Thursday, December 2, 2010

NUFFIC director-general visits the KCUE



The Director-General of NUFFIC (Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education), Mr. Sander van den Eijnden, visited the KCUE on Tuesday, October 5th. 
NUFFIC is a private, non-profit corporation and is based in the Hague in the Netherlands. It coordinates academic cooperation programs, promotes the international mobility of students and academic staff through scholarship and grant programs, and attracts students from other countries who are looking to study abroad. 
Mr. Eijnden was keen to learn South Korea’s current education policies on university admission, university accreditation, and internalization while discussing Dutch higher education issues. The Director-General said that this visit was a good opportunity to understand the roles and functions of the KCUE and hoped to promote cooperation between NUFFIC and the KCUE. 

WSK Newsletter 30

Korea on the Road to First Class 



Chairwoman Lee Bae-Yong of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding on November 15 gave a lecture for the KBS program “The Road to First Class.”
  

The lecture was on the subject of Korea’s nation brand and the impact of the G20 Seoul Summit.


“Made in Korea” Impact

“Despite the increasing sales of Korean products globally nowadays,” Chairwoman Lee explained, “they still get about a 30% discount compared to similar products made by some other nations because of Korea’s undervalued nation brand.”

Giving examples of French perfume and wine which are products backed up by the country’s strong nation brand, Lee emphasized the importance of nation brand in generating economic profits.

“We need to work on increasing trust and preference for so-called “Made in Korea.” Also, it is getting more and more important nowadays to have strong “software” such as cultural content, human resources and spiritual values as well as hardware.”

Lee also touched upon Korea’s numerous timeless cultural heritages, saying, “I wish to share Korean values and spirits that are imbued in those historic and cultural legacies with the world. Korea’s astounding growth in the 20th century was made possible only because it was backed up by such virtues as harmony, sharing, communication, regards for life and nature.”

“To raise Korea’s nation brand, it is important to have active civic participation. The Council will make best efforts to achieve the goal with 5 major areas of work that we designated which include contributing to the international community, cultivating global citizenship, promoting multiculturalism, developing attractive culture and tourism, and showcasing advanced technology.”



“Korea, as seen in its age-long history and countless cultural relics, has admirable spirits – perseverance, cooperative and pacifist inclination, modesty, warmhearted regards for others. It is important that we remember these timeless virtues of ours,” Lee stressed.

* Chairwoman Lee Bae Yong’s lecture on the program “The Road to First Class” (aired on November 20) can be viewed at the following web page: