Saemaul Undong Virtual Reality Exhibition Center: A new perspective on rural development in Vietnam
On December 27, the Saemaul Undong Rural Development Center and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH, VNU-HCM) launched the Saemaul Education Showroom and the Saemaul Undong Virtual Reality Exhibition Center. The program was held at the Thu Duc campus and livestreamed via the Saemaul Undong Rural Development Center's fanpage.
The inauguration featured the representative from the Korean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City- Ms. Cho Yeonmi; the representative of the Saemaul Globalization Fund - Mr. Kwak Busung; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Vu Hai Quan - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the Party Committee, President of VNU-HCM; Ms. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan - Rector of USSH, HCM-VNU, Director of the Saemaul Undong Center for Rural Development; and representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Rural Coordination Offices of several southern provinces and cities, etc.
Assoc.Prof.Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan spoke at the event. Photo: Ly Nguyen
Speaking at the opening, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan emphasized that the Saemaul Undong Rural Development Center was founded and developed on the basis of diligence, self-reliance, and cooperation. As a result, the center now has over 40 domestic and international partners and has completed over 100 research projects, the majority of which focus on agricultural consulting for locals. She also appreciated the individuals and organizations that supported the school and center over the more than two months it took to establish the virtual reality exhibition. "I hope that with the trust, sustainable collaboration, and friendship between the two parties, the center will contribute to community service and Vietnam's rural development progress.” - she added.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the inauguration of Saemaul Education Showroom and Saemaul Undong Virtual Reality Exhibition Center performed by Assoc.Prof.Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan and Mr. Kwak Busung. Photo: Ly Nguyen
"The two parties have accomplished a lot over the last five years, contributing to Vietnam's rural development. We are delighted to launch the second phase of new rural development in Vietnam, with the aim of commercializing agricultural products and updating technology." -Mr. Kwak Busung, Chairman of the Saemaul Globalization Fund, shared at the ceremony. In addition, he hopes that the younger generation will be exposed to and learn more about rural Vietnam's agricultural products.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Hai Quan expressed his happiness and commended the organizing team's innovation. "The center's establishment is an international social science and technology collaboration. I hope it will make major contributions to developing a new countryside aligned with the country's mission."
On the occasion, the representatives-Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Hai Quan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan, Ms. Cho Yeonmi, Mr. Kwak Busung, and Prof. Dr. Vo Van Sen- also performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the inauguration of Saemaul Education Showroom and Saemaul Undong Virtual Reality Exhibition Center.
The Representatives experienced virtual reality technology. Photo: Ly Nguyen
At the end, representatives and visitors visited the facility and experienced virtual reality technology. This technology is intended for both PCs and smartphones. When accessing the SAEMAUL Virtual Reality Exhibition section on the left corner of the USSH website, users will enter the program's interface with five main categories: the Saemaul lobby exhibition, the Korean Saemaul movement, the Saemaul Globalization Fund, Saemaul Undong in Vietnam, the Saemaul spirit and rural development in Vietnam. In addition, the Saemaul Undong Center also launched the Saemaul Education Showroom featuring informative elements namely ‘the Saemaul Undong Movement in the Republic of Korea (RoK)’, ‘the cooperation and development process between RoK and Vietnam’, etc.
The Saemaul Undong Virtual Reality Exhibition Center contributes to the preservation of Saemaul spiritual values in new rural development, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) initiative, and the center's accomplishments. The event is a highlight in a series of activities celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the RoK (December 22, 1992–December 22, 2022).
Visit https://crd-su-vr.hcmussh.edu.vn/ to see the exhibition.
Anh Trinh
Translated by: Ngoc Han
