Sunnong Culture Forum provides int'l students room for growth through Leadership Academy

The Sunnong Culture Forum's Leadership Academy Program, a series of weekly lectures, is designed for international students to help them understand and learn from Korea's economic and industrial development.

Participants of the Sunnong Culture Forum's Leadership Academy Program in 2023 pose for a photo. [SUNNONG CULTURE FORUM]

The Sunnong Culture Forum's Leadership Academy Program, a series of weekly lectures, is designed for international students to help them understand and learn from Korea's economic and industrial development.

The program opens its doors to students twice a year and has attracted a total of 537 participants over its eight editions.

The forum was established in 2010 by the graduates of Seoul National University High School, and generous donations from Korean academics and business leaders gave birth to the Leadership Academy in 2017

At the helm of this educational initiative is professor Cho Whanbok. He has served as Korean Ambassador to Mexico and consul general in Hong Kong. After retirement, he assumed the role of commissioner of international cooperation at the Korea Saemaul Undong Center and chair professor at Yeungnam University. Additionally, Cho held key positions at the Korea International Cooperation Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also worked as an advisor in the private sector. All these experiences Cho has explain why he is not only a seasoned public servant but also an academic with an understanding of various issues in Korea and the world.

In particular, Cho witnessed Korea's economic development with his own eyes as he was born during the Korean War to a family of refugees in Busan.

In an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily, he said he saw Korea's journey from a nation dependent on international aid to a highly developed country.

"At the time, thinking of economic development was a luxury," he said.

"As I was outside Korea for 25 years and I lived in developing countries in Africa and Latin America, I realized the contrast with Korea when I came back", he added. "I was curious about differences between Korea and developing countries in terms of economic [developments]."

Referring to the lessons from the Saemaul Movement launched by President Park Chung Hee to revive the rural sector and empower farmers, he said: "What I learned is the importance of mindset. The two keywords are leadership and sense of ownership".

Cho made a distinction between macroeconomic issues like overall development and aid dependency and microeconomic issues like changing people's sentiments.

"Everyone can understand macro[economic] issues, but for micro[economic] issues, people feel rather than understand them," he said. "The challenge is to convert feelings into action."

Cho said international students can play a role in tackling such challenge, recognizing the sacrifices they had to make to be in Korea, calling them important "drivers of passion and ambition."

"They came to Korea motivated. They had to sacrifice something to be here [and faced challenges such as] culture and language differences and being away from their families," he said.

"They came here to become a better person."

Students participating in the Leadership Academy Program socialize during one of the program's events. [SUNNONG CULTURE FORUM]

He said that he wants the students in the program to remember one or two of his sentences or the small messages that he shares throughout his lectures. The program is oriented toward realities lived by the participants, which makes its content more approachable.

"There is no wrong perspective. But we aim to inspire a broader perspective among students and help them develop critical thinking", he said.

He added that the program delves into the specific needs of the respective countries of participants rather than only discussing Korea.

The program provides real-world insights that resonate with the participants and encourages them to foster meaningful relationships through the program. It quickly gained traction among international students as well by featuring top-class lecturers fluent in English and organizing various events. Its venue had to move to an amphitheater at the North Face building in Myeong-dong, central Seoul.

At the end of the program, participants are awarded certificates and presents from the president of Sunnong Culture Forum, with additional gifts for students with perfect attendance and coming from far away.

Cho, noting there was a Peruvian student coming all the way from Jinju, South Gyeongsang, to attend the lectures, said, "As long as I have a student like him, I feel motivated."

He also offered advice for international students from developing and emerging countries, saying they should focus on themselves instead of worrying about larger issues.

"If you focus on yourself and grow, the time will come for you to make a change," he said.

He hopes that students now have a mindset of "despite" rather than "because of," meaning admitting there are issues in their countries and having a sense of responsibility.

Kim Joon-kyung, professor of economics and former President Lee Myung-bak's secretary for financial policy, gives a lecture as part of the Sunnong Culture Forum's Leadership Academy Program in 2019. [SUNNONG CULTURE FORUM]

Boussoussen Ayoub, an undergraduate student at Yonsei University and a participant in the 2023 autumn edition of the program, said he joined the program to learn about Korean history, acquire new knowledge and make friends.

The student from Morocco found several lectures particularly stood out, including a presentation delivered by the CEO of a major construction company in Korea.

Ayoub said, "His lecture was unbelievable, unique and iconic. It was extremely useful because I got to meet a successful entrepreneur and understand how his company became one of the most successful companies in the world. I feel that we share the same mindset in terms of entrepreneurial skills. And I was so happy that we were able to ask him many questions."

He also said Cho's friendly attitude and messages for the students made a big difference for the program.

"Professor Cho is a leader with a long experience. He is a friend more than a professor. He is open to interactions with everyone. The best aspect of his lectures is that he always shared with us a […] message but with a huge amount of advice."

Ayoub added he made meaningful connections through the program and enjoyed many opportunities.

"People who attend the classes are also very unique. We may have different thoughts, but at the end of the day, we are all a family. Through the program we had the opportunity to visit the [demilitarized zone] and we created so many memories there and improved our relationship."

Van Tha Ceu, 27, is a student from Myanmar who earned a master's degree in agricultural and resource economics at Seoul National University. He participated in the 2022 autumn edition of the program, and said his experience was great and helped him understand leadership and development better.

"There were many reasons why I joined the program. First, it was due to the program courses. Even in a short period of time, it covers a wide range of topics. Second, it is designed for foreigners studying in Korea — mostly scholarship recipients from the Korean government, providing an opportunity to meet diverse students interested in leadership and development. Finally, the lecturers are experts in their respective fields," he said.

He chose Cho's lectures as the most helpful parts of the program.

"The lecture on how South Korea achieved its current development, given by the program coordinator, is always on my mind and really inspiring. Through his lecture, we learned how every Korean citizen supported the country during times of bankruptcy by donating their belongings, the Saemaul Movement and various other efforts [that] lifted the country 'from [an] aid recipient to aid donor.'"

He added that he sometimes conversed with Cho individually during the break or after the lecture and that it helped him understand certain topics even better.

He recommended others to apply to the program.

"Just join it! I am sure you won't regret it. However, do not miss any lectures. The program is designed with different weekly topics."

BY STUDENT REPORTER NOUHA BENJELLOUN ANDALOUSSI [kjd.kcampus@joongang.co.kr]