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Programs

Programs of World Friends Korea

  • KOICA Volunteers
  • IT Volunteers
  • Youth Volunteers(KUCSS)
  • Youth Volunteers(PAS)
  • Techno Peace Corps
  • Senior Experts
  • Taekwondo Peace Corps
  • Advisors

World Friends KOICA Volunteers

The KOICA Overseas Volunteers (KOV) program aims at sharing Korea’s development experiences with other countries around the world and at supporting their economic and social development. As one of the grant aid projects targeting developing countries, the KOV program is handled by KOICA, an affiliate organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All Korean nationals over the age of 20 can apply to become a KOV member.

Program Overview

This is a two-year overseas service program in which all Korean nationals can participate. Based on the government’s experience with dispatching volunteers abroad since 1991, the KOV program now has in place a methodical system that operates smoothly in terms of recruitment/selection/training, support for activities and even support for members when returning to Korea.

Description

Volunteers provide services related to about 50 fields including education, public health, ICT, administrative systems, rural village development, industrial development, energy and the environment. Around 1600 members are serving abroad annually with about 1000 new members additionally dispatched each year. In addition to the regular KOV program, World Friends Korea NGO Volunteers, World Friends Korea Saemaeul Leaders and Industry–Academia Cooperative Volunteers are dispatched in cooperation with NGOs, the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government and universities that have concluded industry–academia agreements with KOICA.

Application
To World Friends Korea KOICA Volunteers Website

World Friends IT Volunteers

The Korea IT Volunteers (KIV) program dispatches specially trained/qualified IT volunteer groups consisting of university students and IT professionals to developing countries for IT education and IT project implementation. This program aims at narrowing the information gap in developing countries while also enhancing the global mindset and competitiveness of Korea’s science and engineering students as they participate in the activities.

Program Overview

The Korea IT Volunteers (KIV) program jointly promoted by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the National Information Society Agency contributes to: bridging the “digital divide” existing in less-developed countries, publicizing Korea’s IT development and related industries, building a foundation for Korean IT industry’s entry into the global stage by establishing IT human resource networks, and spreading a digital “Hallyu”, the Korean wave.

Description

Volunteers are sent abroad in July~August (Short Term: 1 month, Mid Term: 2 months) and September~November (Mid Term: 2~3 months). Each team of four members (two for IT, one for language and one for cultural exchange) provides computer and Internet education, repairs PCs and networks, supports website creation, publicizes IT Korea and Korean culture, and builds a human network in the IT field.

Application
To World Friends Korea IT Volunteers Website

World Friends Youth Volunteers (KUCSS)

The Korean University Council for Social Service (KUCSS) was founded with nationwide universities and colleges as members in 1996 with the goal to spread the culture of social service. As a way to faithfully fulfill this goal, KUCSS is dispatching young volunteers to overseas locations. The Youth Volunteers program established to implement the ‘Global Youth Project’ to encourage young people’s participation on the global stage aims at spreading the spirit of service and sharing to young people (university students) through overseas service activities, promoting better understanding and acceptance of different cultures and cultural diversity, and improving the national brand image of Korea and its relationship with other countries.

Program Overview

KUCSS operates short-term overseas service programs where members serve for 2~3 weeks during summer and winter holidays in least-developed countries. In addition, KUCSS supports service programs operated internally by each university. KUCSS sent volunteers for the first time in 1997 with the goals of encouraging Korean university students to improve their international competitiveness, promote self-development and foster a spirit of service while also building mutual understanding and friendships through their interaction with students in foreign countries. As of present, approx. 2400 university students have been sent to various locations around the world.

Description

Volunteers provide specialized education in the fields of robotics/computer engineering, agriculture, medicine/public health and physical rehabilitation in addition to general educational services such as Korean language, Korean culture, English and Taekwondo. They also provide assistance in local schools and public organizations by helping with facility repairs/maintenance and environmental cleaning. In addition, KUCSS volunteers participate in cultural exchange activities with local universities. A characteristic of KUCSS activities is that the volunteers perform activities together with local students in addition to their usual service activities.

Application
To World Friends Korea Youth Volunteers(KUCSS) Website

World Friends Youth Volunteers (PAS)

The Pacific Asia Society (PAS) is a non-profit corporation founded on July 12, 1994 with the goal to promote exchange and cooperation, and thus increase mutual understanding among countries in the Asia–Pacific region while also building a community among the countries to secure a foundation for joint prosperity. PAS sends youth volunteers to Asia–Pacific countries.

