Barun Law Firm, represented by attorneys Lee Dong-hoon, Lee Young-hee, and Kim Do-hyung, announced on October 12 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hanyang University’s College of Business, led by Dean Lee Sang-myung, to collaborate on sustainable supply chain management and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management.
This agreement comes as ESG management and supply chain oversight have emerged as critical issues that influence corporate value and competitiveness, extending beyond mere regulatory compliance. The partnership aims to combine the legal and practical expertise of the law firm with the academic research capabilities of the university to establish a collaborative ecosystem encompassing industry, government, and academia.
The two institutions plan to work together on several initiatives, including: joint planning and operation of corporate training programs on ESG regulations and compliance, supply chain due diligence, and risk management; research consulting on establishing and operating sustainable supply chain management systems (SSCM); collaborative research on supply chain policies and implementation tasks, including policy studies, corporate surveys, and white papers; global consulting on sustainable supply chain management, including responses to domestic and international regulations such as the EU Supply Chain Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM); and joint planning and operation of conferences and seminars on inter-country cooperation and industrial development.
Hanyang University’s Sustainable Supply Chain Center will support the academic research foundation, specialized research personnel, industry-academic cooperation networks, and research data and outcomes in the fields of supply chain and ESG.
Barun’s Corporate Strategy Research Institute will provide legal advice related to compliance, ESG, and supply chain due diligence, risk assessments, practical know-how from corporate fieldwork, and the development of educational content and expert lectures and consulting. Both parties have agreed to collaborate on disseminating joint research outcomes and jointly operating professional talent development programs.
The detailed projects under the MOU will be managed by Barun’s Corporate Strategy Research Institute and Hanyang University’s Sustainable Supply Chain Center (CS2C).
Lee Jun-hee, head of Barun’s Corporate Strategy Research Institute, stated, "ESG and supply chain management have evolved beyond regulatory compliance to become key operational and investment strategy issues that determine sustainable growth and competitiveness for companies. By combining Hanyang University’s research and analytical expertise with Barun’s practical consulting capabilities in compliance management and risk management, we aim to provide practical solutions to the global regulatory challenges faced by businesses."
Kim Myung-kyo, head of Hanyang University’s Sustainable Supply Chain Center, added, "As Korean companies are part of the global supply chain, sustainability can only be achieved through that supply chain; it is not a challenge that individual companies can accomplish alone."
He continued, "We will strategically collaborate between academia and industry to create a model where sustainability translates into tangible corporate performance, particularly focusing on developing and operating capacity-building programs that help Korean companies enhance their operational competitiveness within the global supply chain and internalize that know-how within their organizations."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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