Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) students and other young people from Jeonbuk and Uzbekistan visited Uzbekistan to assess the local applicability of social problem–solving ideas derived through the Bridging Glocal Camp. This marked the start of a field-based international development cooperation experiment in which participants go beyond desk-bound thinking to see, listen, and ask questions firsthand.

The Jeonbuk International Development Cooperation Center, operated by JBNU, conducted a dispatch from the 19th to the 25th to validate global social problem–solving ideas generated during the domestic Bridging Glocal Camp through on-site investigations in Uzbekistan.

This dispatch was significant in that Jeonbuk–Uzbekistan youth formed mixed teams and participated from the camp stage. They refined their ideas by incorporating feedback from Uzbek students studying in the Jeonbuk region. An 11-member survey team visited everyday sites in Uzbekistan, including Tashkent City Mall, Chorsu Bazaar, and local mahalla communities, to see how these ideas could be implemented locally and to identify where they would need to be adapted to fit existing systems.

They split into two teams. One proposed a local community app called 'Family' for mothers in Uzbekistan, and visited mosques, bazaars, and relevant agencies to explore the potential for women-centered community formation and resource sharing. The other team examined how 'ShifoKor', a pediatric healthcare access support app for families with infants and young children, could be integrated into daily life by visiting universities, hospitals, and kindergartens to study the realities of local healthcare utilization.

In addition, students visited the KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) Uzbekistan Office, the Rural Development Administration's KOPIA (Overseas Agricultural Technology Development Project) Uzbekistan Center, and IT Park Uzbekistan to learn about local ODA project trends and the startup and digital environment. They also directly observed the actual work environment and collaboration structures at international development sites.

Through this, participants experienced a 'proof-of-concept' process that goes beyond simple field visits, refining hypotheses and MVP (minimum viable product) models developed domestically to match local demand. It is expected that this will help them concretize future career paths in the field of international development cooperation.

Student Lee Ji-min, who participated in the survey, said, 'It was very meaningful to see and hear firsthand how the social problem–solving ideas planned in Korea are received within the local culture, institutions, and daily life.' Student Ahn Yu-jin remarked, 'Hearing the voices of citizens and experts on site made me realize that international development cooperation is not an abstract concept but a matter of real-world problems, which was very meaningful.'

Baek Sook-hee, Director of the Jeonbuk International Development Cooperation Center, said, 'The experiences participants gained by confronting challenges on site will become valuable assets as they grow into global social innovators.' She added, 'We will continue to implement a variety of programs to strengthen glocal capacities in the Jeonbuk region.'