Rector of the University of Rijeka, Prof. Snježana Prijić-Samaržija, Ph.D., held an online meeting with representatives of the Sungshin Women’s University (SWU) in Seoul. This is the first meeting since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in 2020, which outlines possible areas of cooperation: exchange of students and professors, promotion of academic activities, exchange of ideas, and development of programs of common interest.
Joining from their conference hall, the representatives of the SWU were:
- Prof. Dr. Bo Kyung Yang, President, Sungshin Women’s University,
- Prof. Dr. Seong-Keun Yi, Vice-President of External Affairs and Development and Entrepreneurship Education Center,
- Dr. Hyung Min Lee, Dean of International and External Affairs,
- Dr. Dongwon Shin, Professor of Entrepreneurship,
- Mr. Il Kim, Team Manager of International Affairs and Services,
- Ms. Mi Jung Kim, Assistant Manager of International Affairs and Services.
Following the suggestion from the Korean side, the discussion focused on the possibility of establishing a Croatian-Korean Business Innovation Center (CK-BIC). Hence the meeting was also attended by Mr. Boris Golob, Director of Step Ri Science and Technology Park of the University of Rijeka, and Prof. Saša Drezgić, Ph.D., from the UNIRI Faculty of Economics and Business. Once established, the Center would serve as a center for the development of new technologies, innovations, and start-up companies, but also as a place where interested stakeholders can find partners for the implementation of projects funded by the European Union or the United States.
The participants also discussed the possibility of establishing the King Seojong Institute in Rijeka, a public institution under influence of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to manage overseas Korean language education and to extend Korean culture. Since the University of Rijeka has been cultivating friendly relations with the Republic of Korea for years, the establishment of this Institute at UNIRI would further strengthen ties between the two countries, and interested students could learn Korean from a native speaker.
In addition to representatives of both universities, the meeting was attended by H.E. Mr. Damir Kušen, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Republic of Korea, and his assistant Ms. Soonyoung Redden. Ambassador Kušen expressed great satisfaction that he can serve as a liaison between the two universities and pointed out that, thanks to his position, he has the opportunity to promote our country, language and culture, and his activities also seek to promote Croatian universities, including the University of Rijeka.
