SK Hynix is going overseas with its social contribution activities, launching global campaigns with a matching grant as well as employees’ donations.

The world’s No. 2 memory chipmaker said that it has been gearing up efforts to increase its social contribution abroad in a bid to create a favorable workplace that emphasizes social welfare projects as well as employees’ happiness.

The company has been launched a number of projects that include the word “happiness” in its operations since it was acquired by SK Telecom in March last year.

With thousands of its workers taking part in volunteering efforts abroad and in Korea, the activities range from donating funds to natural disaster-hit regions and technology talent-sharing programs to supporting scientists and students with potential in many different regions.

SK Hynix’s headquarters in China, which takes up the biggest portion of overseas social contribution among its offices abroad, pays regular visits ― about once every month ― to social welfare centers.

Up to 2,500 of its employees have participated in 50 different volunteer acts for environment protection, city building and helping underprivileged children.

As a result, the Chinese headquarters has received numerous awards from the regional government since December 2008.

In Korea, the company is involved in shared growth projects with its partners, creating a low-carbon business strategy as part of that effort.

Most recently in December, SK Hynix donated 2 billion won ($1.8 million) to the Community Chest of Korea in Gyeonggi and North Chungcheong provinces.

The fund was intended to be used for providing meals and scholarships to 3,500 students in the Icheon and Cheongju areas, where the company has the plants.

“SK Hynix plans to further spend more funding on supporting meal plans, nurturing future scientists, offering scholarships to underprivileged children and creating eco-friendly study rooms for children,” said James Kim, vice president of public relations at the company.

In November of last year, the chipmaker organized an event called “Robo Olympiad,” a competition attended by 200 children aimed at cultivating future scientists.

It also participated in improving the study rooms of 13 community centers for children, its officials said.

Going a step further, it encouraged its workers to donate by launching a series of campaigns to collect funding for better social contribution activities.

Another big event that triggered the participation of its employees was a project jointly conducted with the Community Chest of Korea beginning in August 2011. Since signing the partnership agreement, about 80 percent of its workers, or 16,000 of them, have taken part in the creation of a fund called “Donations for Good Memories.”

With the funding, it has established an organization that offers meals to 200 students suffering from malnutrition in particular regions. Last year, about 1,000 students benefited from the meal plan provided by the new organization.

SK Group, the parent company of SKT, has been enthusiastically promoting community contribution, stating that the conglomerate has implemented a systematic program for the field.

While it says the program includes group-focused and affiliate-focused activities in line with the overall program, SK Group encourages each of its affiliates to carry out its own unique contribution plan partly to boost SK’s brand image.

SK’s partnership program in general includes job creation for the financially challenged, establishing what is called the “SK Happiness Village” and participating in volunteering activities.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)