In the class of Quantitative Methods, Vietnamese friend Toan Duc Pham (2010 MPP, Vietnam) bat the breeze about his experience in the morning. The VIP invitation lecture held just hours before at the KDI, had welcomed the presence of none other than the President of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak.

President Lee Myoung-bak held the emergency economic council meeting at the Korea Development Institute on February 25th, 2010. KDI researchers and Cabinet members discussed economic policy and Official Development Assistance (ODA) for developing nations in accordance with Korea’s role as a newly elected donor country. Following the meeting, President Lee attended KDI School Professor Dong Young Kim’s class on “Participatory Governance in Public Decision Making.” The President sat alongside 29 other students, taking part in the diverse yet cohesive classroom dynamic as they shared discussions about their own country’s development policies as well as about school life.

“The KDI School is well known for government officials internationally. I was surprised however, that there are not only outstanding officials but also brilliant students from the private sector. This kind of diversity is a powerful asset of the School, and I expect to learn more lessons about Korean economic development. I’ve found recent eco-friendly city development policies especially impressive,” said Petra Prasilova (2010 MPP, Czech Republic).

Students shared their impressions of Korea and experiences at the KDI School thus far. Overall, students expressed their satisfaction of infrastructures in Korea and the exceptional educational environment at the KDI School.

Pramod Ahuja (2010 MPP, India) who also attended the event stated, “Performances of the Korean economy are incomparable to any other country in human history. My country India has one of the biggest markets in the world. A close relationship between our two countries will be helpful for bigger performances of both.”

The special lecture is sure to have left a lasting impression on all who were present, eliciting international dialogue in a friendly and intimate classroom setting. This event once again affirmed the KDI School as a truly global hub for knowledge sharing and insightful exchange. The day’s event was sealed in commemorative photographs taken with President Lee.

By Dong Hee Kim (2009 MBA, Korea)