1. COVID-19 & KDI School

As the global fight against COVID-19 continues, KDI School has taken safety precautions and achieved a remarkable milestone of zero COVID-19 cases on the KDIS campus.

In February 2020, when Korea was under siege with a surge of infected cases, KDIS made the necessary proactive measures to move classes swiftly online to help students continue their studies without disruption.

In addition, KDIS organized a COVID-19 emergency response team as a frontline measure to manage and monitor the situation on campus. To achieve this, thermal sensors were installed to measure body temperatures, bottles of hand sanitizer were provided, and information-based policies like mask-wearing and washing of hands were placed at strategic points around the campus.

In a humanitarian motive to help the international students who were unable to gain access to masks as they were not part of national healthcare system, a mask donation campaign was initiated by KDI alumni, faculty, staff, and students. A total of 515 face masks and filters were collected. Moreover, one of the alumni has helped KDI School to secure a mask supplier who provided a month’s worth of supplies for dormitory residents.

In the end, thanks to these multiple measures, KDI School remained COVID-19 free, making it one of the safest campuses in Korea for students.

2. Newly Launched MPPM Program

KDI School recently opened a master’s program in Public Policy and Management in 2020 Fall semester to foster integrated leaders who will lead the paradigm innovation of tomorrow.
The program, which is the very first program conducted in the Korean language, is a part-time program for members of the public sector, journalists, NGOs, and other industry workers.

3. KDI School Wins Outstanding Institution Award
In May, KDI School was awarded an “Outstanding Institution Award” from the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences. KDI School is known for its distinguished performance in the fields of education and research.

4. Cutting-edge Hybrid Learning Classrooms

As part of the effort to sustain educational innovation and ensure a high-quality education for its students, KDI School has undergone major renovations to its classrooms to create “hybrid learning classrooms” that enable synchronous, simultaneous learning for both online and offline students. The new classrooms allow the faculty and students to balance face-to-face and online aspects of learning by utilizing the latest in edu-tech digital equipment.

5. KDIS Opens Human Rights Center

Since its opening in 2019, the KDIS Human Rights Center has been newly relocated to Room 311 while continuing to operate a variety of services to prevent and eradicate human rights violations. This center provides consultation on human rights violations as well as psychological counseling/therapy for all KDIS members.

6. 20th Anniversary of GDLN

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN). Initiated by the World Bank in 2000, GDLN has shared development solutions through its global network of affiliates. In celebration of this milestone, KDI School will host the 20th Anniversary GDLN Seminar Series on the World of Learning Post-COVID-19.

7. New Scholarship Program

KDI School signed new MOUs to offer additional scholarship programs to its students. The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Global Scholarship and the KOICA-KDIS Master / PhD Scholarship Program provide KDIS students with benefits including full tuition waivers, monthly stipends, round-trip airfares, and more.

8. Joint University Campus & KDI School

KDI School, the National Agency for Administrative City Construction, and Sejong City have concluded a MOA for the move into a Joint University Campus in Sejong City. The Joint University Campus is designed to enhance international exchanges and cultivate highly skilled human resources. KDI School will have new branch campus in the Joint University Campus by 2024.

9. Completion Ceremony in Middle of Pandemic

The KDI School courtyard was bedecked with hats and gowns on August 3 as the school hosted its 2020 Summer Completion Ceremony. The ceremony, which was originally scheduled to be a Zoom-only event, was shifted to a safe, small gathering in the courtyard.

10. KDI School Launches TEDxKDISchool

KDI School’s first TEDx event was held this summer in both an online and offline format. Participants were not only introduced to new ideas but also shown compelling presentations and innovative solutions.

The Globe - KDI School Yearzine 2020