Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Kabul (BNA) The seminar ‘Application of Korean Development Model in Afghanistan’ aimed to share the knowledge and lessons of the trainees of the invitation training program by Korean International Cooperation Agency KOICA held jointly by Afghan-Korea Alumni Association, KOICA office and Korean embassy in Kabul and the Dunya University of Afghanistan here on Sunday.
Inaugurating the seminar, Prof. Ahmad Shah Sangdel dean of the Dunya University besides welcoming Korean Ambassador to the seminar, said that Afghanistan and Korea enjoying 300 years of friendship, but the two countries diplomatic relation started 50 years ago which still going on with good spirit of friendship and mutual cooperation.
“If the Afghan people use the experiences of Korea for being self-reliance, then holding such seminars and implementation of Korean development model will help reaching the goals”, Sangdel added, saying Korea has passed so many challenges and now has been turned the 9th biggest economic power across the globe.
“Korea has helped Afghanistan in different spheres of culture, social and education. At the Brussels Conference, the country also pledged 135 million of USD to Afghanistan. From a poverty stricken nation, Koreahas changed to a donor country,” dean of the Dunya University said, hoping the participants of the seminar could use such experiences and help Afghanistan reach its self-sufficiency goals. Meanwhile Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Afghanistan Chin Ki-hoon addressing the gathering applauded Dunya university of Afghanistan for hosting the seminar, saying Korea had overcome all challenges that Afghanistan currently facing with and turned to be among the leading economic powers. “To share Korea’s economic development experiences, we have provided training facilities to over 1600 Afghan people through Korean International Cooperation Agency which received positive outcomes,” Ambassador Chin Ki-hoon said, adding Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world with GDP per capita of 70 USD a year in 1950s, but now is more than 30,000 which indicates that Koreans didn’t lose morale and tried to build their country.
The Korean Ambassador went on saying that New Village Movement in Korea was one of the development models which facilitated the cooperation between the people and government and led to the successful rehabilitation. “Today’s seminar is also to assess and examine the capability of Korean Development Modelthrough practical and academic panels. It will also have impact on new generation to take part in rehabilitation of their country,” the Ambassador added, saying participation of the young generation in such seminars will lead Afghanistan toward a developed and peaceful future.
Speaking at the event, dean of Swiss UMEF University of Afghanistan and former minister of information and culture, Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen said that holding such seminars will teach to the new generation how the war-hit nations developed and how Afghans reach to self-reliance through using their experiences.
“It is immense pleasure to hold a seminar with a country that has passed years of devastating war. The nation lost all its infrastructures, but their hardships led to successful rehabilitation which is a matter of proud to all Koreans,” Dr. Raheen said, adding today Korean nation with suffering so many hardships has once again revived their pure culture and reconstructed their country.
Following the speeches, the seminar panels consisted of both the members of Afghanistan-KOICA Alumni Association and the academic people from Dunya and Swiss UMEF universities in Afghanistan discussed three important topics of community development, women’s role in economic development of Korea and Afghanistan and economic development through education. The seminar was the first and historical collaboration between the development practitioners and academia in a bid to find the proper mode of Afghanistan development.
