Mr. ‘Nur Syamsi Muhammad’ graduate of Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul and former central public official of Indonesia
Complicated 170-hour education course and passed theory and demonstration evaluation of the YU Department of Forest Resources and Landscape Architecture
“I will learn ‘Korea’s advanced system’ in the forestry management and policy sector and propose application to Indonesia”
[December 4, 2020]
<Nur Syamsi Muhammad (left) from the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul who became the first foreigner to receive the national official ‘forest commentator’ certification and Department of Forest Resources and Landscape Architecture Professor Lee Joo-hyung>
YU (President Sur Gil-soo) graduated the nation’s first official ‘forest commentator’ as a foreigner.
He is Department of Forest Resources and Landscape Architecture who graduated from the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul. Mr. Syamsi enrolled in the forest commentator course offered by the YU Center for Continuing Education in July of this year prior to graduating from graduate school and completed a five-month course to become registered as Korea’s first foreign forest commentator in November.
A ‘forest commentator’ is a commentator or instruction/educating expert equipped with expertise on the culture, education, history, etc. about forests who offers knowledge and information on forests through activities about forest culture and relaxation to the general public visiting forests. This is an official certification managed and issued according to the Forest Education Promotion Act (Forest Education Act) by the Korea Forest Welfare Institute under the Korea Forest Service. Certification is given to those who completed a total 170-hour education course and completed theoretical and demonstrative evaluations at a forest commentator education course operation institute certified by the Minister of the Korea Forest Service. In particular, the entire education course is offered in Korean, so it is quite difficult for foreigners.
Mr. Syamsi said, “I wanted to learn about Korea’s forest management policies and systems that not only create a natural scenery, but also creates jobs through environmental preservation. I applied for the forest commentator course as an extension to my major and to be able to use it in practical work back in Indonesia.
Mr. Syamsi majored in forestry in his undergraduate studies and worked as a public employee of Indonesia’s forest ministry since 2014, and is an expert in forestry working as a forestry expansion manager. At the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul where he graduated from in August of this year, he majored in Forest and Environmental Policy at the Department of Sustainable Development. He can be said to be an expert with both theoretical and practical knowledge.
Mr. Syamsi stated, “I began with the forest commentator course with some basic understanding on forest resources, but it was quite difficult because I had to take the classes and be evaluated in Korean. Taking Korean as a mandatory course while studying at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul helped greatly. In particular, I was able to pass the examination thanks to the guidance of Department of Forest Resources and Landscape Architecture Professor Lee Joo-hyung and help from my tutors.” He added, “As a public employee, I want to the theoretical and practical knowledge I gained while studying in Korea and reflect them in the forest resource management and policies in Indonesia. I would like to apply Korea’s advanced systems in the forest education sector that I learned while acquiring the forest commentator certification. Once I return to Indonesia, I plan to suggest the government about education and training programs, and operating certification courses.”
YU is a consigned education institute for the Korea Forest Service’s forest commentator course. One group is recruited every year by the YU Center for Continuing Education for operation and the general education course is conducted by the YU Department of Forest Resources and Landscape Architecture. Starting with the first group in 2012, a total of about 360 forest commentators in 9 classes were fostered.
