70th country to study at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul... Total 762 students from 70 countries
Learned about the Saemaul Undong while studying in Malaysia in undergraduate school and thus decided to study in Korea
“Want to work for the Chad government after graduating... Overcome poverty with Chad-style Saemaul development”
[July 1, 2021]
<International student from Chad, the 70th country to study at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul>
(From left to right: Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul Dean Lee Hee-wook, Eissa Taher Gurbal Yousef from Chad)
There is a student drawing much attention by coming to Korea to study from Chad, a lesser-known country in Africa. He came to study Korea’s unique science, ‘Saemaul Studies.’
He is Eissa Taher Gurbal Yousef (36) from Chad who enrolled at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul in March of this year. There was only one reason for him to come to a foreign land with unfamiliar foods and lifestyles. His only goal is to study about the Saemaul Undong so that he may contribute to the national development of Chad.
Mr. Eissa majored in government and public policies at the University Tun Abdul Razak in Malaysia. He said, “I had the opportunity to learn about the success of Korea’s Saemaul Undong and about President Park Chung Hee back in 2015 during a political and economic science class. I thought that I would like to study about the Saemaul Undong in Korea back then. In September of 2015, I studied at the YU Department of Political Science and Diplomacy through an exchange student program, and then decided that I would study at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul after graduating.” He further explained why he decided to study in Korea saying, “I believe that new strategies and policies are needed to overcome poverty in Chad. We need a leader like Park Chung Hee and a Chad-style Saemaul Undong and international development cooperation model.”
<70th country to study at YU to learn about Saemaul, Chad>
A total of 762 students from 70 countries have studied at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul since it was opened in 2011. Eissa is the first from Chad, making his country the 70th to study at YU to learn about Saemaul. There are few cases in which a college attracted people from 70 countries in just 10 years of its founding in both undergraduate and graduate schools. This is because the entire world is focusing on the Saemaul Undong and Saemaul Studies.
Mr. Eissa commented, “The Saemaul Undong that is based on hard work, independence and cooperation contributed significantly for Korea to overcome poverty and build social infrastructure. I believe that this is why developing countries around the world think of Korea as their role model for economic prosperity, and are interested in Saemaul Undong, and are exchanging with the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul.” He added, “I want to study at YU to learn in detail about Korea’s Saemaul Undong project and the roles of the government. Furthermore, I want to learn the theories and practices of the Saemaul Undong and also learn about application methods of Saemaul development and how to lead the village people with leadership to pursue projects.
He stated, “Personally, studying at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul is a very special opportunity. Major government officials, international development experts, and non-profit organization activists from around the world are studying at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul. The greatest advantage is that I will be able to debate with them, share information, and interact with them.” After graduating, I want to work for the government of Chad. Above all else, I want to help lead Chad overcome poverty.”
<International students studying at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul>
YU President CHOI Oe-chool (former professor of Saemaul and International Development) commented, “We developed the Saemaul Undong into an academic discipline and supoorted the installation and operation of Saemaul Economic Development Departments at universities in the Philippines and Cambodia. YU is focusing on fostering experts to respond to the demand for learning and sharing Saemaul Studies among governments and universities in African countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda, as well as in Asian countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.” He further emphasized, “The Saemaul Undong, which was the policy for overcoming poverty in Korea, has now developed into an academic discipline, which has become the development policies of developing countries suffering from poverty, and it is also spreading as a model for overcoming poverty. Therefore, now is the time for a greater degree of interest and support.”
Meanwhile, the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul was founded back in November of 2011 to foster Saemaul and international development experts and regional development experts among public employees and public sector workers of developing countries. Up to now, 762 students from 70 countries were admitted, in which 641 people from 63 countries earned master’s degrees, who are now working as Saemaul and international development or regional development experts all around the world. As of July 2021, there are currently 84 students from 28 countries studying at the Park Chung Hee School.
