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Pearson launches Beyond PTE at Southeast Asia Partner Summit

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New insights reveal more than half of test takers in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea pursue Pearson Test of English for work and migration opportunities.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Pearson (PSON), the world’s leading learning company, today released insights from Pearson Test of English (PTE) candidates across Southeast Asia for 2024. The data reveals a younger demographic with ambitions to work and study around the globe.

This announcement comes on the heels of the successful 2024 Asia PTE Partner Summit, a gathering of more than 400 international education professionals simultaneously hosted in Changsa, China, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Manila, Philippines, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam and virtually across other Southeast Asia countries, South Korea and Japan.

At the summit Pearson launched a new test taker service, Beyond PTE, and gathered education officials from embassies and consulates and institutions as well as training providers to discuss the latest trends in international education and presented the annual report card for PTE.

Guests and speakers at the Summit included the Hon Phil Honeywood, CEO, International Education Association of Australia, Guy Perring, Regional Director, Etio (formerly Tribal i-graduate), Danielle Zhou, Business Development Manager, Austrade, Wu Xinping, Education Market Manager, British Council, and Felix Ye, Senior Market Development Manager, Education New Zealand.

Beyond PTE Launch

The Beyond PTE program launched in collaboration with Trip.com, Malaysia Airlines and Casita.com. This new service is designed to provide a barrier-free, one-stop solution for PTE candidates, through integration with the right financial, legal and travel service providers, each one of them offering additional benefits for PTE test takers.

Beyond PTE offers include:

Trip.com – Flight discount up to MYR40 or SGD15, 20% UK railcard off, up to GBP7, 5 % OFF UK & EU train and bus ticketMalaysia Airlines – Join MH Explorer program to access up to 30% flight discount and free baggage up to 45kgCasita.com – Student accommodation cashback up to GBP150/AUD250/USD200 for PTE test takers

PTE Director Asia, Matthew Lampkin said: “By launching the Beyond PTE cooperation program, we aim to provide multi-dimensional services and all-round support for candidates studying abroad. Pearson is committed to meeting growing demand, with new centres opened this year in key locations, such as Hanoi, Vietnam, Jakarta, Indonesia and Vientiane, Laos providing greater access and convenience for our test takers.”

New Insights from 2024 Testing

The lates insights from the millions of PTE tests taken around the world in 20204 were also released at the Summit including:

Demographics Comparison:Gender Distribution: Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea: Female (59.6%), Male (40.4%); Global: Female (50.1%), Male (49.9%)Higher female participation in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea is encouraging in the region, compared to the near-equal global gender split.Average Age: Both regions show a broad age involvement from 16 to 73 years, demonstrating comprehensive demographic coverage for English proficiency.Nationalities: Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea: 89 nationalities (leading nationality: Filipino); Global: 180 nationalities (leading nationality: Indian)This reflects the regional diversity while highlighting different leading nationalities.First Languages: Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea: PTE test takers spoke 90 different first languages, with the most common being Tagalog; Global: Most common first language is Mandarin.Testing Locations Comparison The top five testing locations in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea include key cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Makati City, Seoul, and Singapore underscoring PTE’s broad geographical reach.Purpose and DestinationsPurpose for Taking PTE: Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea: Work/Migration (52.5%), Study (31.4%); Global: Similar distribution, focusing on work, migration, and study applications.Top Destinations: Both regions show a high preference for Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, reflecting consistent global aspirations.Levels and Programs of StudyLevels of Study:The top two levels of study in the region are: Undergraduate degree (32.8%), and Postgraduate/Master’s degree (24.8%)Programs of Study:The top three study areas for the region are: Business and Management (18.2%), Health (17.6%), Tourism and Hospitality Management (11.6%)Occupational InterestsTop Occupations: Health and Social Services (29.8%), Technical and Scientific (7.7%), and globally the top occupations are: construction, education, banking, and finance globally.Information ChannelsPrimary Sources of Information: Friend or family (29.4%), Internet search (19.7%) and Australian Department of Home Affairs (13.6%), Friend or Family being top primary source of information underlying the strong word of mouth and willingness to recommend among PTE test takers.

About PTE

PTE is committed to providing fast, reliable, and accurate English language testing. With over 500 test centers in 118 countries, PTE supports educational, migration, and professional ambitions worldwide. By combining human expertise with advanced AI, PTE offers a fair and highly accurate English language test, recognized by governments, organizations, and universities globally. The test is available for all visa types in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and is recognized by over 3,500 universities worldwide. In 2024, PTE achieved significant global success, including launching PTE Core for Canadian visa applications and gaining recognition in the Netherlands and the US. Over 2,000 US universities now recognize PTE, including Princeton University and MIT.

About Pearson

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That is why our over 20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world’s leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning is not just what we do. It’s who we are. Visit us at pearsonplc.com. 

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SOURCE Pearson

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AFP Launches No Code AI for Finance Certificate to Upskill Finance Teams

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New certificate empowers financial professionals with real-world AI skills that don’t require programming expertise

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) announced the launch of its No Code AI for Finance Certificate Program. Taught by an AI expert with a background in finance and operations, the virtual on-demand program goes beyond theory, providing practical applications of AI in finance.

