NEWS & EVENTS

  • Institutional Visit by the Secretariat of the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum

    Institutional Visit by the Secretariat of the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum Date: November 15, 2023 Venue: KRIHS, Sejong, Korea On November 15, 2023, a high-level delegation of presidential national strategic research institutes from four Central Asian countries visited KRIHS as part of a visit program hosted by the Secretariat of the Korea–Central Asia Cooperation Forum. The purpose of the visit was to explore areas of future collaboration with KRIHS. At the meeting, the delegation was warmly welcomed by Dr. Myongsoo Kim, Vice President of Research at KRIHS. The welcome was followed by a presentation on the introduction of KRIHS and the functions and main activities of GDPC by Dr. Eunji Choi. During the discussion, the delegation enthusiastically expressed its interest in the possibilities of future cooperation with KRIHS by sharing the main policy agendas of each country related to territorial and urban planning. Possibilities of cooperation were explored in the areas of new town development, comprehensive national territorial plans, green cities, smart infrastructure, and balanced development. Dr. Youn Hee Jeong, the director of GDPC, and Dr. Lee Baekjin, senior research fellow of the Smart Infrastructure Research Center, introduced the delegation to Korea’s policy experience in formulating comprehensive national territorial plans, developing plans for new towns, relocating the administrative capital, and formulating land policies, such as zoning. Dr. Jeong expressed her willingness for future cooperation and provided guidance on official cooperation channels.
  • The 9th KRIHS-WB Annual Workshop

    The 9th KRIHS-WB Annual Workshop Date: November 15, 2023 Venue: World Bank Group HQ, Washington D.C., United States The 9th Annual Workshop—cohosted by the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS) and the Urban, Disaster Risk, Resilience, and Land Global Practice (GPURL) of the World Bank (WB)—took place on November 15, 2023. Minjee Kim, a senior researcher at KRIHS, opened the session with an overview of the ongoing collaboration between KRIHS and the WB. Youn Hee Jeong, director of the Global Development and Planning Center (GDPC) at KRIHS, then outlined the expected future collaboration between the two institutions. The workshop focused on the SURGE Fund, a global umbrella program dedicated to sustainable urban and regional development. The SURGE Fund is poised not only to align with GPURL strategies through the implementation of multiyear programs but also to serve as a foundation for strategic initiatives that encompass broader thematic areas. Discussions between KRIHS and WB included a comprehensive review of the SURGE Fund, exploring its benefits and potential thematic areas, including housing, land, urban planning, and solid waste management.
  • The South Korea–ASEAN Standards Cooperation Joint Research Workshop

    The South Korea–ASEAN Standards Cooperation Joint Research Workshop Date: November 13-17, 2023 Venue: Intercontinental COEX, Seoul  The South Korea– Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Standards Cooperation Joint Research Workshop was held at the InterContinental COEX in Seoul from November 13 to 17. In this workshop, KRIHS led the smart city Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) program. The KRIHS invited 11 participants from ASEAN countries to help them strengthen their capacity to establish ITS standards and to discuss cooperation plans. The workshop raised the necessity for ITS and standards cooperation by providing lectures on Korea’s ITS status and smart transportation system, the need for ITS standardization, the status and trends of global smart city standardization, and standardization strategies related to autonomous vehicles. Furthermore, a networking space was provided by inviting related private companies. The participants visited Seoul Transport Operation and Information Service (TOPIS), the Anyang Smart City Integration Center, and the National Land Development Exhibition Hall to learn about application cases in the field and to strengthen their practical capabilities. Finally, KRIHS Senior Research Fellow Lee Sang-gun led a discussion on the customized South Korea–ASEAN ITS standard cooperation that takes account of the current situation of each member country. The participants discussed future project plans that could be implemented in the context of the ASEAN region and each country.
  • The 7th KRIHS-IDB Urban Development Academy – Small Private Online Course (English and Portuguese)

    The 7th KRIHS-IDB Urban Development Academy – Small Private Online Course: English and Portuguese course Date: November 6-7, 2023 Venue: Online The Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS) and the Inter-American Development Bank held the opening session of the 7th KRIHS-IDB Urban Development Academy (KIUDA) – Small Private Online Course on November 6 and 7, 2023. These two courses are part of the 7th KIUDA SPOC, which is held in three different languages: Spanish (completed in August 2023), Portuguese, and English. With three different languages, participants were given the opportunity to learn about Korea, the LAC urban redevelopment policy, and cases based on/inspired by the method of land readjustment. During the welcome session, Diego Arcia, senior specialist at IDB, introduced a special feature of the course: unlike past KIUDA programs, the 7th SPOC specified a theme and aimed to provide more details to a larger number of government officials, including field practitioners and those at the managerial level. Additionally, by formatting the course into three major languages in the LACs, it widened the range of participants, thus allowing collaboration with new country partners. In the Portuguese course, a total of 23 officials from central and local governments of Brazil enrolled, which is the largest number of Brazilian participants for a single capacity building program held by KRIHS-IDB. In the English Course, a total of 21 participants enrolled from three countries: Barbados, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. This was the first time having a single course for English-speaking Caribbean countries, and KRIHS looks forward to building its first collaboration with the participating countries.
  • 2023 KRIHS World Campus

    2023 KRIHS World Campus Date: October 16-20, 2023 Venue: Fraser Place Namdaemun Hotel, Seoul Following the 2022 online courses, the 2023 KRIHS World Campus took place from October 16 to 20, providing participants with invaluable insights into Korea’s urban development. This capacity building program invited a total of 12 participants from 10 countries, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, targeting outstanding graduates from the online courses. The agenda featured lectures from Korea’s ODA organizations (KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency), KIND (Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation), Export-Import Bank of Korea)); site visits across Seoul, Gunsan, Jeonju, and Sejong; and advisory sessions. From industrial complexes to smart city initiatives, participants witnessed Korea’s innovative urban development. Building on insights gained during the program, participants further developed their individual project concept papers (PCPs). In addition, they expressed a strong commitment to applying the obtained knowledge and experience in their respective countries.