Students from the Jeonbuk region achieved results in strengthening both practical competencies and global awareness through ODA club activities in the field of international development cooperation (ODA) provided by Jeonbuk National University (JBNU)'s Jeonbuk International Development Cooperation Center.

The Jeonbuk International Development Cooperation Center has operated the Jeonbuk-area university students' ODA club 'ODA利 (Odari)' since 2017. Beginning with the first cohort in 2017, the program has carried out various activities to cultivate ODA talent in the Jeonbuk region, and to date a total of 277 participants have completed the program.

The 15th cohort, which engaged in three months of activities during this semester, completed all programs after systematically strengthening their understanding of and practical capabilities in international development cooperation.

ODA利, a name combining the character for 'benefit' (利) and the word 'Leaders', has established itself as a region-based program for developing talent in international development cooperation.

During the 15th cohort's activities, a variety of programs were offered to help participants achieve a balanced theoretical and field understanding of development cooperation. Through reading seminars and film and book discussion sessions, students fostered critical thinking on global development issues. Experience-sharing with alumni from fields such as overseas volunteer teams, KOICA, and NGOs further enhanced career exploration and practical understanding.

Notably, this cohort included international students from Myanmar and Russia who participated alongside domestic students, providing an opportunity to broaden international perspectives through exchange. In the process of sharing different cultural backgrounds and experiences, participants' global communication skills and multicultural understanding were significantly strengthened.

Kim Hye-in, the officer in charge of ODA利, said, "Students demonstrated outcomes that went beyond mere program participation, developing a substantive understanding of the field of development cooperation and clarifying their career directions," and added, "It is highly significant in that it has laid the foundation for Jeonbuk youth to put international development cooperation into practice."