Kim Hyoung-joong, a cyber defence professor at Korea University in Seoul, was elected head of the Korea Association of Ethiopian Studies at the Spring Academic Conference & Regular General Meeting, held on May 22 at Kangwon National University.
“In order to reinforce academic ties with Ethiopia, the center of Africa, and its neighboring nations, I will join forces with members,” said Kim Hyoung-joong, newly-elected chairman of the Korea Association of Ethiopian Studies.
Since its inaugural meeting in May of 2013, the Korea Association of Ethiopian Studies had been headed up by Huh Jong, professor at Kyung Hee University. Huh Jong and 41 members have been thus far pushing for non-governmental academic exchanges and goodwill activities between the two nations.
At the Spring Academic Conference & Regular General Meeting, Lim Soo-bin, professor at Kyung Hee University, took the podium to give a speech titled “Your Life’s Act II at Adama Science& Technology University (ASTU).” Professor Lim talked about missions for nurturing engineering talent armed with excellent knowledge and project management capability.
Shin Kwang-chul, CEO of Abissinica Korea, also delivered a speech titled “Coffee Beans Grown by God.” Describing himself as a leader in bringing S. Korea and Ethiopia closer, he said he worked towards changing S. Korea’ coffee culture by introducing to the nation Ethiopian coffee beans grown at an elevation of about 2,000 meters above sea level.
Since the adoption of the S. Korea- Ethiopia Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) in 2005, S. Korea has continued to offer Ethiopia assistance in terms of healthcare, rural development, technology, job training and infrastructure.
On the corporate level, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ethiopia and S. Korea, S. Korean companies are also making social contributions to Ethiopia, the only African country that sent ground troops to S. Korea during the Korean War. A case in point is a scholarship project for the descendants of Ethiopian war veterans who fought alongside S. Korean soldiers during the Korean War.
By Monica Youn-soo Chung
