In the time that students spend at the KDI School, whether in short-term certificate programs or the year-long degree programs, students leave the school equipped with different knowledge sets, one of which is an understanding of the Korean economic development experience. Students bring that knowledge in hopes of utilizing it for the development of their home countries and beyond. With years of experience in sharing the Korean experience to its students, the KDI School has embarked to share formally with other countries and export this development experience that is truly Korean.

It is through the Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) led by Korea Development Institute (KDI), the KDI School and the Korean Export-Import Bank (Korea Exim Bank) that the Korean development experience is compartmentalized, organized and enhanced using different perspectives in order to be utilized by other countries in need for development and policy reform. Under the Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) of the Korean government, the KSP Program offers consulting programs to developing countries using the Korean development experience as an example. The three institutions leading the program play a different role: KDI for establishing an area for bilateral cooperation, Korea Exim Bank for joint consultation with international organizations, and the KDI School for modularization. How did the KSP come to light?

Since 2004, Korea has been exporting its development experience. Through KDI, collaborative research, training and technical assistance has already started with two countries namely Vietnam and Uzbekistan. Through the years, the number of countries that this program has been catering had increased significantly, particularly jumping from 3 in 2007 to 8 in 2008, 11 in 2009 and finally 48 countries in 2012. Cumulatively, this accounts for 123 countries up to date, significantly showing the worldwide scope of this program. But yet still, in its core is the country that emerged from the ashes of war to become one of the most successful countries in the world. This perhaps can be seen as a way for Korea to be helping other countries in an attempt to ‘pay forward’.

On its online material, highlighting the availability of the KSP materials to practically anyone who would like to use it, it explains how the KSP focuses on capacity building rather than simple provision of foreign support. Knowledge sharing in itself is not unilateral but bilateral in nature. While sharing the Korean experience abroad, fine tuning the ability of the Korean government to export its know-how is increased and therefore both countries benefit. However, KSP is seen to be more than just a simple exchange between two countries, but rather, a strategic partnership where there are ‘hopes of co-prosperity’.

As one of the pillars, the KDI School’s role in the modularization of the KSP is vital to complement the KSP Policy Consultation. Case studies on Korea’s development experience were collected from 2007 to 2009 and were modularized in 2010 dividing all the collected content into 8 sectors mainly Economic Policy, Administration and ICT, Agricultural Policy, Health and Medicine, Industrial Development, Human Resources, Land Development, and Environment. In 2013 there were 18 more added in the 100 cases collected and another 18 is planned to be added in the concurrent year.

In the process of modularization, the KDI School holds the position of monitoring and supervision; moreover its role to contact and connect different existing research bodies of government ministries of Korea shows the system-wide approach of the KSP and the KSP modularization. The task of collecting the information, analyzing and creating a flexible framework for the KSP clientele to work with has never been a small one. Rather the strong commitment of the KDI School and the willingness of the Korean government and ministries in sharing Korea’s development experience to the world have been paramount. The success of the KSP Modularization just shows for a fact that the government is led with a single vision.

As an academic institution, the process that the KDI School undergoes in research is based on sound evidence. In addition, the KDI School undergoes rigorous examination of the relevant development know-how screened to a point where it can be utilized for the recipient country’s benefit.

The modularization implementation process starts with a meeting with the steering committee that consists of members from the MOSF, sub-project managers as well as head of participating ministries which forms a task force per each identified sector. A kick-off workshop is then scheduled followed by the conclusion of service contracts and research. With the supervision of the KDI School, participating institutions shall undergo the proper research needed which ends in the year it started. An interim workshop shall be held to know about the progress of the research which will lead to the final report workshop to report the results. Finally, an anonymous review is held and based on it a final revision is done for the completion of the project.

Since the establishment of the KSP, positive results from client countries have been coming in. The Dominican Republic, for example, with the findings from the KSP, has enacted a law on the establishment of the Export-Import Bank; in 2011, Saudi Arabia established the Saudi Arabia Development Institute (SDI) and Vietnam was able to establish its 2011-2015 Socio-Economic Development Strategy. During the same year as well, Uzbekistan has spearheaded its sustainable economic growth measures and Mongolia has paved its way for Private- Public Partnerships (PPP). The work on modularization complements the consultative work done bilaterally and multilaterally through international organizations; online content is available as well (http://www.ksp.go.kr/) to share not only Korean economic development but all the work that the KSP has done so far, an epitome of its dedication to transparency and a sign of the goodwill that it pursues.

Professor Changyong Choi of the KDI School, one of the co-chairs of the project says that while the KSP has been doing quite well in the recent years, it needs more time. “Perhaps we might need about three or four years to see the real effects of the KSP, whether or not the countries have been successful in implementing the measures that were suggested.” He points as well issues on the gap between the demand and the supply. Professor Choi says, “Challenges always go back to the fact that the world is changing. Because of such, the work done at the KSP should be flexible enough to these changes.” “KSP is a way for Korea to give back to the international community.” He encourages the KDI School students as well to be active in the various events related with the KSP.

Korea’s economic development experience is definitely unique: rapid expansion of the economy after the ravages of war is an inspiration to the world. KSP and the KSP Modularization is unique as well: it is one of the few selfless acts of foreign governments to deal with the issues of neighboring countries firsthand, following the old adage that says “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In this ‘path not taken’, may the KDI School become a hub of learning and academic excellence compelling the world to come together and share the road to sustainable growth and development.

By Rigoberto Banta Jr. (2014 MPP, Philippines)