Korea offers knowledg sharing programme

Islamabad: Republic of Korea through its national policy driving institutes is working on Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) with Pakistan which is demand-driven and performance-oriented comprehensive consultation project designed to assist Development Partnership Countries like Pakistan in key policy areas by sharing specific Korean development knowledge and experience.

In April 2012, Korea Development Institute (KDI) experts visited Pakistan for consultation with Government of Pakistan and identified four key areas; 1) Creating Space for Urban Micro Enterprises; 2) Strengthening of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Cell for SMEs, 3) Higher Education Management Training and Development, 4) Energy Efficiency Project for Textile Sector, out of 11 proposals submitted by Economic Affairs Division via diplomatic channel under 2012 KSP.

Now, to provide the viable policy alternatives on specific policy issues by carrying out joint research, the implementing agency Korea Institute of Development Strategy (KDS) six member team led by Mr. Lee, Kyong Koo, an executive director & senior research fellow of KDS (KDS is an independent international policy think tank of Korea) had conducted detail demand survey and pilot study in collaboration with concerned Pakistani stakeholders last month.

The wrap-up session of the consultation was chaired by Javed Iqbal, Secretary Economic Affairs Division and was being attended by all stakeholders including Korean Embassy representative. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary EAD appreciated the Korean experts’ intensive working and underlined the importance of the joint research which will not only provide a concrete foundation in policy formation of the country in the selected areas but also opens the door for future cooperation in other fields of mutual interests.

Expressing gratitude on Government of Korea’s pragmatic approach to resolve the country development policy issues by sharing Korean strategy, he added that the KSP project is a proof of a genuine and long- live friendship between Korea and Pakistan.

It is also pertinent to mention here that KSP was launched in 2004 by the Government of Korea and had involved in research and consultations with 33 partner countries and 300 topics till now.