Selected alumni from different countries gathered for the 2019 KDI School ASEAN Alumni Workshop on October 6-9, 2019 at the InterContinental Hanoi Landmark 72 in Vietnam. The workshop highlighted the ASEAN region in commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations. It was also the first time that the workshop was held outside Korea to encourage more alumni to participate.

During the first day, a welcoming reception was held for the participants. Ms. Phan Kieu Thu, Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan, serenaded the crowd with her beautiful rendition of the song “My Heart Will Go On”.

The program proper began on the second day. In his opening address, Dean You Jong-il was proud to say that KDI School''s alumni all over the world are becoming major agents of change in their respective countries. While the global alumni network grows larger and stronger, the school is continuously striving to improve its learning environment and produce more alumni to induce positive change and ensure sustainable development in their respective countries and worldwide.

The dean''s message was followed by the congratulatory speech of Minister Chang Nyun Kim of the Korean Mission to the ASEAN. Mr. Chang Ouk Lee, CEO of MatePlus and President of KDI School Korean Alumni Association, and Mr. YoungTack Lee, Senior Vice President of Hyundai Motor Asia Pacific Headquarters also gave their welcome speeches, respectively.

Following the opening ceremony was the announcement of the essay contest winners and their presentations concerning their essays. In the afternoon, KDI School alumnus Mr. Quy Phuong Nguyen, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, gave a presentation on the past and present of Vietnam while alumna Ms. Thi Bich Ngoc Nguyen, research at the Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies, discussed the current economic status and outlook of Vietnam.

On the third day, lectures titled “The Global Development Agenda: MDGs to SDGs” and “Localizing SDGs in Nepal: From Industrial Prospective” were delivered by Professor Booyuel Kim of KDI School and Secretary Yam Kumari Khatiwada of Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply, Nepal, respectively. A panel discussion to discuss the topics was conducted afterwards, facilitated by Associate Dean Jinsoo Lee. Included among the panelists were Chalee Khansiri of Thailand, Feruza Alikulova of Uzbekistan. In the afternoon, the participants visited the KOICA Vietnam Office and experienced several cultural activities found in Hanoi.

On the fourth and final day, two more lectures were delivered in the morning. Dean You gave a presentation titled, “International Cooperation: Global Partnership” while Secretary-General Phan Kieu Thu presented “International Cooperation of Colombo Plan.” This was again followed by a panel discussion by Ibrahim Abdul Razzag Haleem, Managing Director of Hotel Emporium Maldives, La Ode Mazaruddin, Chief from the Indonesian Ministry of Industry, and Waode Diah Anjani, Research Manager in PT Kliring Penjaminam Efek, under the facilitation of Professor Booyuel Kim.

In the afternoon, the participants visited the Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies and Hyundai Motor Company before formally closing the workshop during a farewell dinner at the Novotel Suites Hotel.

The dean is hopeful that in the future, the workshop can be held in other regions as well to reach more alumni and strengthen the global alumni network of KDI School.