South Korea is extending its science and technology education model overseas to nurture high-skilled talent in emerging regions by benchmarking the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). The first phase of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) project, which is to establish a graduate university in Kenya, is nearing completion. This initiative seeks to transfer KAIST’s educational model and expertise to Kenya and help build educational infrastructure and systems to enhance the country’s science and technology workforce in the long term.
“The project was delayed due to lockdown measures and inflation caused by COVID-19, but the first phase of the project to build the infrastructure will be completed in July this year,” said Kim So-young, a professor at KAIST’s Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy, who leads the consulting consortium for the project. “The President of Kenya will personally attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the end of next month.”
This venture is part of a broader strategy to leverage science and technology for sustainable development in regions like Africa and Central Asia, according to Korea’s scientific community on April 22.
Africa, rich in natural resources yet plagued by poverty, receives substantial international aid every year. Yet the effects have been minimal as most of the aid is used to buy food to relieve starvation, resulting in unsustainable and temporary support. To resolve these challenges, Korea has been opting to export its science and technology development model as a form of international aid. Korea successfully navigated post-war recovery by prioritizing science and technology for national development and is seen as a viable blueprint for sustainable growth.
Kenya’s version of KAIST, funded by the Export-Import Bank of Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund, will be located in Konza, which is part of a project to build a new ‘smart city’ 60 kilometers from Nairobi. The plan is to transplant Korea’s educational ‘DNA’ to Kenya, addressing the country’s industrial gaps and preventing brain drain by nurturing local talent in science and technology.
“Kenya’s limited industrial base is leading to a brain drain, with talented individuals leaving the country,” said KAIST professor Youn Chan-Hyun. “The country needs a university like KAIST to foster local science and technology talent.”
The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) is also eyeing Africa’s growth potential. GIST President Lim Kichul aims to establish an African branch as an outpost for the domestic industry.
The ODA project in Kenya is also opening doors for Korean industries to enter the Kenyan market. Korea’s science and technology department is working to offer support to Egypt, the second-largest economy in Africa after Nigeria. Egypt has shown keen interest in bolstering its tech sector with Korea.
