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| Ahn Cheol-soo |
After the conversation with Microsoft co-founder Gates, Ahn met with reporters and said the two had “discussed several topics of mutual interest” and that Gates advised him to “establish a foundation that can solve social issues more creatively and innovatively.”
The two tycoons released a joint press release after their conversation that said they discussed the “current global economic environment, global health and development for the poor, the impact and importance of foreign aid to the developing world, and current trends in the IT industry.”
According to the press release, “Ahn expressed a keen interest in how the Gates Foundation was established and organized its work, and its present activities.”
It said Ahn “kindly invited Gates to visit his foundation sometime in the near future, and both agreed to stay in touch on topics of mutual interest.”
Ahn, founder of software company AhnLab and dean of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, announced late last year he will donate to society half of his 37.1 percent stake in AhnLab, the country’s leading antivirus software company. He said he will seek advice from Gates, who established the world’s largest charity dedicated to providing for children in developing countries.
The press watches Ahn closely because he has built a popular following among liberals and young Koreans and has started getting involved in politics, endorsing the winner of October’s mayoral by-election in Seoul. His following and his distance from Korea’s traditional political parties have made him a viable candidate for office, possibly even the presidency.
Ahn also said that Gates told him “to try to seek help when trying to solve problems rather than doing it alone.”
He also said the “outline of the charity foundation is being drawn up pretty well” and promised more details at the end of this month or early next month.
His trip got one political reaction. Independent Representative Kang Yong-seok said, “The real reason behind Ahn’s meeting with Gates is to talk about a business partnership with AhnLab and Microsoft rather than about the establishment of a charity foundation.”
In the U.S., Ahn also conducted interviews with potential professors for Seoul National University.
By Yim Seung-hye [sharon@joongang.co.kr]
빌 게이츠 만난 안철수 “이달 말께 재단 설립”
게이츠 ‘창조·혁신적 재단’ 조언
미국을 방문 중인 안철수 서울대 융합과학기술대학원장은 11일(현지시간) 마이크로소프트(MS) 창업자인 빌 게이츠(사진) 회장을 비공개로 만났다. 미국 워싱턴주 시애틀 외곽에 있는 게이츠 회장의 개인 사무실에서다. 2002년 스위스 다보스에서 열린 세계경제포럼에서 처음 대면한 지 10년 만이라고 한다. 안 원장은 출국 전부터 세계 최대 규모의 기부재단인 빌 앤드 멀린다 게이츠 재단을 세운 게이츠 회장에게서 재단 설립·운영 노하우를 배우고 싶어 했다. 면담 후 두 사람은 ‘사적인(privately)’ 만남을 가졌고 ‘여러 공통 관심사(several topics of mutual interest)’를 논의했다고 공동 보도자료를 냈다.
안 원장은 “(게이츠 회장이) 그냥 기부하는 데 그치지 말고 사회에서 중요한 문제들을 좀 더 창조적이고 혁신적인 방법을 찾아 해결하는 재단을 만들면 좋겠다고 조언했다”며 “‘어떤 문제를 해결할 때도 여러분이 힘을 합치면 외롭지 않다. 항상 평가하고 그래야 배울 수 있다’고 말했다”고 전했다. 안 원장은 기부재단 설립시기와 관련해 “이르면 이달 말쯤이나 다음 달 초쯤이 될 것”이라 고 말했다.
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