Our University kicks-off cooperative project with Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2018-07-05
After becoming Korea’s first official member of the French higher education network, AUF (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie), our university took its first step as a member of AUF.
Our university was given audience with the Director General of AUF Asia-Pacific Bureau Sophie Goedefroit on June 4 and received an AUF membership school plaque. On this day, both parties discussed the position and benefits of AUF membership along with the projects which can be pursued by the two institutions in the future.
AUF is an higher education and research association with around 850 colleges from 111 nations around the world as its members. Its aims are to broaden exchanges between higher education institutions of the member countries in the fields of ▲ language and communication, ▲ economic development, ▲ improvement of science technologies, ▲ and education. Although it is a meeting of French speaking organizations, all majors are the subject of exchange. The association shares educational curriculum through connection between the member schools and corporations, research labs, etc. and provides full support toward active exchange of knowledge and technologies which each school require. Professor Mun Si-yeon from the Department of French Language & Culture said, “There are technological developments in connection with Vietnam National University in Hanoi, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, and MIT in the U.S., and the corporations are commercializing the research results. Last year, there was a university that applied for 40 patents through the AUF-supported program.”
Currently, the actively supported programs of AUF are summer school (short term courses conducting specific subjects in French - subjects proposed by the relevant school) support, start-up support for students of member schools, relocation of researchers and students to other member nations, etc. Our university is currently preparing cooperation with AUF in the women start-up category centered on Entrepreneurship Engagement Foundation as well as opening possibilities of joint research, etc. with Institut Pasteur in France.
In addition, it is possible to gain partnership with overseas universities that desire sisterhood relationship with Korean universities through the Strategy Committee, or establish connection with French companies and even diplomats through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in each nation. In fact, Director General Sophie said she recommended our university to a prestigious school in Thailand, which has high interest in culture & tourism and new technologies, prior to visiting our university.
On this day, following the meeting with Director General Sophie and banquet hosted by the French Ambassador to Korea, our university held the AUF Asia-Pacific Bureau Conference in the Lee Sam-bong Lounge on the 7th floor of the Centennial Hall on the 5th. Director General Sophie explained, “As this conference is an annual meeting between key members such as the presidents of the member schools in the Asia-Pacific region, it boasts the largest scale among other continents even for AUF,” and “It is all the more meaningful as it is being held at Sookmyung Women’s University for the first time in Korea.” During her congratulatory message at the conference, President JungAi Kang announced, “As a member of AUF, Sookmyung Women’s University will lead the way in increasing the value of humanity through education and our participation in the educational network,” and “We hope this conference can become a new turning point for such efforts.”