NORTH KOREA: English language university set to open
Updated
North Korea has long been one of Asia's most reclusive countries, but it looks set to take a step out of intellectual isolation, with the construction of the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. The communist regime has approved the creation of the English language university, to cater for North Korea's student elite. The University is largely being funded by evangelical Christian groups, with the support of the South Korean government.
Presenter: Sonya Heydeman
Speakers: Professor John McKay from Analysis International in Australia
HEYDEMAN: The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology will be financed by a network of evangelical Christians and other supporters, including the South Korean government, sourcing around 150 million US dollars to building the facility. The Yongbyan and Pyongyang Association is one such fundraising group, and spokesman Hugh Kim says the project is closely related to the Yongbyan University in China.
KIM: The university in China is the same as Korea University of Science and Technology. After Kim Yong Kim they built university in North Korea to make open their country to develop Korean unification.
HEYDEMAN: With funding from Christian networks around the world, some questions are being raised about the Christian influence on campus. Professor John McKay from Analysis International in Melbourne, Australia says it's an issue that needs to be carefully managed.
MCKAY: All of us who deal with Korea I think they're a little bit worried about the growing influence of often a rather fundamentalist kind of christianity in South Korea. It does have some dangerous consequences, we've seen that in terms of the hostages in Afghanistan, it can flow over into all kinds of undesirable things. But this ultimately is for the North Korean government to manage.
HEYDEMAN: But not everyone is concerned about the source of financing. Dr Park Yong Koh, senior research fellow at the Korean Institute for National Unification says he doesn't think where the money comes from makes much difference.
PARK: As first introducing new education system, introducing a method of learning new technology or information and other related things, so I don't think it really matters.
HEYDEMAN: The South Korean government and a number of international agencies such as the World Bank are keen to eventually push North Korea towards opening up to the world and greater involvement in the international community. And realtistically this is the start of a long process. Analysis International's Professor McKay says it will also involve some practical steps in terms of the nuclear issue. He says the South Korean government is keen to help the North develop its economy, and a science and technology upgrade would be an enormous step towards that.
MCKAY: North Korea is also desperate and the South Koreans are desperate to help North Korea to develop its human technology. North Korea has shown in the past that it has some very bright people and in the 1970s in particular North Korea was very advanced. And of course North Korea has managed to produce nuclear weapons pretty much under its own steam. So there is the nucleus there of a strong scientific community which could be harnessed for peaceful purposes. So it's a multi-faceted project, it's something I think which if it was handled correctly could be of enormous benefit all around.
HEYDEMAN: Yongbyan and Pyongyan association's Hugh Kim says there are high hopes that the university will help the people of North Korea improve their lives. However he says he does have some reservations about its true agenda.
KIM: The name of the university of science and technology, that means they can teach very similar skills that lead to making weapons. Recruiting students mainly organised by North Korean government means that there will be military people. That's why we worry about that.
HEYDEMAN: Meanwhile Professor McKay from Analysis International says it doesn't surprise him that some people are somewhat cynical about the arrangements.
MCKAY: I think it's not surprising that people would be cynical about the North Korean regime. In the past they've been the masters of using various kinds of projects to suck in aid from various organisations and governments and the international community. Generally I think this is a risk that we always have to take with the North Korean government. But in terms of nuclear weapons I think the development of the university has to go hand in hand with attempts to introduce inspection regimes and the like and to make sure that North Korea is abiding by its commitments under the six-party talks.
