Park Byung-kyu, Mayor of Gwangsan District, Gwangju Metropolitan City, met with Sharipov Kongratbay, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan, to discuss cooperation plans for mutual language and cultural education exchange.
Representing the Gwangsan District economic delegation, Mayor Park, along with Park Sang-chul, President of Honam University, and Kim Dong-jin, President of Gwangju University, visited the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation in Tashkent on the 23rd local time, where they held talks with Minister Sharipov Kongratbay, Vice Minister Sarvakhon Buzrukonov, and officials from Uzbek universities.
At the meeting, Minister Sharipov Kongratbay proposed establishing a mutual educational exchange cooperation system to promote the languages and cultures of both countries, stating, “If Gwangsan District and Gwangju universities participate in this effort, the government will provide full support for the necessary aspects.”
The proposal includes establishing departments and centers (cultural centers) where Uzbek language and culture can be learned in Korea, and Korean language, writing, and culture can be promoted in Uzbekistan through exchanges between universities and educational institutions, as well as promoting student and faculty exchanges and joint training programs.
Mayor Park responded, “Gwangsan District is the center of Gwangju’s economy, education, and transportation, with five out of about ten universities in Gwangju located here,” adding, “We will actively seek roles that Gwangsan District can play to revitalize exchange and cooperation between Korean and Uzbek universities.”
In particular, Mayor Park evaluated the recent visit of Honam University and Gwangju University, who accompanied the Gwangsan District economic delegation to Uzbekistan and visited three provinces including Tashkent, signing friendship agreements with five local universities, as “a successful first step in exchanges between Uzbekistan, Gwangsan District, and universities in the Gwangju region.”
In this regard, Honam University signed friendship agreements with three universities: National Gulistan University, National Silk Road Cultural Heritage University, and National World Language and Literature University; while Gwangju University signed agreements with National Gulistan University, National Tashkent University Samarkand Branch, and National Tashkent University of Economics. They agreed to promote the establishment of mutual cultural centers and academic exchanges.
Mayor Park conveyed to Minister Sharipov Kongratbay the intention to “make joint administrative and policy efforts to quickly materialize these university exchanges and expand them into various fields.”
He continued, “We will positively and actively review the various proposals suggested by Minister Sharipov Kongratbay together with local universities,” and added, “If there is an opportunity to visit Korea in the future, I would like to invite you to Gwangsan District to have more discussions on educational exchange and cooperation.”
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