Korea-LAC Tech Corps Program

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with the financial support of the Knowledge Partnership Korea Fund for Technology and Innovation, approved a Technical Cooperation to (i) enhance the institutional capacity of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) public institutions by providing full scholarships to mid-level public officials to pursue a master’s degree in Public Management or Public Policy with an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related focus in Korean universities and (ii) support innovation projects in LAC by promoting knowledge transfer from the Republic of Korea (Korea) in areas of ICT.

This initiative aims to support public officials in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve their analytical, managerial and information skills, and promote knowledge sharing between Korea and the region by providing Korean young professionals the opportunity to contribute and gain professional and cultural experience in LAC countries.

Under the leadership of the Competitiveness, Technology and Innovation (CTI) Division, the Korea-LAC Tech Corps Program includes two components: a Korea Tech Corps and a LAC Tech Corps.

• The LAC Tech Corps component will support Latin America and the Caribbean public officials to pursue a master’s degree in public management or public policy with ICT-related specializations or other relevant areas with an ICT focus in Korea for 18 months.

• Are you a government employee from one of the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries? 
• Have you worked as a full-time employee for a public institution for over 5 years? 
• Are you interested in receiving a fully funded scholarship to receive a master’s degree in Korea?

The "LAC Tech Corps" program will finance up to 26 LAC government officials to receive a full scholarship to pursue a master’s degree program offered by a higher education institution in Korea. These scholarships will cover the full tuition for a Master’s degree in public management or public policy with ICT-related specializations or other relevant areas with an ICT focus.

Are you a public institution or agency, civic organization or private company in Latin America and the Caribbean interested in developing innovation and technology projects?  

Are you interested in receiving support from Korean young professionals, experts in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), to develop innovation and technology projects, as part of a contract financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)? 

Up to 4 Korean Tech Corps (KTC) will be hired as IDB consultants to provide support for addressing ICT-related challenges of public agencies, private companies or civic organizations in the Latin American and Caribbean region. 

The IDB invites public agencies, civic organizations and/or private companies, which are developing or seek to develop innovation and technology projects and are interested in receiving technical support of KTC, to express interest in participating in the program. 

The expressions of interest (EOI) must provide information about the innovation project to be supported by KTC, the expected value added of receiving technical support of the program, activities to be conducted by KTC, as well as the expected profile of KTC and the availability of staff that can interact with KTC fluently in spoken and written English. 

In advance to the hiring of a KTC and their start of work, host agencies and/or companies will be requested to sign a collaboration agreement with the IDB.