Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) through its KOV Hyunju Woo has completed a KOV small scale project “Establishment of Korean Language Classroom for Training Korean Teacher” in Biswa Bhasa Campus. Through this project KOV Woo supported to construct a new Korean Language Classroom. The total budget of this project was around $21,500. For this project KOICA supported $20,000 and Korean Language Department, Bishwa Bhasha Campus supported $1500.

The project inauguration ceremony took place on August 23, 2023, at the Bishwa Bhasha Campus. PARK, Tae-Young, Ambassador of the Embassy of Republic of Korea and Dr. Yadav Raj Panta, Campus Chief of Bishwa Bhasha Campus jointly inaugurated the newly constructed Korean Language classroom. Mooheon Kong, Country Director of KOICA Nepal Office was also presented in the program.

KOICA has been collaborating with Bishwa Bhasha Campus for long time by dispatching qualified Korean language instructors to support the campus in running the Korean language program. KOV Woo has been working in this campus for the last 14 months. Ms. Woo represents the second batch of volunteers dispatched by KOICA HQ to the KOICA Nepal Office after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The primary objective of this project was to improve the quality of Korean language classes at Bishwa Bhasha Campus. Similarly, the secondary objectives of the project are to promote Korean language content and ensure equivalent educational access to the girls' students in Korean Language Education. The project also included the renovation of restroom facilities. Additionally, the project provided 16 sets of desks and benches for the classroom.

PARK, Tae-Young, emphasized the significance of Bishwa Bhasha Campus as an authoritative institution for deploying Korean language volunteers. He pointed out that the Ministry of Education has now included Korean language education as an optional subject at the school level. Similarly, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with Bishwa Bhasha Campus, has also initiated Korean Language teacher training programs. He expressed his confidence in the potential to produce skilled teachers in the near future.

Additionally, he mentioned that the upcoming year marks the 50th anniversary of Nepal and Korea's bilateral relationship. He emphasized in the importance of language literacy in developing and nurturing the cultural ties between Korea and Nepal. He anticipates that learning the Korean language will create new job opportunities and will also be beneficial for the Employment Permit System (EPS) and upcoming government programs.

Mooheon Kong, Country Director of the KOICA Nepal Office, conveyed his gratitude to the campus for their assistance to KOV Hyunju Woo. He also highlighted the project's potential to greatly enhance Korean language education both within the campus and in the broader community.

Dr. Yadav Raj Panta, Campus Chief provided a vote of thanks to the KOICA and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea for their support and expected a similar kind of cooperation in the future.

Despite the campus having a history of offering Korean language classes, it lacks the absence of a fully equipped Korean language classroom compared to the growing number of students in each session. This gap was effectively addressed through KOV’s initiative, aiming to create an optimal learning setting for students studying the Korean language.

With help from KOICA and Campus, KOV Woo successfully conducted the project. KOICA holds very high expectations for the project's outcomes in the coming days. Furthermore, it is also anticipated that the campus will effectively utilize the KOICA Volunteer's project by incorporating additional infrastructures and equipment in the future to ensure the sustainability of the project.

Korea Overseas Volunteer (KOV) Program is one of KOICA's main initiatives aimed at contributing to the socio-economic development of partner countries at the grassroots level. KOICA dispatches Korean national volunteers to partner government organizations based on their expertise, knowledge, and experience. Each volunteer serves in Nepal for 1 years in various fields such as education, health, agriculture, and ICT. Currently, 10 KOVs are actively engaged in various government sectors under an agreement between the governments of Korea and Nepal.