The Jeonbuk International Development Cooperation Center at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) (Director Baek Sook-hee) held a meeting with local stakeholders on the 10th to begin concrete efforts this year to establish a locally led international development cooperation (ODA) ecosystem.

The meeting brought together ODA-related organizations in the Jeonbuk region—public institutions, research institutes, universities, and NGOs—to share the current status of region-based ODA initiatives and to create synergies through inter-institutional linkage and collaboration.

At the council meeting, representatives from 11 organizations attended, including the Center, Jeollabuk-do Provincial Government, JBNU, Jeonbuk Research Institute, Local Government Officials Development Institute, Korea Food Research Institute, Jeonbuk Technopark, Jeonju City Research Institute, Jeonbuk International Cooperation Promotion Agency, UNESCO Asia-Pacific Intangible Cultural Heritage Center, Jeonju Kijeon College, and Good Neighbors. They discussed the direction and plans for Jeonbuk region ODA this year, ways to expand cooperation by sharing institutional information and annual plans, and measures to strengthen the council’s operations to revitalize the regional ODA ecosystem.

The "Jeonbuk Regional ODA Revitalization Council," officially launched on August 12 last year, has achieved notable results in a short period. The Council has helped expand the base for regional ODA by building networks through the Center’s forums, organizing the specialized international development cooperation seminar "INDICODE," and offering JBNU’s course "International Development Cooperation and ODA," among other collaborative activities.

The attending members agreed that, beyond aligning with government policy and the direction of the 4th Basic Plan for International Development Cooperation, it is important to establish a proactive roadmap that leverages Jeonbuk’s unique strengths and realizes the essential value of ODA. The Center also shared outcomes from the recent "ODA Startup Hackathon" and field research in Uzbekistan, proposing measures to support local youth’s global advancement in coordination with council member organizations.

JBNU Professor Lee Hak-gyo said, "For qualitative growth of Jeonbuk region ODA, a system that organically connects each institution’s expertise and resources is essential. Based on our collaborative experience to date, we will strive to ensure that this council firmly establishes itself as the control tower and a practical cooperation platform for regional ODA projects."

Baek Sook-hee, Director of the Jeonbuk International Development Cooperation Center, said, "We thank the committee members for coming together for Jeonbuk’s internationalization and ODA development despite their busy schedules. Building on the cooperative foundation established last year, in 2026 we will identify more diversified joint projects and expand successful cooperation models among Jeonbuk region ODA-related organizations."