islamabad - The Korea International Cooperation Agency arranged an award event for celebrating and appreciation of its alumni for winning ‘Global Essay Competition on KOICA Fellowship Program (CIAT).’
The KOICA held the competition around the globe on the theme of “Applying Korean Experiences in their Workplaces and Countries” in 2015 and after the screening of several thousands of entries, KOICA selected winners including two Pakistani government officials who participated in KOICA master degree program in 2011 and 2013 respectively. The 2nd place award was given to Shahid Farooq, General Manager Punjab Social Protection Authority, for “implementation of digital monitoring system for Lahore Waste Management Company” and 3rd award was given to Scientific Officer NARC Murad Ali for “empowering rural women through community based education program” in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Shahid Farooq is a distinct KOICA alumni who had MPA (Global e-Government & e-Policy) from Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, with distinction. He is also the recipient of excellence award from Korea’s National Information Society Agency (NIA). Similarly Murad is known for his Agriculture and Rural Development expertise; he got master’s degree in agriculture and rural development from Hankyong National University in 2014.
On the occasion, the Country Director KOICA Pakistan Sung Choon-ki welcome and applauded the efforts of KOICA fellows and winning global competition for utilizing the Korean knowledge and expertise for socio-economic development of Pakistan. He said KOICA Pakistan alumni exceed over 1,000 since 1992 through fellowship programme. This year KOICA also announced several trainings and 18 master’s degree programs in Korea. “By experiencing and learning about Korea’s remarkable development throughout the stay, participants can gain considerable expertise and strengthen their analytical abilities. These programs help in binding these two countries and nations,” he added. He appreciated the role of government of Pakistan, particularly Economic Affairs Division and partner organizations, for their continuous support in this whole process.
Shahid and Murad Ali appreciated the role of KOICA in developing human resource of Pakistan through fellowship programs and assured implementation of the knowledge gained from Korea for development of Pakistan and assist KOICA and Republic of Korea in exploring the areas for developing and strengthening the bilateral ties.
On the occasion, Deputy Director KOICA Pakistan Kim Hakjune and Program Coordinator Fellowship Mohsin Khan briefed about coming training and master degree programs in various sectors and encourage other alumni to actively participate in KOICA activities and utilize their experiences in their respective departments and promote friendly ties among people of both countries.