."

By transferring practical skills to raise digital literacy and encourage entrepreneurship, the program aims to help women find jobs and advance their economic status.

"Since 2016, about 1,300 students took part in our local training. we aim to promote women's empowerment and capability building of female talent who will contribute to the socioeconomic development of the nation in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution."

The program is also focused on female empowerment.

"The women need ICT training and leadership training to make the student more confident to challenge every issue that will face in the society. So even if our bodies are weak compared to men, the spiritual must be strong."

Launched in 1992, the UNITWIN network brings universities together and promotes gender equality and women's participation through media and ICT.

At a recent briefing ceremony held in Seoul, presidents of leading universities from Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos, expressed their willingness to deepen their cooperation with South Korean universities.
As South Korea and the ten ASEAN member states deepen their ties through the special commemorative summit, people-to-people exchanges and talent nurturing programs are expected to grow significantly.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.