KAIST

President Sung-Chul Shin met Ethiopian Ambassador to Korea Shiferaw Shigutie Wolassa and Urban Affairs Advisor for the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Mekuria Telkemariam on August 18. Their discussion focused on the expansion of cooperation and exchanges in the fields of science and technology between Korea and Ethiopia.

Ambassador Wolassa introduced two science and technology institutes in Ethiopia, and requested KAIST’s support for these institutes as “they are experiencing difficulties carrying out their role due to limited research resources and the number of faculty.” He then offered to actively support international exchanges between KAIST and Ethiopia during his term as ambassador.

Advisor Teklemariam, former minister of urban development and housing of Ethiopia, will be receiving a PhD degree from the KAIST Global IT Technology Program in August. He helped the Ethiopian Prime Minister and the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy Ahmed Ali by providing support for talent cultivation in advanced science and technology policy while studying at KAIST. Advisor Teklemariam expressed his interest in improving the practical expansion of cooperation between KAIST and Ethiopian institutes once he returns to his home country.

To this, President Shin congratulated Advisor Teklemariam for becoming a KAIST graduate, and introduced the case of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which benchmarked KAIST in its establishment. “Let’s together search for means of cooperation that may appropriately apply KAIST’s knowledge and experience that has contributed to the development of our nation for the innovation of Ethiopia’s science and technology institutes and for the expansion of exchanges between the two nations,” he suggested.

This meeting was attended by Professor Young Sun Kwon of the KAIST School of Business and Technology Management, who was the academic supervisor of Advisor Teklemariam.

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