Ethiopian Government Delegation Visits Yeungnam University to Learn from the 'Saemaul Development' Model N
No.223814321- Writer 통합관리자
- Date : 2025.02.24 11:26
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Seeking a National Development Strategy, Ministers and Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Forestry and Environment, as well as Governors from Six Regional States, Receive Saemaul Education
Yeungnam University Strengthens Its Acts of Gratitude Toward Ethiopia, a Country That Participated in the Korean War
[March 6, 2016]
Ethiopian High-Level Government Delegation Visits Yeungnam University to Seek a Saemaul Undong Model for National Development
The Ethiopian government is looking to Yeungnam University’s Saemaul Development model as a new breakthrough for the country’s overall national development.
During his recent visit to Korea leading a large-scale government delegation, Ethiopian Minister of Forestry, Environment, and Climate Change, Shiferaw Teklemariam, met with Yeungnam University Vice President (and Director of the Institute for International Development Cooperation), Choi Oe-chool, on March 3. He expressed Ethiopia’s strong desire to learn from Korea’s experience, stating, “We earnestly wish to learn from Korea’s experience for Ethiopia’s forest rehabilitation and environmental conservation.” He further requested Yeungnam University’s key role in supporting Ethiopia’s efforts.
Ethiopia, once a country rich in forests, has suffered severe deforestation due to indiscriminate logging and climate change, leading to increasing concerns about desertification. In response, the Ethiopian government has dispatched a large delegation, led by Minister Shiferaw, to Korea to learn from Korea’s successful forest rehabilitation during the Saemaul Undong era, as well as its environmental conservation policies and climate change responses.
This delegation includes Minister Shiferaw, Minister Belete from the Prime Minister’s Office, Vice Minister Kebede of the Ministry of Forestry, Environment, and Climate Change, Ethiopian Ambassador to Korea Shiferaw Jarso, and governors from six Ethiopian regional states, including Oromia, Somali, and Tigray. This group consists of top leaders from both Ethiopia’s central and regional governments.
On the morning of March 3, the delegation visited Yeungnam University and attended a special lecture by Vice President Choi Oe-chool on the fundamentals of Saemaul Undong and possible cooperation between Korea and Ethiopia. During his lecture, Vice President Choi stated, “Many young Ethiopians made great sacrifices during the Korean War,” and pledged, “As an act of gratitude, Yeungnam University will do its utmost to support Ethiopia’s forest rehabilitation, rural development, and the localization of Saemaul Undong.”
In response, Minister Shiferaw expressed deep admiration for Vice President Choi’s sincere commitment, stating, “I was deeply moved by Vice President Choi’s humble and heartfelt words about his dedication to Ethiopia. When I return to Ethiopia, I will develop new forest environment policies based on the lessons learned from Korea’s development experience and Yeungnam University’s Saemaul Undong principles.”
That evening, Minister Shiferaw had a separate meeting with Vice President Choi, requesting Yeungnam University’s role in strengthening the partnership between Korea and Ethiopia. He also sought cooperation in launching a comprehensive Saemaul education program in collaboration with Ethiopia’s national university, Hawassa University.
Additionally, the delegation attended a lecture by Professor Lee Yo-han from the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul, titled “Korea’s Saemaul Undong and the Success of Forest Rehabilitation.” The lecture introduced the unprecedented success of Korea’s nationwide forest rehabilitation movement in the 1970s, which was achieved through broad public participation.
A notable member of this delegation was Dessie Dalkie Dukamo, Governor of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR). In February of the previous year, Governor Dessie led a high-level delegation of government officials from SNNPR to Yeungnam University for Saemaul education training. Following this, from February 23rd to 28th, Yeungnam University dispatched a team of Saemaul Undong experts, including professors and researchers from the Institute for International Development Cooperation and the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul, to conduct Saemaul Undong and public official capacity-building training for 700 government officials in Hawassa, the capital of SNNPR.
Ethiopia, an East African powerhouse with a land area 11 times that of Korea and twice its population, remains economically challenged, with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of just $550 (as of 2014).
This Ethiopian delegation included governors from six of Ethiopia’s nine regional states. These six states account for approximately 65 million people more than half of Ethiopia’s total population of 100 million. Notably, Oromia has a population of 32 million, while SNNPR has 18 million, both exceeding the populations of many countries.
All six regional governors unanimously requested that Yeungnam University provide Saemaul education programs for their government officials. This strongly indicates that the delegation’s visit to Korea marks a significant turning point in spreading Saemaul Undong across Ethiopia.
Up to the present time, 17 Ethiopian students have earned degrees or are currently studying at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul at Yeungnam University. Additionally, through Yeungnam University’s Institute for International Development Cooperation, a total of 1,442 Ethiopian government officials have participated in short-term Saemaul Undong training programs.