Video: Korea University Media Center

On 5 May 2025, UNDP Seoul Policy Centre (USPC) and Korea University (KU) gathered at KU Central Square to celebrate two significant milestones: 120 years since the founding of KU, and 60 years of UNDP. USPC Director Anne Juepner and KU President Dong-one Kim kicked off the ceremony by jointly unveiling a commemorative monument and planting seven native saplings as symbols of the enduring partnership and shared commitment to sustainable development and international cooperation.

Since its establishment in 2011 on KU campus, USPC has leveraged the university’s academic excellence to co-host policy dialogues, conduct joint research, and engage talented students in bridging Korean development experience with global SDG priorities. Over the past decade, this collaboration has fostered innovative joint initiatives such as the UNDP Student Ambassadors programme, which empowers students to design and implement SDG solutions both locally and globally.

The support of distinguished guests from KU and sister UN agencies enriched the ceremony. Alongside President Kim and Director Juepner were Shengyao Tang, Representative and Head of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Office in the Republic of Korea, and Seokjin Han, Deputy Director of World Food Programme (WFP) Seoul Office.

In her address, Director Juepner expressed gratitude to Dean Jung-Sun Han of the College and Graduate School of International Studies at KU for hosting USPC, and acknowledged Professors Yowhan Son and Woo-Kyun Lee of the Department of Environmental Science, for their continued academic leadership in global USPC-KU sustainable forestry initiatives.

The commemorative monument and seven trees stand not only as a living testament to past achievements but also as roots for future growth in partnership. USPC and KU reaffirmed their pledge to expand joint research, deepen student engagement, and co-create high-impact SDG solutions that resonate beyond the KU campus.