SAN FRANCISCO and SEOUL, Korea, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --The Korea-ASEAN Friendship Association (KAFA) has entered into a partnership with Minerva Project to build a new educational institution, based on the Minerva model. This is the only comprehensive implementation of the Minerva system in Korean higher education announced to date. The aim of this new educational institution is to equip future leaders in East Asia and ASEAN countries with the cognitive and leadership skills to help solve regional, socio-economic and geopolitical problems through a superior local education rather than rely on traditional educational pathways of Asian students pursuing their education at Western institutions abroad.

Minerva Project

The new institution will provide students with the cognitive tool set needed to support peacebuilding, conflict mitigation and resolution locally and globally. In addition it will emphasize the development of Asian-oriented values such as community cultivation and the balance between humility and confidence.

"The future development of the demographically young and rapidly growing ASEAN countries will depend on how the young generation will be educated and trained as creative future leaders," said KAFA Executive Director Sunggi Baik, Former President of POSTECH. "The remarkable growth and transformation of South Korea, from one of the poorest countries in the 1960s to becoming the 10th largest economy globally, can be largely attributed to the investment in quality education that produced competitive and innovative leaders able to drive its socio-economic development. Through this partnership with Minerva to create a new higher educational institution able to nurture the cognitive skills for leadership through technology-enabled education, KAFA wants to play a role in sharing Korea's knowledge regionally and reinforcing mutual ties with ASEAN for the peace and prosperity of the entire region."

Minerva Project's experience in building educational programs spans more than a decade, starting with Minerva University, recently ranked by WURI as the most innovative university in the world. Since then, Minerva Project has selected a number of new, innovative universities or existing educational institutions seeking curricular and pedagogical reform to partner with from across the world.

Minerva Project's methodology is based on decades of research in the science of learning, implementing its proprietary cross disciplinary curriculum and Fully Active Learning pedagogy, utilizing Forum, the world's foremost synchronous digital learning environment combined with integrated, place-based experiential learning. These programs, which are focused on systematically teaching and measuring the most important skills and knowledge for the 21st century, create transformative educational outcomes for students.

While some institutions in Korea have been falsely claiming to provide a Minerva education, KAFA's new institution will deliver Korea's only digital learning environment optimized for hybrid, residential higher education programs. It will include customized versions of Minerva's courses, as well as new collaboratively designed offerings that provide the pedagogical benefits and resilient delivery model that Minerva and its partners have successfully employed. It will also include regional rotations, where students live in different Asian cities, applying their knowledge in different contexts and solving local and global challenges.

"Minerva's reputation in Korea is well known," said Ben Nelson, Founder and CEO of Minerva Project. "While many institutions claim to offer Minerva-inspired curricula and pedagogies, KAFA's new institution will be the first Asian higher education institution designed, developed and delivered by the Minerva Project team. Their commitment to adopt the best educational methodologies in order to nurture homegrown leadership skills for the future generation of Asia is the reason that this is the only new Korean university that Minerva has selected to work with so far."

The new institution's program will offer various four-year degrees with concentrations in the social sciences, business, computer science, natural science and humanities. It will be highly selective and, in its first year, will admit 100 top performing students from East Asia and the ASEAN countries.

The institution is scheduled to launch in Fall 2024.

The Korea-ASEAN Friendship Association (KAFA) is a non-profit private corporation established in 2017 by a group of prominent leaders in Korea led by Dr. Jung Kil Hong, Founder and President of Milal Welfare Foundation with the initial funding by Tae Ho Ham, Late President of Ottogi, one of the major food companies in Korea. 

KAFA's mission is to share its knowledge and experience of crucial leadership development with ASEAN countries by establishing the most advanced higher education institute to foster ASEAN talents needed in the Asian Era, and ultimately contribute to a brighter future for the region and the world. KAFA is also committed to cultural exchange and development of research and innovation projects aiming to improve the quality of life and environmental conditions in ASEAN countries.

For additional information about KAFA, visit www.kafa.asia

Minerva Project is a pathbreaking educational innovator, designing and delivering top-tier educational programs through educational and corporate partners globally.

Founded by Ben Nelson in 2011, Minerva's mission is to nurture critical wisdom for the sake of the world. Building upon the best traditions of liberal arts and sciences education, Minerva is committed to preparing global leaders and innovators for the complexities of the twenty-first century. Its groundbreaking creation of Minerva university is detailed in the book Building the Intentional University: Minerva and the Future of Higher Education (MIT Press).

For additional information about Minerva Project, visit www.minervaproject.com

For media queries, contact:
KAFA
Kyungho 'Elliot'  Lee
elliottkhlee@hotmail.com
Minerva Project
Diana El-Azar
diana.elazar@minervaproject.com

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