Choi Oechul, President of Yeungnam University, received an award in the Global Operation category at the ‘2024 Korea CEO Hall of Fame’ ceremony held on the 24th at the Grace Hall of EL Tower in Seoul.
The ‘Korea CEO Hall of Fame’ is hosted by the Korea Institute for Industrial Policy Studies and sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Seoul School of Integrated Sciences & Technologies (aSSIST), and the Dong-A Ilbo. It aims to widely promote outstanding leaders of companies and institutions both domestically and internationally through fair and rigorous evaluation criteria amid rapidly changing management environments and intense competition.
President Choi was recognized for his contributions to establishing a global shared value dissemination model that educates the social leadership of developing countries on the Saemaul Undong, the driving force behind South Korea’s growth from a least developed country to an advanced nation, and for his dedicated efforts toward achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Focusing on educating developing country leaders on the policy implications of the Saemaul Undong and sharing Korea’s development experience to create a human resource base for the effective spread of the Saemaul Undong in various countries, he established the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) in November 2011.
Through education on Korea’s development experience, the Saemaul development model, sustainable development strategies, and leadership, he has worked to train professionals who can solve global poverty issues and build self-reliant economic foundations. The master’s degree program for developing leaders from developing countries, which educates on Saemaul international development, sustainable development public policy, and leadership, along with various extracurricular programs, serves as an educational institution that “inspires minds, joins hands, and shares globally.”
To date, Saemaul studies have been taught to 938 social leaders from 76 developing countries, with 808 graduates earning master’s degrees. These graduates are active as key policymakers, international development experts, and Saemaul Undong leaders in central government ministries, public institutions, and international development NGOs.
Additionally, President Choi established the Institute for International Development Cooperation (IIDC) at Yeungnam University, which has provided short-term training and field visit education to over 4,000 public officials and local leaders involved in rural and community development in developing countries, aiming to strengthen Saemaul Undong policy capabilities, promote regional community development, increase farm household incomes, and improve residents’ quality of life.
President Choi has not only developed the Saemaul Undong, South Korea’s development model for overcoming poverty and regional development in developing countries, into an academic research and discussion subject but has also consistently devoted efforts to education, research, and the creation of global shared value related to the Saemaul Undong.
His leadership has received continuous positive evaluations in various assessments. At the ‘10th CSV·ESG Porter Prize for Excellence in CSV’ ceremony held last December, the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul was honored with the ‘CSV·ESG Porter Prize’ in the ‘Project Effectiveness’ category for its efforts in nurturing future leaders of developing countries through education on the Saemaul Undong, Korea’s development experience, sustainable development education, and leadership training, as well as for contributions to overcoming global poverty and establishing self-reliant economic foundations.
In the ‘2024 World University Ranking for Innovation (WURI)’ announced in June this year, Yeungnam University ranked 3rd domestically and 35th globally in the leadership category, and 3rd domestically and 37th globally in the social responsibility category. As an innovative leader in education and community development, the university has developed the Saemaul Undong and Korea’s development experience into sustainable development policies, demonstrating leadership for global human contribution through various activities such as the Global Saemaul Forum, community development consulting, and partnerships aimed at nurturing global Saemaul talents and spreading Saemaul studies worldwide.
President Choi Oechul of Yeungnam University stated, “Yeungnam University cultivates leaders for the development of developing countries worldwide by systematizing South Korea’s development experience and the principles and spirit of the Saemaul Undong into Saemaul studies. Our efforts to deliver the innovative Saemaul development model, which enabled South Korea’s economic leap to an advanced nation, to developing countries around the world will serve as a foundation for sustainable global prosperity.” He added, “We will do our best to nurture talents who will excel on the global stage through creative and innovative education by advancing and sharing Saemaul studies.”
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