Kenyan Foreign Minister Visits SKKU

The Department of Political Science and Diplomacy, the Graduate School of Strategic Studies, and the Center for Good Democracy of SKKU hosted a special lecture by Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, on June 2 (Tuesday) at Sohyang Hall on the 6th floor of the 600th Anniversary Hall.

Prior to the lecture, Minister Mudavadi and Emmy Jerono Kipsoi, Ambassador of Kenya to Korea, met with President Ji Beom Yoo. During the meeting, they introduced the Kenyan government’s policy to expand the ICT sector and requested SKKU’s interest and cooperation. President Yoo expressed his commitment to promoting exchanges and expanding collaboration between SKKU and Kenyan universities.

Under the title “Korea–Kenya Partnership for Future Cooperation,” Minister Mudavadi delivered a one-hour lecture to SKKU students. He noted that the international community is currently facing serious geopolitical crises and economic instability, including the resurgence of unilateralism, the increasing transactional nature of diplomacy, conflicts involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, and the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. In response to these challenges, he emphasized that Africa is strengthening regional economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and building diversified global partnerships, thereby moving beyond aid dependency and promoting mutually beneficial development.

He further explained that Kenya and the Republic of Korea have developed a close partnership centered on ICT technologies, highlighting Kenya’s smart city project, Konza Technopolis, in which the Korean government is participating. He also introduced the two countries’ expanding cooperation in healthcare and medicine, including efforts related to attracting a branch of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), as well as in sustainable green economy sectors such as climate change response and renewable energy.

Minister Mudavadi was elected to the Kenyan National Assembly at the age of 29 and has pursued a political career for 35 years. His major public service positions include Vice President (2002–2003) and Deputy Prime Minister (2008–2013). He currently also serves as Prime Cabinet Secretary, a position comparable to the Prime Minister-level role in Korea. In response to students’ questions about career development, he shared his own experiences and advised them that, regardless of their aspirations, they should cultivate the self-discipline necessary to maintain control over themselves.

Following the lecture, Minister Mudavadi toured Bicheondang and Myeongnyundang, where he learned firsthand about the origins of SKKU’s 600-year history. Observing that the main shrine of the Confucian shrine, lecture halls, and student residences were all located within the same area, he remarked that he could understand why Korea places such a strong emphasis on education.