YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul, the place of academics, globalization and fostering of human resources
32 students from 15 countries in 2012, 35 students from 23 countries in 2013
First 'Master of Saemaul Studies' in August
[April 2, 2013]

 There are currently 52 international students studying at the 'Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul' (hereinafter referred to as 'Park Chung Hee School') that had its first class on March 19, 2012. Students from 26 different countries are currently working on their master's degree majoring in 'Saemaul Undong Theory and Practice', 'Public Policy and Leadership', and 'Forest Resources and Ecological Restoration' at YU.

 New students for the class of '13 that began their course on March 4 are from even more diverse countries. 35 students from 23 different countries such as Burundi, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iraq, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, USA and Korea have come to YU to learn the Saemaul Undong(Saemaul Movement) and the Policy Leadership.

 The 15 students who began their master's degree program as the first new students in March 2012 have all completed three terms in one year and have returned their hometowns where they are working on their theses. Once their theses are accepted, they will be the first group of 'Master of Saemaul Studies' of the Park Chung Hee School in August. Some will receive master's degrees in public administration.

 Students and faculty of the Park Chung Hee School participating in the Saemaul Campaign in the early morning of the first Monday of the month.
(YU President Noh, Seok Kyun and the faculty attended the campaign on April 1 and are cherring together)

 A week for students at the Park Chung Hee School is very different from other graduate school students. On the first Monday of the month, students start the Saemaul Campaign early in the morning and clean the campus. YU President Noh, Seok Kyun and professors also came to support the students practicing the Saemaul Undong spirit during the Saemaul Campaign on the 1st of the month. Students learn Korean every weekday from 8 to 9 A.M. and have a tight schedule of classes late into the afternoon.

 Most students are from emerging or underdeveloped countries, but they all have secure jobs and social status. So why did they come to the YU Park Chung Hee School? We met with these students living a new life for a month at YU, leaving everything they have back at home. Their answers were all the same. "The people of Korea who experienced the Saemaul Undong are very lucky. I'm envious." They also added, "I opted to study in a foreign country, despite being lonely and hard, in order to give hope and courage to the people who are suffering from utter poverty and under-development."

 Jonathan CHANDAENGERWA from Zimbabwe has the same dream. In Korean age, he is forty this year and the oldest of the class of '13. Prior to coming to YU, he was a senior manager in the transportation industry for fifteen years. But now, he lives in a dormitory at YU and is majoring in Public Policy and Leadership. His determination is rock solid. He said, "The ultimate goal in my life is to improve the lives of disadvantaged people and to eradicate poverty not only for Zimbabwe, but the entire world." He added, "Zimbabwe is rich in natural resources and has the world's second largest diamond deposit, but we don't know how to use it for the people. This is because there is no appropriate public policy and leadership." He also stated, "By becoming the first person from Zimbabwe to graduate from the Park Chung Hee School, I want to become a bridge that connects the government and the people, and Zimbabwe and Korea, and I will do my best so that the Saemaul spirit and leadership can settle down in all parts of Zimbabwe."

 D. Gebremarian CHICHE (38) from Ethiopia has a 'national mission' while studying at the YU Park Chung Hee School. He worked as a social mobilization director and as an educational support director at the EPRDF (Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front) headquarters. He stated, "Currently, Ethiopia is copying Korea in terms of economic development policies and strategies. My given mission is to learn all about Korea. I will make sure to complete my mission for my country and people." Once he completes the three semester 'Public Policy and Leadership' master's degree program after one year and returns to his home country, he said that the Ethiopian government will newly establish a 'Job education center' and the three graduates of the YU Park Chung Hee School will become trainers there. He said with an air of hope in his eyes, "With the motto of 'Act locally, Think globally!' I will practice and apply what I learned at Park Chung Hee School."

 Uno KONISIMO (29), who is the first from the Oceania region experiencing the Saemaul Undong, is from Papua New Guinea. He taught biology in college and is currently a Saemaul Undong leader in his hometown Kafana since 2011. He received a two week Saemaul Undong education program in Korea last December and is currently majoring in Saemaul Undong Theory and Practice. He said, "When I first encountered the Saemaul spirit of diligence, self help, and cooperation, it was a complete shock. I am convinced that the concept of 'self help' will bring about great changes to the people of my country, who normally blame the government for everything that goes bad." He said that by working with NGOs back home a year later, he wants to spark the Saemaul Undong of 'we can do it' not only in Oceania, but throughout the world.

 N. Beatrice NDAMUTSWA (28, female) is from Congo and worked in the local council and is now majoring in the Saemaul Undong Theory and Practice. Arkhawan Jawhar SHARIF (34, female) was a public officer in Iraq Ministry of Water. Resources and is currently majoring in Forest Resources and Ecological Restoration. Mirwals AMINI (27) is from Afghanistan and also majors in Forest Resources and Ecological Restoration, while Hamida LAFITI (28, female), who is also from Afghanistan, majors in Public Policy and Leadership. They said, "Our next year at the YU Park Chung Hee School will be a turning point for me and my country." They added, "Once we return home, we will apply what we learned at the Park Chung Hee School and spend the rest of our lives practicing a Saemaul Undong suitable for our homes and fostering Saemaul leaders."

 International students who left their secured lives and came to the YU Park Chung Hee School for their countries
(from left on front row, counter-clockwise: NDAMUTSWA, CHICHE, LAFITI, KONISIMO, SHARIF, AMINI, CHANDAENGERWA)

 Meanwhile, the Park Chung Hee School is the first graduate school in Korea named after a president and it focuses on the academics, globalization and fostering human resources of the Saemaul Undong that provided the cornerstone for economic development in Korea. It is a one year, three semester, program and students must earn a minimum of 36 credits, while scoring B or above in all classes. Students must also be able to speak both Korean and English to a certain degree, and once the thesis is accepted, students are given a master of saemaul studies degree or a master of public administration degree.

 Park, Seung Woo, Dean of the YU Park Chung Hee School stated, "For helping emerging countries, human-ware support through the fostering of human resources is more effective than hardware support." He also added, "We are currently selecting international students through foreign embassies in Korea and Korean embassies in foreign countries. We will continue to attract international students with great potentials and continue our efforts to make the Korean economic development model contribute to the development of underdeveloped or emerging countries."