YU Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) held a Contest for action plans for national/regional development with application of Saemaul Undong

Foreign students from Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Myanmar, etc. shared local society development plans.

762 persons from 70 countries learned about The Saemaul and act as Saemaul international development professionals after return.

[January 19, 2022]

<7th PSPS Saemaul Development Action Plan Contest>

Foreign students learning about The Saemaul in Korea put their heads together to generate the wind of Saemaul development in their countries.

  YU PSPS (Dean: LEE Hee-wook) held an action plan contest for national/regional development for students at 2:00 pm on the 19th. It is the 7th contest this year and the subject is establishment of national/regional development plans with application of Saemaul Undong of Korea. It was an opportunity for foreign students of YU PSPS to share national/regional development plans with application of Saemaul Undong to developing countries.

  In the contest, foreign students from Tanzania, Myanmar, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, etc. organized teams and prepared action plan proposals and research reports. They selected the regions to implement projects, surveyed regional situations, analyzed issues of such regions, and reported the results of analyses of the periods, budgets, beneficiaries, etc. of projects.

  In the contest, they made presentations and shared opinions on ▲ Increasing the incomes of residents of Mafia Island, Tanzania through tourism industry ▲ Plan to reduce disasters in Pakokku District, Myanmar ▲ Plan to control household wastes in Taman Nasional Kepulauan Seribu, Indonesia ▲ Strengthening capabilities of youths in Provincia de Puntarenas, Costa Rica ▲ Community associations for market issue solution and sustainable living of farmers in Mchinji District, Malawi ▲ An ICT application project to reduce health issues and improve educational environment for local communities’ pineapple industry workers in Buenos Aires, Costa Rica ▲ A project for tap water facilities in Rubaare T/C, Uganda and ▲ A project to construct a health center in Karongi District, Uganda, etc.

  In the contest, SPPD Team presented “Strengthening capabilities of youths in Provincia de Puntarenas, Costa Rica” and won the first prize. Broce Chacon Vita Gloriana (22, 3rd master grade, Department of Public Policy Leadership, PSPS) of SPPD Team made a presentation and said, “I got confidence during the course of PSPS that regional community development with application of Saemaul Undong will help development of home country and improving the living quality of residents. It seems that the system for localization of Saemaul Undong is being settled by establishing action plans and sharing opinions of foreign students from other countries. I’d like to work in the area to plan and implement regional development projects when I return to my home country after graduation.”

  Dean LEE Hee-wook of YU PSPS made a comment, “The contest might be an opportunity for foreign students majoring in The Saemaul and international development to graft their learned theoretical knowledge. They might improve their practical capacities to implement development projects in their countries by establishing national action plans and sharing national cases. The knowledge and experiences obtained in YU PSPS will contribute to co-prosperity of human societies as well as national/regional development of foreign students.”

  YU established PSPS in November 2011 to cultivate global Saemaul leaders of developing countries. Until now, 762 students entered the school from 70 countries of Asia, Africa, Europe, and America and, among them, 682 students from 65 countries got Master degrees and are working as professionals of Saemaul development and regional development in the world.

Meanwhile, Rotary International 3700 District Qingdao Rotary Club (Chairman: KIM Geun-young) encouraged PSPS students and foreign students who participated in national/regional action plan contests with scholarships.