Students from Morocco, Solomon Islands, and South Sudan enroll in YU's Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS).

In just over a decade, 938 students from 76 countries have studied Saemaul at YU.

Developing countries worldwide turn to YU for its systematic approach to ‘Saemaul Studies.’

[October 4, 2024]

(From left to right: Gol student Abraham Dictor Riak, Oihanua Andrew, President CHOI Oe-chool, Elkasri Zada)

 The growing global interest in Saemaul Studies at YU, led by President CHOI Oe-chool, continues to soar.  This year, students from the 74th (Morocco), 75th (Solomon Islands), and 76th (South Sudan) countries have enrolled in the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) at YU. They have come to study 'Saemaul Studies' a discipline YU has developed into an academic field.

Since its establishment in 2011, PSPS has welcomed students from 76 countries. The school's achievements are extraordinary, as few similar examples exist worldwide. In 2018, a student from Cuba, a country with no formal diplomatic relations with Korea at the time, enrolled in YU, generating significant interest. Students from all over the world, including Africa, South America, and Asia, seek out PSPS at YU to systematically learn from Korea’s development experience and the Saemaul Movement.

The recently admitted international students are El Kasri Jada from Morocco (Africa), Oihanua Andrew from the Solomon Islands (Oceania), and Goljok Abraham Dictor Riak from South Sudan (Africa).

<PSPS students welcome the 74th, 75th, and 76th international students to YU.>

 YU has been accumulating educational and research performances and know-how for more than 40 years until now. YU established research institutions and professional education and training centers as well as faculty and graduate school courses such as Park Chung Hee Saemaul Institution, Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS), International Development & Cooperation Center, and Department of Saemaul International Development, academized Saemaul Movement as a sector of studies, and has been implementing various projects in Saemaul International Development area. 

El Kasri Jada shared his enthusiasm, saying, “The Saemaul Movement played a significant role in helping Korea overcome poverty and become the developed country it is today. I came to YU to study the movement, which laid the foundation for Korea’s economic prosperity. I hope to use my time here to explore development policies for my home country based on the principles of the Saemaul Movement.”

President CHOI Oe-chool remarked, “Korea is the only country to have risen from being one of the world’s poorest to a developed country, and the Saemaul Movement played a pivotal role in that transformation. We are committed to sharing the educational and research outcomes of the Saemaul Movement with the world so that it can become a new 'K-policy' and a part of the Korean Wave. We will continue to support students who study and research Saemaul at YU, so they can contribute to their countries' development and the shared prosperity of the global community.”

 Meanwhile, YU's PSPS was established in November 2011 to train international and regional development experts in Saemaul for government officials, policymakers, and public sector workers from developing countries. To date, the program has educated 938 social leaders from 76 developing nations and produced 808 master's graduates. These graduates now serve as key policymakers, international development experts, and leaders of the Saemaul Movement in government ministries, public institutions, and international NGOs. As of October 2024, 83 international students from 28 countries are currently enrolled.