Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) (President Kim Dong-won) held an International Agricultural and Life Sciences SDGs Zoom Conference involving five countries—South Korea, Uganda, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam—to review achievements in international exchange and cooperation in the agriculture and livestock sectors for developing countries in Africa and Asia and to present future prospects.

JBNU Link Plus Project Group (Director Ko Young-ho) and the BK Plus Research Group for Training Green Bio Talent in Plant and Animal Hazard Control (Director Kim Jae-su) hosted the event. The Office of International Development Cooperation, the Microbial Breeding Support Center for Agriculture and Livestock, the Institute of French and African Studies, and others participated. The online event held on the 8th was attended by more than 100 young students and officials from five countries, who sought avenues for international exchange and cooperation.

The JBNU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences began cooperation with Makerere University in Uganda in 2016 to promote rural development and economic growth in Uganda. JBNU invited 13 undergraduates from Makerere's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and provided a two-year master’s program. Upon returning home, they established Korean-style cooperatives and agricultural ventures.

Through this effort, JBNU, together with KOICA, the Korea Invention Promotion Association, and sponsoring companies, established a Korean-style agricultural & livestock pilot complex in Uganda in November 2019, where circular agriculture and livestock practices—such as horticulture, poultry farming, and compost resource utilization—are being implemented. The Ugandan professionals trained at JBNU now play key roles in the local agriculture and livestock sectors and are cited as a successful case of international exchange and cooperation.

At the conference, Bull David, a former international student at JBNU, said, “The techniques I learned at JBNU have been of great help to agricultural development in developing countries,” and added, “Together with my colleagues, we are striving for sustainable agriculture and livestock production rather than treating the support from JBNU and partner organizations as a one‑time benefit.”

Following the Uganda results, Dr. Truong from the Vietnam National University of Veterinary Medicine presented the progress and plans of livestock development cooperation projects using biotechnology and beneficial microorganism technologies. Professor Cho Hwa-rim of JBNU’s Institute of French and African Studies presented a case titled “Korea–Morocco Youth Start-up Platform Exchange and Cooperation through International Collaboration with African (Morocco) Partners,” and proposed ways to link universities’ SDGs and corporate ESG.

Next, Lee Young-jin, CEO of Delta Korea, attracted attention by presenting a case of youth exchange and cooperation through the establishment of Korean smart farms in the Middle East, specifically the United Arab Emirates. Won Hee-jae, team leader at the Korea Invention Promotion Agency, presented cases of technology support using intellectual property to solve global technical issues.

In particular, JBNU students who had participated in overseas cooperative projects, along with male and female students from Hongcheon Agricultural High School, also took part, drawing attention as they discussed their aspirations for further study and careers in the agricultural field.

In the second session, moderated by Professor Moon Kyung-yeon of JBNU, an International Exchange and Cooperation and SDGs Overseas Career Exploration Panel brought together 11 panelists from universities, companies, and related organizations to share diverse experiences from various countries.

They agreed that, to achieve sustainable international exchange and development cooperation, efforts must move beyond a volunteer‑focused approach and broaden their perspective globally to nurture young skilled professionals and create stable employment.