Culture and Arts Education ODA Must Shift from "Activities" to "Systems"

Kim Sungkyu, Director at Korea University Center:
"Expansion Needed to Legal and Institutional Reforms"

"We must go beyond supporting one-off programs and work to change the entire education system of partner countries."

Kim Sungkyu, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Korea University, presenting at the "Culture and Arts Education ODA Performance Sharing Forum."

Kim Sungkyu, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Korea University, has called for a fundamental transformation in the way Korea conducts its Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects in culture and arts education. On May 20, at the "Culture and Arts Education ODA Performance Sharing Forum" held at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, he stated, "We must move forward to improve the laws and systems of local countries and strengthen their education systems."

He pointed out that Korea has so far focused on "activity-based" support for developing countries, such as short-term training programs, dispatching art instructors, and inviting teachers. Although these initiatives received positive feedback on the ground, he assessed that Korea’s presence in the broader field of development cooperation has remained weak.

As a fundamental issue, he highlighted the current methods for measuring outcomes. Since attention has been placed mainly on counting numbers—like "how many participants" or "how many training sessions"—there has been a failure to connect with major development challenges such as poverty, educational disparities, and youth unemployment.

Kim emphasized, "The development cooperation paradigm is shifting from 'what has been provided' to 'what changes have been achieved.' Culture and arts education should also expand at the system level, including improving relevant laws in partner countries, establishing teacher training frameworks, and developing curricula."

Specifically, he proposed five business models: establishing policies and systems, building educational frameworks, addressing social issues, linking with the cultural industry, and integrating local communities. He called for a redesign into "consulting-type ODA" that converges with health, youth, and regional development sectors.

Kim has participated in the government's "4th Comprehensive Basic Plan for International Development Cooperation" and the establishment of the "Culture ODA Strategy." After serving as a senior researcher at the Korea International Cooperation Agency and as president of the Korea Association of International Development and Cooperation, he is currently active as a member of the International Development Cooperation Committee and as a policy advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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