<Training team from the SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region), Ethiopia who participated in the YU Saemaul development policy training>
YU (President Sur Gil-soo) is helping SNNPR, Ethiopia reach regional development through policy training education by applying Saemaul development.
The governor and other leaders of SNNPR, Ethiopia participated in the Saemaul development policy training held by the YU International Development Cooperation Center (Director Park Seung-woo) from March 25 to April 1. This training was held at the request of the newly appointed governor of SNNPR, Million Mathewos. SNNPR is one of the nine provinces of Ethiopia and it is a large self-governing province with a population of approximately 19 million.
This is not the first time that there was exchange and cooperation between YU and SNNPR. SNNPR also completed a Saemaul education research program back in January and February of 2015 when the former governor was in office. At the time, the research team was very assertive and participated in the training by procuring financial resources on their own despite their weak financial conditions. In the education and training held on two separate occasions on an eight-day schedule, 23 people (11 in 1st and 12 in 2nd) including the governor and vice-governor received training. Also, in February of 2016, professors of YU led by Professor Choi Wae-chul of the YU Department of Saemaul and International Development went to SNNPR to offer the Saemaul Undong policy training program. This program has reaped clear success being selected as a best case in the global education and training evaluations by KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) recently.
<The SNNPR, Ethiopia training team visited the Cheongdo Saemaul Undong Origin Memorial.>
The training team visiting YU included a total of eighth senior public officials including Governor Million and four provincial government directors. They had the opportunity to learn about the philosophy and driving principle of Saemaul development, and also studied Saemaul Undong experience cases such as the leadership of leaders and implementation plans for SNNPR, Ethiopia. They also went on field trips to look around the place where the Saemaul Undong originated, POSCO and scientific farms. In May, the second training team of 16 people including the vice-governor are scheduled to receive training at YU.
YU Department of International Development Cooperation Director Park Seung-woo who oversaw this training program said, “We hope that Korea’s various development cases and especially the regional development cases through the Saemaul Undong will contribute to the development of Ethiopia’s SNNPR regional development.”
YU has continuously worked on turning the Saemaul Undong into an academic science for the past 30 or so years, while offering it to be used for the development of developing countries. Since its founding in 2011, the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul gave master’s degrees to a total of 543 students from 62 countries and most of them are currently serving as public employees in the social development sector of their respective nations. Also, the YU International Development Cooperation Center that provides short-term education and training programs graduated a total of 2,955 students from 45 countries up until now. It is expected that those who completed YU’s global Saemaul education and training program will lead the development policies and development sites of developing countries around the world.
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