HRD Capacity-Building Program Held for 20 Officials, Including Officials from Uzbekistan’s Agency for Government Efficiency (AGE)

Supporting the Development of a Tailored “Action Plan” for Uzbekistan by Combining Korea’s Development Experience with Best Practices in Public- and Private-Sector HRD

President CHOI Oe-chool Delivers Special Lecture: “We Will Support Uzbekistan’s Development by Linking Human Resource Development with Korea’s Saemaul Development Experience”

[September 15, 2026]

<YU President CHOI Oe-chool delivers a special lecture to a training delegation of Uzbek government officials>

Yeungnam University (President CHOI Oe-chool) is playing a leading role as a “global education hub,” sharing Korea’s expertise in public-sector human resource development (HRD) and its regional development experience based on Saemaul Development with Uzbekistan.

As part of the “Human Resource Management Program Development and Capacity-Building Project for Uzbekistan,” organized by the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA), YU conducted the “Invitation Training Program for Officials Responsible for Operating the Public-Sector HRD Excellent Institution Certification System” over nine days from September 5 to 13. A total of 20 participants took part in the program, including officials from Uzbekistan’s Agency for Government Efficiency (AGE), senior HR officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Construction, which are participating in the pilot operation of the HRD certification system, as well as officials from other relevant government ministries and agencies.

 The Uzbek government is pursuing organizational restructuring, anti-corruption measures, the advancement of performance management, and the use of AI as key government innovation priorities. In particular, it is promoting the introduction of an HRD certification system for government ministries and agencies to systematically assess and improve the level of civil servant education and training, job competency management, talent development strategies, and organizational performance management. Against this backdrop, the training program was designed to share Korea’s experience in operating its HRD certification system and its public-sector personnel management practices, while strengthening Uzbek government officials’ understanding of the system and their practical implementation capabilities.

 The training officially began with a welcome ceremony held at YU on September 7. Professor CHOI Oe-chool, President of YU, delivered the first lecture, titled “Korea’s Development Experience and the Saemaul Undong: Regional Innovation through Human Resource Development.” President CHOI explained the principles of Korea’s Saemaul Undong, which brought about change in local communities through civil servant education and leadership, and presented a vision for applying these principles to development strategies for Uzbekistan’s traditional local community, the “Mahalla.” Professor LEE Hee-yong then delivered a practical lecture on “Action Plan Methodology for Establishing and Operating an HRD Certification System,” while Professor HWANG Tae-yoon gave a lecture on “Establishing a Pharmaceutical Industry Cluster in Uzbekistan and HRD Operation Strategies,” receiving an enthusiastic response from the training delegation.

 The training program went beyond theoretical education, focusing on maximizing participants’ ability to apply what they learned in real-world settings. Beginning with a visit to the Cheongdo Saemaul Undong Birthplace Memorial Park, the delegation visited the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS), National Information Society Agency (NIA), Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET), Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Samsung Human Resources Development Center, among other institutions, to gain broad insights into human resource development and vocational competency development in the public and private sectors, as well as cases of digital regional innovation. Through these visits, the participants directly benchmarked best practices and, with guidance from KIPA and YU faculty members, developed and presented “Action Plans for Establishing and Operating an HRD Certification System” tailored to the circumstances of their respective government ministries and agencies.

YU has continued to expand educational and research partnerships with universities and institutions in Uzbekistan. The university has been promoting a 2+2 dual-degree program with Tashkent University of Information Technologies, laying the foundation for cooperation on a joint-degree program with Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent, and continuing educational and research cooperation with the University of Pharmaceutical Technologies. 

 In particular, the YU Medical Center’s role as the lead consultant for the construction of a clinical trial hospital at Tashkent Pharma Park in Uzbekistan, a project supported by the Export-Import Bank of Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), has attracted considerable attention both in Korea and abroad. The project represents a significant example of how YU’s accumulated achievements in sharing Korea’s development experience with the international community through education and research in Saemaul Studies and international cooperation have been linked with the YU Medical Center’s expertise in global health, expanding into a major international development cooperation project to establish the first integrated bio and pharmaceutical cluster in Central Asia.

 These international cooperation achievements are underpinned by YU’s extensive experience and infrastructure in international development cooperation education, accumulated over many years through programs for government officials and local leaders from developing countries. The YU Institute of International Development Cooperation (IIDC) has operated a range of short-term training programs for government officials and local leaders from developing countries, covering both the theory and practice of the Saemaul Undong and other related subjects. To date, the programs have produced 3,559 graduates from 56 countries.

 YU has also focused on cultivating key talent from developing countries through regular degree programs in addition to short-term training. The Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) offers master’s degree programs based on Saemaul Studies, international development cooperation, and public policy. Since its establishment, a cumulative total of 1,243 students from 81 countries have enrolled and studied at PSPS, including officials affiliated with eight international organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP). Through these efforts, YU has established an international development cooperation education system spanning short-term training programs to regular degree programs and has continued to expand the development of key talent, including senior government officials, policymakers, and local leaders from developing countries.

<YU President CHOI Oe-chool poses with the Uzbek training delegation after his special lecture, wearing a traditional garment presented by the delegation>

 Mukhsina Khusanova, representative of the training delegation, said, “I would like to express my gratitude to President CHOI Oe-chool for personally taking the initiative in cooperation with Uzbekistan, promoting various projects, and creating many opportunities for Uzbek students. Uzbekistan is looking to Korea’s experience as a priority reference in various projects and fields. If cooperation with YU expands further in the future, it will be of great help to Uzbekistan’s development.”

 YU President CHOI Oe-chool said, “One of the key driving forces that enabled the Republic of Korea, once a recipient of aid from the international community, to emerge today as a developed country was the spirit of self-help fostered through ‘human resource development’ and the ‘Saemaul Undong.’ I find it deeply meaningful that we can share YU’s advanced educational expertise with the Uzbek government as it pursues public-sector HRD innovation and regional development through the Mahalla.” He added, “YU will continue to share Korea’s development experience with the international community and fulfill its responsibility as a leading university in global contribution by contributing to the sustainable development of developing countries and the shared prosperity of the global community.”

 Meanwhile, through this project, YU aims to establish a foundation for operating an HRD certification system suited to Uzbekistan’s administrative environment and make a practical contribution to the modernization of personnel and organizational management in Uzbekistan’s public sector and the implementation of national development policies.