Dr. Joo appointed Dean at Pyongyang Univ. of Science and Technology
Dr. Pilju Kim Joo has been appointed as the Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) in Pyongyang, North Korea. PUST is North Korea’s first private institution of higher education founded, operated and totally funded by associations and people outside the country. PUST is a joint project of mainly private sectors from the Republic of Korea and the United States along with contributions from groups and individuals from other nations, in particular China, Canada, Australia and the European Union.
The university opened its doors in September 2009, and plans are underway to enroll 150 undergraduate and 60 graduate students in the first year beginning in May 2010 from the top students throughout the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). They will be enrolled in three schools: Agriculture and Life Sciences, Information Technology, and Business Management. Classes will be taught in both Korean and English. Plans also include hiring up to 250 faculty members from universities and research institutions in South Korea, China, the United States, and elsewhere.
The goal of PUST is to contribute to North Korea’s economic development by training professionals in engineering, information technology, agriculture, life sciences and international business. Recognizing the necessity of fluency in foreign languages, English, Chinese, French, German, and Japanese will also be taught. Master’s and doctorate degrees will be awarded in architecture and design (A&D); computing, electronics and communication technology (CEST); agriculture and food engineering (AFE); and materials and mechanical engineering (MME). In addition, a School of Business will award Master degrees in business administration (MBA).
After introductory negotiations, the PUST project was started in 2001, on the initiative of Professor Kim Chin Kyung, endorsed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. Professor Kim’s earlier accomplishments include being the founding President in 1992 of Yanbian University of Science and Technology (YUST) in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in northeastern China. PUST will cooperate with YUST and draw on their experiences. PUST construction plans endured some complications that slowed its completion in 2005 and 2006 due to the 2006 North Korean nuclear test. By the university is now up and functioning.