Key takeaways

Practical curriculum: The certificate course, developed through feedback from finance practitioners, provides hands-on exercises and lessons on building a data foundation, training and interpreting machine learning models, generating insights with generative AI and embedding ethics in AI adoptionSelf-paced learning: Once registered for the certificate, eight hours of on-demand content across four modules are available in AFP Learn.Professional recognition: The certificate course is eligible for 9.6 CTP, FPAC and CCM Credits and provides a Digital Badge and printable certificate upon successful completion.

Why it matters
The finance function is at a critical turning point. Data volumes are growing while finance professionals are increasingly being asked to do more with less. The No Code AI for Finance Certificate equips teams to scale their impact by automating labor-intensive workflows and speeding up processes while maintaining accuracy.

Comprehensive curriculum
The certificate program includes four modules that are tailored to the specific needs of finance professionals:

Data Foundations for Trustworthy Finance Analytics: Learn about decision cycles AI can shorten, mitigation tactics for AI hallucinations, and the difference between supervised, unsupervised and generative tasks.Understanding the Full Machine Learning Process and Its Results: Learn to frame finance machine learning problems correctly, choose and defend the right success metrics for each task and translate model results into business-ready insights.Generative AI for Finance: Smarter Questions, Faster Insights: Learn to write prompts for GenAI, generate and refine GenAI-supported data-prep code, pressure test insights with GenAI and apply guardrails for GenAI.From AI Capability to Adoption & Ethics by Design: Learn to select and prioritize a first AI pilot, design an operating cadence, draft an ethics and risk control sheet, and define ROI and adoption KPIs.

Each module includes downloadable assets to help learners apply the lessons to their day-to-day work.

Key quote
“At AFP, we recognized a clear need for training that addresses finance-specific applications of AI. This certificate acts as a bridge to connect financial professionals to the transformative power of AI, ensuring they remain the indispensable strategic partners their organizations require,” said Pat Culkin, President & CEO of AFP.

Ready to lead AI adoption in your finance team?
Enroll in the certificate program and begin working toward the No Code AI for Finance Certificate.

FAQs
Who should enroll in this certificate program?
The program is designed for financial professionals at all levels looking to integrate AI into their workflows.

Are there any prerequisites for the course?
There are no prerequisites for this course. It is accessible to professionals of all technical backgrounds. No coding knowledge is required.

How is the course delivered?
The course consists of eight hours of on-demand content across four modules, which can be completed at the learner’s own pace.

How much does it cost to enroll in the certificate program?
The certificate program is $295 for AFP members and $495 for non-members.

About AFP®
Headquartered outside of Washington, D.C., and located regionally in Singapore, the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) is the professional society committed to advancing the success of treasury and finance members and their organizations. Established and administered by AFP, the Certified Treasury Professional and Certified Corporate FP&A Professional credentials set standards of excellence in treasury and finance. Each year, AFP hosts the largest networking conference worldwide for about 7,000 corporate financial professionals.

Media contact
Joe Hodanich
Senior Director, Digital Strategy & Content
Association for Financial Professionals
Email: jhodanich@financialprofessionals.org

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SOURCE Association for Financial Professionals

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KT Corp. Files 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F

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SEOUL, South Korea, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — KT Corporation (NYSE: KT), South Korea’s largest integrated telecom and digital platform service provider, announced that it has filed its Form 20- F Annual Report on April 29th, 2026 for the year ended December 31, 2025 with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States. The report can be accessed on KT’s English website at https://corp.kt.com/eng in the Investors section under Business Report as well as the SEC’s Edgar database at www.sec.gov. Shareholders may also request a hard copy of the Form 20-F Annual Report that includes audited financial statements of 2025, free of charge, by sending an e-mail to the Company’s IR department at ktir@kt.com.

About KT Corporation (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT)

KT Corporation is the leading integrated telecommunications and platform service provider based in South Korea. Principal services include mobile, Broadband, IPTV, B2B communications, and fixed-line telephony. The Company has industry-leading market presence in Broadband, media services, and fixed-line telephony by maintaining the No.1 market share positions. Also, the Company is the No.1 player in B2B communications and offers a wide range of digital transformation services (DC, Cloud, AI, etc.). Additionally, the Company possesses a well-balanced portfolio of diverse subsidiaries focusing on media/content, financial services, real estate developments, and commerce industries.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” that are based on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections about us and the industries in which we operate. The forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “project,” “should,” and similar expressions. Those statements include, among other things, the discussions of our business strategy and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, liquidity and capital resources. We caution you that reliance on any forward-looking statement involves risks and uncertainties, and that although we believe that the assumptions on which our forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and, as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions could be incorrect. The uncertainties in this regard include, but are not limited to, those identified in the risk factors discussed above. In light of these and other uncertainties, you should not conclude that we will necessarily achieve any plans and objectives or projected financial results referred to in any of the forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to release the results of any revisions of these forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

IR department:
+82-70-4193-4036
ktir@kt.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kt-corp-files-2025-annual-report-on-form-20-f-302757200.html

SOURCE KT Corp.

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SK TELECOM CO. LTD. FILES ITS ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 20-F

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SEOUL, South Korea, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On April 29, 2026, SK Telecom Co., Ltd. filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2025 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F can be viewed on www.sktelecom.com, as well as from the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Printed copies of SK Telecom’s complete audited financial statements (including footnotes) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025 can be requested, free of charge, by written request to skt.ir@sk.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sk-telecom-co-ltd-files-its-annual-report-on-form-20-f-302757201.html

SOURCE SK Telecom Co., Ltd

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