Public officers studying environmental policy in Korea pose for a photo. Some 50 officials from across the world are studying for their master’s as part of a scholarship program from the Ministry of Environment. They discussed global environmental issues and Korea’s environmental policies during a two-day workshop on Aug. 22 and 23.
Public officers from around the world studying for their master’s in Korea have gathered in Seoul to talk about global environmental issues and about Korea’s environmental policies.
Participants in the Global Environment Scholarship Program gathered for a two-day workshop in Seoul on Aug. 22 and 23. Some 50 public officials from 17 different countries attended the workshop, sharing their knowledge of environmental policies and their experiences studying in Korea.
The Global Environment Scholarship Program (GESP) is funded by the Ministry of Environment and is targeted at civil servants from governments that are in partnership with the Korean government. Every year, more than 20 such public officials are offered a two-year master’s course in environmental policy, either at the International School of Urban Sciences at the University of Seoul and or else at the Park Chung Hee School of Policy & Saemaul at Yeungnam University. The ministry launched the program last year. Twenty-five public officers from 13 different countries, including Vietnam and Cambodia, joined the program in the first year, and 23 officials have joined this year’s course, hailing from 13 different countries, including Myanmar and Indonesia.
Participants in last year’s Global Environment Scholarship Program discuss environmental policies (top) and take part in a Korean cooking class as part of their course.
Participants are obliged to take environmental policy courses that cover sustainable development and water management, along with seminars and on-site visits. They also have a choice to choose courses covering the environment through to economics, business management, administration, policy-making and international development, depending on their major.
“This workshop was a great opportunity to review our past year of studying in Korea, and at the same time to share and discuss environmental policy issues with other participants from around the world,” said Tran Chi Duc from Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, a participant in last year’s program.
By Chang Iou-chung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute
icchang@korea.kr
