The Saemaul Movement Goes Worldwide with the PSPS as the Center

On march 31th, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) adopted Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) as the masters’ course management agency for the ‘Leader or member of a professor training business for community development in developing countries.’

This adoption process is a result of open competition between three graduate schools including Yonsei university.

Moreover, the PSPS plays a pivotal role in exporting the Saemaul major to the Philippines.

The Observer asked about the motivation of KOICA adoption and the future prospects of Park Seung Woo who is the PSPS director.

In case of our country, we experienced a rapid change in our society when compared to other countries.

At the center of this change, there was the Saemaul movement in the 1970s.

This movement emphasized values like self-deprecation, cooperation and self-reliance.

However, this movement started almost 50 years ago. It means that the movement is out of date, so we need new values which are fitting for our current time.

We call it the Saemaul spirit 2.0. This movement promotes donations, volunteership and creation.

These spirits are not only limited domestically but are also incorporated on a global scale.

Also, this movement will be a blue ocean for our school and our country.

Through this movement, our school can lead new types of international development.

Also, KOICA realizes this part and they are trying to change the support from hardware to support in human-ware which trains talented people who can contribute to their countries.

PSPS is on stage of development because it started only 2 years ago.

We will expand our student body by 30~40% in the future.

Also, there is lack of books to study the Saemaul Movement, so we will make English books to study the Saemaul Movement and develop its curriculum.

These methodical developments will also be helpful for PSPS to be certified by international society.

Moreover, the Saemaul Sprit 2.0 is not only training foreign students but also leading our country’s international development.

Also, this area needs a trans-disciplinary approach.

That means it includes not only social science but also natural sciences such as landscaping, agriculture and architecture.

Also we can strengthen our school’s competitiveness and ability of students.

I hope our graduate school to be practical to be a practical place for students.