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Chungnam National University

Auxilia Katongomara at Chungnam University, Daejeon, South Korea
A TOP South Korean university which has partnered some African universities to establish industrial parks on the continent has said it is interested in signing memoranda of understanding with local institutions of higher learning.

President of Chungnam University Professor Deong Seong whose 65 year –old institution boasts of over 100 business units where students are attached for three years said this while sharing the university’s success story with a delegation led by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Professor Jonathan Moyo.

Prof Moyo is leading a delegation of vice chancellors and legal experts to universities in Asia and South America as part of efforts to turn local universities into industrial hubs.

In South Korea, Prof Seong whose university already runs a 1 200 bed hospital said his institution runs a number of research centres.

He said his institution embarked on a paradigm shift from the 1970s and now in the field of education, students learn entrepreneurship from the first year, to understand industrial revolution.

“My university has 1 000 family enterprises, 1 000 business people joining us in the university business incubation strategy at the same time my students can join them for internship and my government accepts this kind of strategy.

“So Chungnam National University is playing the central role for both of them to work together,” said Prof Seong.

He said universities must strive to invest in research and innovation to be successful in the industrialisation process.

Prof Seong said his institution was open to signing MOUs with Zimbabwean universities through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.

“Six months ago I was invited by the Indonesian government to sign six MOUs with their national universities to enhance science and so this is the same strategy we can use based on an understanding between your ministry and my university.

“Then we can go for different future collaborations with different sectors. So this could be a small present to the honourable minister since you are here,” said Prof Seong

The Chungnam University president said his institution is involved in a number of African projects they were already working on with UNESCO in Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Tunisia through the establishment of science parks.

@AuxiliaK