ADDIS ABABA– A 20-member South Korea’s Yeungnam University delegation has established the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) Alumni Association that also comprises 45 Ethiopian alumni over the weekend.
The association’s establishment is said to create strong links with public institutions notably with TVET and technology centers to foster knowledge and technology transfer and better facilitate investment opportunities in Ethiopia.
Yeungnam University International Affairs Vice-President SeoYongwon said on the occasion that his visit to various institutions including Bole Lemi Industrial Park and Addis Ababa and Adama Science and technology universities, among others, allowed him to see numerous opportunities for future cooperation.
“Ethiopia has great potential in terms of natural resources, skilled labor and political presence in Eastern Africa and beyond and it is an important country for South Korea to look for opportunities in international cooperation,” he added.
Professor JeongJaehak, a solar energy specialist and the delegation’s leader, emphasized the two countries’ historical ties; recalling Ethiopia’s crucial participation during the Korean War in 1950s. “This visit symbolizes our gratitude and commitment to fostering strong bilateral relationships.”
For another representative from Yeungnam University, the two countries’ cooperation would allow Ethiopia to ease its technological gap through capitalizing on South Korea’s immense technological prowess. “The cooperation is a good opportunity to not only transfer knowledge and technology transfer, but also to be replicated in education, energy and infrastructure arenas.”
Mentioning the Yeungnam University’s PSPS is a national community development campaign, he noted that Ethiopia and South Korea have good relationships in the area and most of the alumni are from the former.
The Yeungnam University’s current President Choi OeChool (PhD) has played a pivotal role in establishing the PSPS in 2011 and has since been instrumental in formulating regional development plans in Ethiopia, the representative remarked.
The alumni association is expected to engage in technology and investment areas with its key partners such as South Korean Embassy and KOICA, it was learned.
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 16 JANUARY 2024
