The president with personnel at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology

Handong Global University President Chang Soon-Heung visited the three African countries of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Malawi for six days, from July 12 to 18, to discuss student and research exchange plans with new partnership institutions, and to expand exchanges and promote programs with current partnership institutions.

Conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology

First on his agenda, President Chang visited the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), concluding an agreement of mutual exchange and cooperation.  Modeled after Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), NM-AIST is a distinguished educational institution established in four different regions of Africa, set out to cultivate talented individuals.  This institution provides masters and doctoral degree curriculum in Life Science and Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Energy, Water Pollution and Environmental Science, Earth Science and Engineering, Business Management, and Humanities.  According to the signing of the agreement, both institutions plan to cooperate for student and faculty exchanges, joint research and publications, various seminars, other academic exchanges, and so on.

Next, President Chang went to the United Africa University of Tanzania (UAUT) with which Handong Global University has held a continued exchange cooperation since an agreement signing in November 2015.  After the signing of the agreement, Handong Global University established the Innovation Technology Center in Tanzania, and since has continued to appropriate technology based entrepreneurship workshops and student dispatching for business item development.

Afterwards, the president paid a visit to Zimbabwe, attending the 20^th Global Entrepreneurship Training session (GET Program), an on-site program operated by Handong Global University, to deliver words of encouragement and attend an award presentation.  Since being selected as the host university of UNESCO UNITWIN in 2007, Handong Global University has held a running total of 20 GET Programs around the world - East Africa (3 in Kenya), West Africa (3 in Ghana), Ethiopia, Mongolia, Cambodia, South America (3 in Peru), Laos, and more, starting with the first GET Program in August, 2008 at Handong Global University.

Commemorative photograph with Zimbabwe GET Program participants

The GET Program is a program set to cultivate practical individuals for international development and cooperation, to reinforce competence of developing nations for sustainable development, and to grow not only leaders for the economic infrastructure of developing nations but also international minded entrepreneurs in the area.  College students, graduate students, professors, NGO personnel of international development, entrepreneurs, and public officials of Zimbabwe participated in this 20th GET Program.  Particularly, Chief of Mission Ambassador in Zimbabwe Cho, Jae Chul attended to encourage local participants and Handong Global University volunteers.

Last on his itinerary, President Chang visited the Daeyang Luke Hospital and Daeyang University founded in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, located in southeast Africa.  The president spent time to examine the current exchange status of the two institutions and to discuss cooperative future exchange plans.  When Daeyang Luke Hospital was founded in 2008, national hospitals of inadequate equipment were the only medical facilities in Malawi.  Thus President Binguwa Mutharika of Malawi, public officials, and medical personnel participated in the completion ceremony with high interests.

Commemorative photograph with the personnel and students at Daeyang University in Malawi

Daeyang University has strived to improve public medical facilities of Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, and to cultivate talented individuals through the completion of Daeyang College of Nursing in 2010, the founding of Daeyang College of Information and Communications Technology in 2014, the completion of Daeyang Medical School in 2015, and establishment of several other universities and colleges.

Handong Global University has continuously dispatched students to both Daeyang Luke Hospital and Daeyang University for local community service and cooperative programs.

Handong Global University holds intimate cooperation relationships not only with developed countries such as the United States (Silicon Valley and D.C.) and Israel, but also with developing countries, such as Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.  Handong continues to strive as a UNESCO UNITWIN host university, reducing the knowledge gap within the developing world, and actively promoting its renowned programs and its mission to remain a global university.

※ Terminology Explanation

- UNESCO UNITWIN (University Twining and Networking): a program established by UNESCO in 1992.  The goal of the program is to support university education and research institutions of developing nations, bridge knowledge gaps, and to grow the independent abilities of developing nations by utilizing the network of universities in both the developed world and the developing world.  Handong Global University was selected in 2007 as the first host university of the program worldwide.

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