Senior educational officials of Peru learned about the Saemaul Undong and successful rural development case at YU
10 joined training including superintendent of education, college dean and mayor
Over 400 people from 60 countries received education and training at YU in 2014 alone
[December 15, 2014]

Senior public officials of Peru pose for a photo after the completion ceremony on the 10th following the Saemaul Undong training program hosted by the YU International Development Cooperation Center

“The morning bell has rung, a new morning has come~”
Will this Saemaul song be heard in South America as well?

With international interest of the achievements of the Saemaul Undong growing internationally, YU (President Noh Seok-kyun) spread the Saemaul Undong to educators from Peru of South America.

The Saemaul Undong training completion ceremony was held on the 10th at YU hosted by the International Cooperation Development Center (Director Choi Oe Chool). A total of 10 people involved in education such as the superintendent of education of Cajamarca, education ministry administrators, mayor and college deans who participated in the 'Saemaul Undong, Regional Development and Lifelong Education', a training program of the YU International Development Cooperation Center from the 1st, attended the event.

Cajamarca Province of Peru is one of the most worn down areas in Peru with a population of 1.5 million who are mostly in livestock and agriculture.

A team from Peru visited YU to search for a solution to overcome their problems through the Saemaul Undong. During their 10 day schedule, they learned about the history and achievements of the Saemaul Undong, economic development through the Saemaul Undong, Saemaul Undong and rural development, and education and fostering of rural leaders, while also learning Korea's knowhow for successful rural development. In addition, the research team visited various research institutes, industrial complexes, and rural villages such as the Yeongcheon Agricultural Technology Center, Samsung Electronics, Nongshim, Maeil Milk and mushroom farms to see the success cases of Korea for their selves.

In his congratulatory address at the completion ceremony, International Development Cooperation Center Director (VP) Choi Oe Chool, who oversaw the training course for educational officers of Peru, said, "The generation of your parents and grandparents helped Korea by making donations during the Korean War. This makes Korea and Peru brother countries." He added, "For the past 50 years, Korea sought for ways with the 'will do' mentality and made achievements that the international community now calls a 'miracle'. YU is striving to share our experience with the global community to make a more prosperous, safer, and happier world."

In response, Cajamarca Office of Education Superintendent Félix José Silva Urbano said, "I salute the efforts of YU, which is taking the initiative to share Korea's Saemaul spirit and Saemaul Undong with emerging countries to eradicate the global poverty issue, and I am very happy that Peru is now one of the countries that will have the Saemaul Undong." He added, "We vow to practice the Saemaul spirit after going back to Peru and I hope that more talented individuals in Peru will have the opportunity to come to YU to study the Saemaul Undong and Korea's development experience."

The team from Peru took the spotlight at the completion ceremony by holding a special appreciation event. All 10 of the trainees added lyrics to guitar sounds saying, "I have come from afar / Thank you for the invitation / We learned a lot about the Saemaul Undong // Our brothers in Korea / We thank you for your welcome / Truly / We thank you // Koreans and Peruvians / Through the Saemaul Undong / For a better world / We shall grow and develop." They sang this to the rhythm of a famous Peruvian folk song called 'Makahara', which is equivalent to Korea's 'Arirang'.

The team from Peru is singing a folk song at the completion ceremony on the 10th.

Meanwhile, YU, an 'international cooperation leading university' selected by the Ministry of Education, is actively pursuing global social contribution activities to overcome global poverty and for mutual prosperity.  In 2014 alone, training and education on the Saemaul Undong and Korea's development experience was provided for 410 people from 60 countries through the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul and the International Development Cooperation Center.

In November 2011, the 'Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul' was founded to foster global Saemaul leaders in emerging countries. There are currently 130 students from 50 countries learning about Korea's development experience such as 'Saemaul sciences'. 63 students from 26 countries have graduated or completed their studies. Thanks to these achievements, the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul was selected as the top master's degree program institute of the 'leader and instructor fostering project for regional development of emerging countries' by KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) in March 2014. YU established the International Development Cooperation Center in July 2013 and this year, it conducted training on Saemaul Undong, regional development, and tourism policy development for emerging countries for 279 leaders from 37 countries this year.

Recently, the school's 'Saemaul and International Development Department' was selected as the Ministry of Education's excellent regional specialized department. Accordingly, YU will act as a leading college for international cooperation by fostering experts in Saemaul international development as a state-sponsored project for the next five years, and is fulfilling its role as an internationalization leading college that fosters experts in Saemaul Undong and international development cooperation.