The Mercedes-Benz Social Responsibility Committee announced on the 12th that it conducted a visit to the headquarters in Sindelfingen, Germany, for 11 outstanding students from the 17th ‘Mercedes-Benz Mobile Academy’ program over a period of five days.
The Mobile Academy is aimed at students from automotive departments in 11 universities nationwide, providing them with insights into the latest technology trends and career direction, aiding their growth as future talents in the automotive industry. This program has been a flagship corporate social responsibility initiative of Mercedes-Benz, established through industry-academic cooperation agreements with 11 universities in Korea since 2014.
Participating students undergo a comprehensive education consisting of basic and advanced courses conducted by expert instructors from Mercedes-Benz over 17 weeks, spanning a year. They are also given the opportunity to engage in career development workshops, where they meet employees working in various roles within the Mercedes-Benz network for mentoring, helping them get closer to their career aspirations.
The tour of the Mercedes-Benz headquarters represents the final stage of the curriculum for the industry-academic cooperation program ‘Mobile Academy’ for automotive students from the selected 11 universities, enabling the Mercedes-Benz Social Responsibility Committee to provide this invaluable experience each year by selecting outstanding students from each cohort.
From June 30 to July 5, the German headquarters visit involved 11 outstanding graduates selected from a total of 226 students enrolled in the Mobile Academy this year. Participating students had the opportunity to directly experience the advanced technology and production processes of Mercedes-Benz while exploring their future career paths.
Students visited ‘Factory 56’ in Sindelfingen, Germany, witnessing a future-oriented production facility practicing carbon neutrality and the latest digital processes. They also explored the ‘Classic Center’ to experience the craftsmanship involved in car preservation and restoration, and visited the ‘Mercedes-Benz Museum’ to learn about the technological advancements and brand heritage accumulated over 130 years.
Lee Seung-min, a student from Yeungnam University of Science and Technology who participated in the visit, expressed, “My affection for the Mercedes-Benz brand has greatly increased during my year-long participation in the Mobile Academy. I am thrilled to have been selected as an outstanding student to experience the facilities directly at the headquarters in Germany. Upon returning to Korea, I will be working within the Mercedes-Benz dealer network and will also participate in the AET training program, aimed at developing specialized maintenance personnel, and I look forward to what’s coming next. Based on this experience, I will do my best to contribute to the development of the automotive industry.”
Meanwhile, since launching the Mobile Academy in 2014, the Mercedes-Benz Society Responsibility Committee has provided the opportunity for 162 outstanding students to visit the Mercedes-Benz headquarters among a total of 1,319 participating students, further contributing to cultivating talents that will lead the future of the automotive industry.
By Jang Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr