The Export-Import Bank of Korea (www.koreaexim.go.kr, Chairman Yong Hwan Kim, “Korea Eximbank”) announced on November 23 that it held an awards ceremony for the first ‘International Development Research Paper Competition’, hosted jointly by the bank and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.

A total of four research papers have been selected as prize-winners after two rounds of review by a panel of judges, chaired by Professor Jang Saeng Kim of Yonsei University and composed of experts from diverse fields including academia and the press.

The Grand Prize went to the ‘Eoulnarae’ team (Ji Eun Park of Seoul National University and 2 other co-authors) whose paper explored the theme of ‘The possibilities for Korean ODA seen from a customer-centered approach’. The team was acclaimed for offering a participatory system for the management of plastic waste focused on recipient countries as a model for international aid.

A total of KRW 14 million was awarded to the winning teams ？ KRW 5 milllion for the winner of the Grand Prize and KRW 3 million each for the other three finalists. The Grand Prize-winning team will also be given a tour of the sites of foreign aid projects financed by the Economic Development Cooperation Fund(EDCF).

Vice-Chairman Seop Shim of Korea Eximbank noted, “This contest was a great opportunity to solicit creative ideas for Korea’s official development assistance (ODA) from undergraduate and graduate students which will inform future policy-making.”

Held for the first time this year, the International Development Research Paper Competition will continue to be held annually to raise the awareness of young people about Korea’s official development assistance and to cultivate future experts in the field of international development who may aspire to become like UN Secretary General Ki Moon Ban.