KT and NIA Signed Global AI Education Agreement
The partnership aims to expand AI certification programs to developing nations starting in late 2026.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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KT and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to export AI education and certification programs internationally. The initiative centers on the AI Certificate (AICE) program, which evaluates foundational principles and data analysis without requiring coding skills.
Why it matters
This initiative seeks to standardize AI literacy in developing countries by leveraging existing digital infrastructure and a network of technical volunteers. It aligns with the NIA's recent internal reorganization to prioritize global outreach for national AI policy development.
The AICE certification assesses basic data analysis and AI principles in an exam format that requires no programming. The pilot will train 100 participants per country, with 20 individuals per site selected for a three-day intensive offline training session following VOD instruction.
The players
KT
A South Korean telecommunications provider that maintains a stack of digital services and manages educational scholarship programs.
National Information Society Agency (NIA)
A South Korean government agency responsible for implementing national digital and AI policies.
The details
The AICE program utilizes a tiered pedagogical structure where students engage with online video-on-demand (VOD) modules before participating in three days of offline training. Instruction will be provided by recipients of KT digital talent scholarships. The program operates through the existing network of 64 Information Access Centers (IACs), which are facilities designed to provide international access to information technology services.
Timeline
2001: The WFK IT Volunteer Corps was established.
2002: The first Information Access Center opened in Cambodia.
2024: The NIA began operating the AICE certification exam.
November 2026: The AICE pilot program begins in Vietnam.
December 2026: The AICE pilot program begins in Sri Lanka and Georgia.
The Tech Race
This partnership leverages the existing infrastructure of the World Friends Korea IT Volunteer Corps to build a standardized international framework for AI competency. It marks a shift from general IT infrastructure support to targeted, certification-based AI training for developing markets.
The AICE certification provides a standardized path for individuals to demonstrate proficiency in data analysis and AI theory without needing specialized coding skills. The program is currently limited to the 300 participants selected for the 2026 pilot in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Georgia.
The takeaway
This effort highlights the importance of non-coding AI certification as a gateway to digital workforce development. Watch for the integration of the World Friends Korea IT Volunteer Corps with AICE initiatives next year to gauge the scalability of this educational model.
What happens next
The pilot programs in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Georgia will commence between November 2026 and December 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest global shifts in Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 조선일보.
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