In bilateral talks on the 3rd, Presidents Yoon and Kagame discuss 'YU Saemaul Studies'

Close exchanges and cooperation with African countries like Rwanda, Guinea, and Ethiopia

'Saemaul Studies' is the origin of the Korean Wave and a 'shared policy for mutual growth'

[June 10, 2024]

<Students of YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS)>

 At the bilateral meetings with African leaders on the 3rd, ahead of the Korea-Africa Summit held on June 4-5, 'Saemaul Studies' at YU became a hot topic.

 In the meeting between President YOON Suk-yeol and Rwandan President Paul Kagame, it was mentioned that Rwandan students are studying 'Saemaul Studies' at YU's PSPS. This can be seen as an example of the long-standing exchanges, cooperation, and achievements between YU and African countries through Saemaul Studies.

 The exchange between YU and Rwanda dates back to November 2020 when Yasmin Amri Sued, then Rwandan Ambassador to South Korea, visited Yeungnam University to discuss Rwanda's national development plan. Following this, an international exchange agreement was signed with the Rwandan Ministry of Education at the request of the Rwandan government, within four months. Rwanda has actively sought to adopt the 'Saemaul Studies' curriculum developed by YU and to learn the know-how of implementing the Saemaul Movement locally and the development experience of Korea through the movement. In the agreement, it was decided to: ▲Conduct pre-verification and recommendation of the Rwandan Ministry of Education for applicants to the YU PSPS ▲Recommend universities by the Rwandan Ministry of Education for the establishment of a local department of Saemaul ▲Designate the Global Saemaul Development Network (GSDN) as an executive organization for the establishment of the local department of Saemaul and register as a local NGO.

<YU hosted the Global Saemaul Forum on May 28-29>

 At the Global Saemaul Forum, held to commemorate the 77th anniversary of YU on May 28-29, aimed at sharing educational paradigms for sustainable global development and presenting the university's vision for nurturing talents contributing to humanity, Nkubito Manzi Bakuramutsa, the Rwandan Ambassador to South Korea, praised the Saemaul Movement.  He stated, "Rwanda has adopted the Saemaul Movement as a development policy for sustainable national development. Through the Saemaul Movement, Rwanda has seen positive changes, particularly aiding the post-war reconstruction efforts."

Ethiopian Ambassador to South Korea, Dessie Dalkie Dukamo, who has had close relations with YU even before Rwanda, also praised the movement, saying, "YU, as the hub of the Saemaul Movement, has made it an international policy through global cooperation and led the eradication of poverty worldwide. The Saemaul Movement I learned at YU 9 years ago during my tenure as governor greatly helped me as a regional leader. The Saemaul Movement is a model and lesson that developing countries should learn." 

 Additionally, the government of Guinea, following the agreement on sharing the Saemaul Movement with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation of Guinea last year, visited YU again this May. Felix Lamah, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Guinea, and LIM Hyoung-jun, Head of the WFP Office in Guinea, requested sharing the Saemaul Movement and Korea's development experience and agreed to cooperate in establishing the Saemaul Community Development Department and Research Center within Guinean universities.

 YU has spent the last several years leading the efforts to share Saemaul studies with the international community. Starting with the establishment of the Department of Saemaul Economic Development at Enderun College in the Philippines in 2015, the Department of Saemaul Economic Development at Western University in Cambodia, and the Department of Saemaul Studies at Samarkand State University in Uzbekistan, and from September this year, the Department of Sustainable Saemaul Forestry at Werabe University in Ethiopia, YU has received requests from over 10 countries to support the establishment of Saemaul Studies departments and Saemaul Movement research centers at their major universities.

<Students of PSPS sing the Saemaul Song at the opening ceremony>

 YU founded PSPS in 2011 and has provided Saemaul education to 904 social leaders from 73 countries, producing 766 master's graduates so far. Graduates are currently working as major policy-makers, international development experts, and Saemaul Movement leaders at central governments, public institutes, and international development NGOs. The nationality composition of the students includes 29 African countries, 23 Asian countries, and 21 other regions, showing global interest in Saemaul Studies, especially with two students from Cuba, even before diplomatic relations were established, enrolling in the International Development Department of Saemaul in 2018. 

The Yeungnam University Institute for International Development Cooperation (IIDC) also provides short-term training on Saemaul Movement and Saemaul Studies theory and practice to policy experts and private sector professionals from developing countries. The IIDC aims to strengthen policy capabilities related to rural development and community development in the training target countries, improving community development, farm income, and quality of life. The IIDC's short-term training has educated over 3,300 people from 48 countries so far.

YU has also awarded honorary doctorates in international development to individuals who have significantly contributed to global issues, such as former World Bank President KIM Yong and former UN World Food Program Secretary-General David M. Beasley, enhancing its status as a global hub for Saemaul Movement education.

<YU President CHOI Oe-chool delivers a welcome speech at the 77th-anniversary Global Saemaul Forum>

YU President CHOI Oe-chool, who has spearheaded the academicization of Saemaul Movement and its educational dissemination, said, "Korea is the only country to leap from the poorest country to a developed country, and the Saemaul Movement played an important role in this process. This is why many international organizations and countries request the transfer of Saemaul Studies to YU." He added, "We will strive to make the Saemaul Movement a leading K-policy brand expanding the scope of the Korean Wave through the Smart Saemaul initiative reflecting the characteristics of the era. We will also do our best to nurture talents who contribute to the sustainable global prosperity. The experience of Saemaul development and Saemaul Studies has become an important product of Korea's diplomacy and a crucial strategy for mutual growth with developing countries."