The National School of Commerce and Management (ENCG) of Kénitra lived to the South Korean time. This cultural and artistic event, rich in colours and flavours, was enhanced by the presence of Taeho Lee, Ambassador of South Korea to Morocco. It aroused the interest of a large public who came to discover the culture of a country that has become a model of economic and technological development. Several students from Ibn Tofail University and the ENCG welcomed this initiative which allowed them to establish a cultural exchange with young Koreans. The latter hosted a day where conviviality and good-natured spirit were at the rendezvous.
During his opening speech, Sadok Khazrouni, director of the ENCG, stressed that this event testified to the particular interest that Ibn Tofail University and the ENCG attach to the "Land of the Morning Calm", with a view to opening up more to this country whose culture and tradition date back to the dawn of time and to better know a true model of economic growth. He also indicated that the collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), resulting in the establishment of a Korean language teaching system, corroborated the desire of this great school to provide its students with the best cultural and linguistic tools. In conclusion, the director of the ENCG estimated that this Korean cultural meeting would have a convincing impact on the school in terms of opening up to its environment and promoting inter-culturality.
After highlighting the deep relations of friendship linking the two countries which were illustrated by the recent visit to the Kingdom of the Prime Minister of South Korea, Chung Hong-won, the South Korean ambassador captured the attention of the many students by retracing the recent history of a country which, in the space of fifty years, has experienced a meteoric rise. At the time an agrarian and poor country, South Korea has today become a great economic power. According to the South Korean diplomat, this evolution has nothing magical about it; it is the fruit of the will of a people who believe in the values of work, voluntarism, sacrifice and solidarity. He recalled, in this regard, the 1997 economic crisis that hit his country hard and which was overcome thanks to the great surge of solidarity of the South Korean people.
"In a country with unfavourable natural conditions, the key to success lies in human capital," he stressed. He did not fail to recall that South Korea has made great efforts in an educational system that values the spirit of initiative and creativity.
This first edition of "Into the Korean Embrace", attended by the president of Ibn Tofail University, Azzeddine Midaoui and several teachers and university executives, was characterised by the presentation of Korean music recitals and the organisation of exhibitions of traditional instruments, reading stands, calligraphy and origami, traditional Korean games and trying on Hanbok (traditional costume) with a photo session. This event with festive dimensions was also an opportunity for the public to get to know Korean culinary art.
This initiative is to be welcomed. It can be a source of inspiration for other major schools and faculties of national universities. For their part, economic operators must encourage such meetings.
AJA Korean Club ENCGK was created in May 2014, after that of ENCG Agadir. It is composed of a group of students passionate about South Korean culture. Among the objectives that the club has set for itself are the learning of the Korean language, as well as the study of the models of Korean companies that are leaders in the global market. Currently, nearly 60 students are learning the Korean language at the ENCGK.
