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Seminar on ‘Role and Cooperation of Higher Education for Achieving SDGs Efficiently’
-Government officials in higher education from five developing countries gathered to learn policy examples for sustaining economic development through higher education.
- Handong Global University, government officials from Nepal, Uzbekistan, Uganda, Cambodia, and Tanzania visited on-site locations related to the economic development of Korea.
-On October 7, the participants joined a seminar prepared by the National Assembly, ‘Strengthening Measures of Higher Education for Economic Development of the Developing Countries’.
From October 3 to 8, Handong Global University led the capacity building course for government officials and professors in the field of higher education policy making. These are the people who will implement and enhancing the economic development of the developing countries such as Nepal, Uzbekistan, Uganda, Cambodia, and Tanzania through UNESCO UNITWIN.
Korea’s investment in education is recognized as a driving force for economic development of Korea. Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Now, South Korea is a donor country. Demands for educational development cooperation from developing countries are increasing in order to learn from South Korea’s progress. Hence, universities are joining as main players of projects or as partners in government-led international development projects such as the Leading Universities of International Development Cooperation Project by the Ministry of Education and Academy Cooperation Programs by KOICA. Since its establishment, Handong Global University has enhanced the capacity building of local universities by cooperating with universities in the developing countries. With the recognition of these efforts, Handong Global University was designated as the host university of UNESCO UNITWIN in 2007. HGU has continued to promote capacity building activities for developing countries from 2007 to the present.
During this short-term capacity building course, Secretary Debbie Upadhaya, of the Ministry of Education of Nepal; Professor Mamurjon Rahimov of the Business Administration Department of Uzbekistan; Director Dyson Okumu of the Business Planning Strategic Research Institute of Uganda Council; Deputy Director Rata Chive of the Ministry of Education of Cambodia; Statistics Officer Hekima of the Ministry of Finance of Tanzania were joined and visited the Bank of Korea, the Korea Exchange, Posco, and SK Energy. All of these entities have played important roles in the economic development of South Korea. In addition, discussions with working-level professors of the UNITWIN project were made based on the on-site demand.
In addition, a seminar co-hosted by the Office of Congressman Jangwoo Lee, Sundong Kim, and Minbong Yoo, and Handong Global University was held. The Former Minister of Finance and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Jaewon Park delivered opening remarks. He told participants about the role of higher education in their economic development process ‘The Strengthening Method of Higher Education Contributing to economic development of the developing countries. Discussion with experts followed. In the seminar, active discussions were held with the support and participation of the Ministry of Education, each Embassy, KOICA, and the related international development NGOs.
※ UNESCO UNITWIN; University Twining and Networking is a program established in 1992 by UNESCO to minimize the knowledge gap by establishing networks between advanced universities and developing universities. This was to support higher education in developing countries, in research institutions, and to strengthen the self-reliance of developing countries. Handong Global University was designated as the host university of UNITWIN for the first time in 2007.
※ UNESCO UNITWIN project of Handong Global University has implemented as part of the ODA project of the Ministry of Education. HGU has promoted capacity-building, leader nurturing, and regional development projects with major cooperative partners selected by the South Korean government in the developing countries. It has operated as a hub center within developing countries. As of today, HGU has supported sixty universities and institutions.
