MOU with Rwandan Ministry of Education, pursuing establishment of ‘Department of Saemaul’ in Rwanda
Government of Rwanda agrees to recommend international students to Park Chung School of Policy and Saemaul
Continuing requests to establish local ‘Department of Saemaul’ in developing countries of Asia and Africa
[March 22, 2021]
<YU and the Rwandan Ministry of Education entered an MOU for the establishment of the Department of Saemaul at local university in Rwanda>
(From left to right: YU President Choi Oe-chool, Rwandan Ambassador to Korea Yasmin Amri Sued)
YU’s 'Saemaul Study,’ a native discipline of the Republic of Korea, was invited by the government of Rwanda of Africa.
At 2 p.m. on the 22nd, YU entered an international exchange agreement for local education of Saemaul with the Rwandan Ministry of Education. This aims at implementing ‘Saemaul Study,’ which was systemized by YU, as an official education program and to spread knowhow for applying Saemaul Undong in Rwanda and the economic development of Korea through the Saemaul Undong.
At this MOU signing ceremony, the Rwandan Ambassador to Korea Yasmin Amri Sued on behalf of the Rwandan Minister of Education. In November of last year, Ambassador Yasmin Amri Sued visited YU to discuss international development plans for Rwandan through the Saemaul Undong. At the time, YU introduced the activities of graduates of the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul in their home countries, dual diploma system of Saemaul Studies with Western University of Cambodia, while making a proposal to establish a department at a local university in Rwanda, and held discussions continuously since then. With this official MOU with the Rwandan Ministry of Education, it is expected that a new wind of ‘Saemaul’ will blow within Rwanda.
With this MOU, the two institutes agreed to ▲conduct pre-verification and recommendation of the Rwandan Ministry of Education for applicants to the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul ▲recommendation of universities by the Rwandan Ministry of Education for the establishment of a local department of Saemaul ▲designate the Global Saemaul Development Network (GDSN) as an executive organization for the establishment of the local department of Saemaul and register as a local NGO.
Ambassador Yasmin Amri Sued said, “I visited YU about four months ago to talk about Saemaul studies and the Saemaul Undong. I am happy to see that through discussions with my government, I was able to come back to YU to sign this agreement so quickly.” She added, “I believe that this exchange MOU with YU will be a great opportunity for the national development of Rwanda. I hope that this first step will be a giant leap for the development of Rwanda.”
Until now, a total of 42 students from Rwanda studied at the YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul, and 38 of them received master’s degrees (excluding one who received a certificate of completion), and three are currently studying. Considering this high level of interest for the Saemaul Undong in Rwanda, it is expected that through this official MOU with the Rwandan Ministry of Education, there will be huge growth in demand for Saemaul education in Rwanda.
YU President Choi Oe-chool said, “Even among other African countries, Rwanda is highly interested in national development and economic growth. I am confident that Korea’s national development experience and the Saemaul Undong will help with the development of Rwanda.” He went on saying, “I believe that among the numerous factors that affect social development, fostering human resources is the most important. Therefore, this international exchange MOU that we signed today has significant meaning. YU will provide full support for fostering human resources that will lead the development of Rwanda.”
YU has spent the last several years leading the efforts to share Saemaul studies with the international community. In 2015, the Department of Saemaul Economic Development was established at the Enderun College in the Philippines and last year, the Department of Saemaul Economic Development was established at the Western University Phnom Penh Campus and Kampong Cham Campus in Cambodia. YU and Western University agreed on offering the ‘2+2 dual diploma program’ and so students of this department will study two years in Cambodia and then two years at YU and receive bachelor’s degrees in Saemaul studies from both universities.
YU founded the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul in 2011 and offered Saemaul education for 763 social leaders from a total of 70 countries, and so far, 641 people earned their master’s degrees in ‘Saemaul studies.’ Graduates are currently working as major policy-makers, international development experts, and Saemaul Undong leaders at central governments, public institutes, and international development NGOs.
