By Julius John LWENJE (2011 MPP, Tanzania)

In its continued efforts to extend its global reach, KDI School sent its delegates to Africa and South America from August 13^th to September 7^th, publicizing the School in countries with few or no alumni. Prof. Jin Park and Ms. Hye-Jung Yang from the External Relations and Development Division (ERDD) visited South Africa, Mozambique, Congo, Kenya and Zambia while Associate Dean Wook Sohn and Ms. Suhyeon Kim from the ERDD visited Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru.

During the tour the delegates set down with high-level government officials and introduced the School and its scholarship programs. The meetings with high government officials such as ministers and ambassadors produced an immediate result, as the agencies either have committed to send applicants each year or promised to give KDI School wide publicity when we send informational literature. While in Zambia, the delegates conducted a newspaper and a TV interview which facilitated their promoting the KDI School to the general public.

Besides publicizing the School, they gave a lecture to public and private officials on various developmental issues and secrets to Korea’s economic development. Furthermore, the team organized regional alumni gatherings and encouraged their network. The Kenyan Alumni Association was established during the trip whereby Gilbert Cheruyot Kipkirui (2008 MPP, Kenya) was elected as its first representative. The tour also played a key role in enhancing networks between Korean Embassies and local ministries. The delegates happily admit that the entire planning process as well as actual travelling would have been very challenging if not for the hearty cooperation of our alumni in the region.

Since its establishment in 1997, KDI School has educated students from more than 90 countries around the world. The School’s commitment to foster global leaders has been manifested in various forms of which the international alumni stand to bear witness. In a time when socioeconomic development is a persistent agenda of many international forums, the KDI School continues to address the issue by sharing the development knowledge and crisis management experience of Korea with an increasingly large number of countries.

KDI School has previously made a recruiting tour to Asia and Europe in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The list of the visited countries includes China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Czech, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia and Hungary. Current presence of students from these countries amplifies the importance of such tours. The 2011 tours brought in the 2012 Admissions 20 more applicants from the target countries compared to last year. Planning to reinforce the relationship with their ministries and universities, KDI School hopes to see larger representation from these countries for the years to come.