Spreading Saemaul Undong in Ethiopia... Choi Oechul, President of Yeungnam University, Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Addis Ababa University

Ethiopian Deputy Minister of Education
"Saemaul Needed for Educational Innovation"

Choi Oechul, President of Yeungnam University, recently announced on the 1st that he visited Ethiopia and signed a memorandum of understanding for exchange and cooperation with Addis Ababa University (President Samuel).

Both universities promised to take the lead in sharing South Korea's Saemaul Undong development policies, principles, success factors, and Saemaul spirit to support rural development in Ethiopia, and to cultivate Saemaul Undong experts in Ethiopia through higher education. The signing ceremony was also attended by the Charg? d'Affaires of the Korean Embassy in Ethiopia, who encouraged the cooperation between the two universities to accelerate.

President Choi Oechul of Yeungnam University (right) and the President of Addis Ababa University are taking a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding.

Accordingly, Yeungnam University plans to work with the College of Development at Addis Ababa University to establish a Saemaul Studies Department and set up a Saemaul Undong Center within Addis Ababa University to conduct research and training for the localization of Saemaul Undong.

President Choi Oechul of Yeungnam University stated, “Ethiopia is a ‘brother country’ that shed blood over 70 years ago to protect South Korea’s freedom, and I believe Koreans have a historical duty to repay this in their own ways. Yeungnam University aims to fulfill this duty by academically sharing Saemaul Undong. The fact that Emperor Haile Selassie, who dispatched the royal guard and elite troops to the Korean War, was the founder of Addis Ababa University makes today’s signing ceremony even more meaningful,” he said.

Kora Tushune Godana, Deputy Minister in charge of universities at the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, met with President Choi Oechul of Yeungnam University on the afternoon of October 14 and said, “I believe the success of Saemaul Undong lies in changing people’s mindsets. In that regard, Saemaul Undong is necessary for the innovation of higher education in Ethiopia. Our Ministry of Education will recommend several key universities, and we hope Yeungnam University will share Saemaul Undong with them.”

Mecuria Haile, Chairperson of the Ethiopian Federal Civil Service Commission, also met with President Choi Oechul and requested the sharing of Saemaul Undong for civil service innovation.

Chairperson Haile, who holds a Ph.D. from KAIST and currently serves as the President of the Korea-Ethiopia Friendship Association, said during the meeting with President Choi, “In a media interview before returning to Ethiopia after studying in Korea, I pledged to carry out Saemaul Undong upon my return, and that commitment remains unchanged. I am currently responsible for and leading innovation among senior officials in both central and local governments. We will soon hold an innovation workshop, and I ask you, President, to come and share the core principles and spirit of Saemaul Undong with our civil servants.” He also added, “The Ethiopian government will cover the costs.”

The Deputy Minister of Education of Godana, Ethiopia (right), is taking a commemorative photo with Choi Oechul, President of Yeungnam University.

In response to these requests from the Ethiopian government and universities, President Choi Oechul said, “I understand that the Yeungnam University Institute for International Development Cooperation (IIDC) is planning training programs for Ethiopian senior officials and university personnel. We will do our best to sincerely share Yeungnam University’s experience in Saemaul Studies through various types of programs.” He elaborated in detail on the success factors and obstacles of Saemaul Undong, especially explaining specific methods for nurturing and utilizing talent.

Meanwhile, Yeungnam University has been leading efforts to share Saemaul Studies with the international community. Starting with the establishment of the Department of Saemaul Economic Development at Enderun College in the Philippines in 2015, it has also established Saemaul Economic Development Departments at Western University in Cambodia and Samarkand State University in Uzbekistan. Since September this year, it has established the Department of Sustainable Saemaul Forestry at Welabu University in Ethiopia.

In addition, Yeungnam University has recently received requests from more than ten countries, including the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia and the National University of Guinea, to support the establishment of Saemaul Studies Departments and Saemaul Undong Research Centers at their major universities. Yeungnam University’s global sharing efforts of Saemaul Studies are expected to contribute to enhancing South Korea’s national prestige and building trust in Korean products at the level of public diplomacy.