Program Overview

The World Friends Korea PAS Youth Volunteers program is a short-term service program (3 weeks in summer and winter) to which Korean university students can participate through recommendations from their respective schools. Since 1997, WFK PAS Youth Volunteers has sent approx. 8000 volunteers to date. In addition, the members are performing service activities in Korea by joining in and organizing youth societies (mentor groups). Based on its many years of experience of sending volunteers abroad, WFK PAS Youth Volunteers now has in place a methodical system that operates smoothly in terms of recruitment/selection/training, support for activities and even support for members when returning to Korea.

Description

The Youth Volunteers (PAS) programs include (but are not limited to) educational services (Korean language education, elementary to high school), special education programs, and physical education (Taekwondo). They also provide public health and medical services, assistance to local orphanages and nursing homes, road repair, tree planting, housing construction and painting, cultural exchange (Korean food festivals, cultural exchange performances, etc.) and even hair dressing. For this leadership training course for university students, the team members organize all activities by themselves.

Application
To World Friends Korea Youth Volunteers (PAS) Website

World Friends Techno Peace Corps (TPC)

The Techno Peace Corps shares Korea’s experience of scientific and technological advancement with developing countries, and thus contributes to their development. Only highly qualified and experienced professionals are recruited and sent to universities and research labs in developing countries where they serve as visiting professors and volunteer researchers.

Program Overview

The TPC program aims at: accelerating the international performance of Korea’s high-quality educational, scientific and technological human resources in overseas locations, supporting advancement of the developing countries by sharing Korea’s experiences and expertise in education, research and economic development, and increasing Korea’s international leadership and scientific/technological diplomatic power.

Description

TPC activities began with 17 members dispatched to eight organizations of six countries in 2006. TPC has since been engaged in cooperative research in various scientific fields. As of present (2013), 40 volunteers of the 8th team are working directly with 25 organizations of 13 countries.

Application
To World Friends Korea Techno Peace Corps Website

World Friends Korea Senior Experts (KSE)

Korea Senior Experts (KSE) is one of the programs operated by World Friends Korea. KSE members are experts retired from private or public organizations who have experiences in the respective fields.

Program Overview

Korea Senior Experts (KSE) is a program promoted as part of the World Friends Korea Volunteers project (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). It has been implemented since 2010 by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency with the goal to contribute to eradicating poverty and achieving economic and social advancement in the developing countries while strengthening the relationship with these countries by making active use of retired experts in Korea.

Description

KSE employs experts retired from private or public organizations who have a wealth of experience in the respective fields. KSE aims at spreading Korea’s industrial development expertise and experiences in the fields of ICT, energy resources and industrial technologies, and thus at contributing to economic and industrial advancement in the developing countries. Retired experts and those scheduled for retirement who are motivated to serve abroad are recruited to serve one-year sojourns after completing a prescribed training program.

Application
To World Friends Korea Senior Experts Website

World Friends Taekwondo Peace Corps

The Korea Taekwondo Peace Corps aims at practicing the virtues of sharing and service spirit, developing friendship, love for humanity, love for peace, and contributing to the world peace movement.

Program Overview

Experts motivated to volunteer abroad who have a bachelor’s degree or higher and more than 10-years experience in a related field.

Description
  • - Service activities performed through Taekwondo with 205 countries and emerging energy-rich nations
  • - Energetic and dynamic global service team befitting the brand ‘Dynamic Korea’
  • - Enhancing the status and national brand of Korea through Taekwondo
  • - Promoting human resources/ resources development by publicizing Taekwondo, a key cultural brand of Korea
Application
To World Friends Korea Taekwondo Peace Corps Website

World Friends Advisors

As demand for Korea’s experts is increasing in developing countries, Korea’s World Friends Advisors (WFA) program was developed to activate retired experts who serve abroad by sharing their wealth of personal experiences and providing politic advice. The program aims at spreading Korea’s experiences of economic development and thus contributing to eradicating poverty and achieving economic and social development in the beneficiary countries.

Program Overview

The WFA program aims at eradicating poverty and supporting sustainable economic and social development in developing countries by providing politic advice and spreading knowledge in the fields of administration, education, medicine and agriculture to low-to-mid-income countries. Since the first half of 2010, the WFA program has been dispatching around 50 volunteers on average per year.

Description

Support in the areas of:

  • - Policy development (management, economics, urban development, general administration and ICT)
  • - Education (general education, electronic/electrical/vocational education)
  • - Agricultural/fisheries management (irrigation, cultivation, forestry, livestock etc.)
  • - Medical (general health, maternal, child health, pharmaceuticals etc.)
  • - Science & technology (machinery, water resources management, energy, electricity/electric power, geographical information and civil engineering)
  • - Environmental sustainability
  • - Gender equality
Application
To World Friends Korea Advisors Website