Participates in the 2024 Ministry of the Interior and Safety's invited training program on the Saemaul Movement

Nine Participants, Including Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, University Professors, and Village Leaders, Learn about the Saemaul Movement at YU

President CHOI Oe-chool Gives Special Lecture on ‘The Saemaul Movement and the Role of Leaders’

[September 3, 2024]

A training delegation from the Central African Republic visited Yeungnam University (President CHOI Oe-chool) to learn about the Saemaul Movement.

 From August 21 to 29, the delegation spent 8 days and 9 nights at YU for the "African Saemaul Movement Invitational Training." The group included nine participants from the Central African Republic, comprising government officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, village leaders, university professors, and journalists. 

 The program focused on enhancing policy-making capabilities by educating officials and community leaders on the policy implications of the Saemaul Movement. It aimed to share Korea’s development experience and create a human foundation for effectively promoting the Saemaul Movement in the Central African Republic. Participants attended various lectures on Saemaul studies, including President CHOI Oe-chool's special lecture on 'The Saemaul Movement and the Role of Leaders,' as well as sessions on the basic spirit of the Saemaul Movement, Saemaul Movement and Korean rural development policies, reforestation efforts, and the empowerment of women through village organizations. The program also included field trips and cultural experiences, such as visits to the Cheongdo Saemaul Movement Origin Memorial Hall, Gyeongbuk Agricultural Technology Center, Gyeongsan Market, Bukchon Hanok Village, Myeongdong, and Namdaemun Market.

Professor Kerebi Henri Clotaire from the University of Bangui, who participated in the training, remarked, “The development experience of Korea through the Saemaul Movement is essential for the Central African Republic, which faces economic difficulties despite its abundant resources. I will strive to effectively utilize and disseminate the knowledge gained from YU, which leads in imparting the Saemaul Movement to the international community, to benefit the Central African Republic.”

President CHOI Oe-chool of YU commented, “I believe that Korea’s development experience, especially the Saemaul Movement, can serve as a model for overcoming poverty and economic development in Africa and as a basis for national development policies. Learning directly from YU, which has systematized and institutionalized the Saemaul Movement, holds great significance. I hope that the application and utilization of Saemaul studies and spirit by the training participants will contribute to the development of the Central African Republic.”

The Yeungnam University Institute for International Development Cooperation (IIDC), which oversaw this training, provides theoretical and practical training on the Saemaul Movement and Saemaul studies to developing countries through short-term training programs. The IIDC aims to strengthen policy capabilities related to rural development and community development in the training target countries, improving community development, farm income, and quality of life. To date, more than 3,300 trainees from 48 countries have participated in these programs.