Envoy Adut calls for expanded educational cooperation between South Sudan and South Korea

SEOUL, 15 OCTOBER 2026 — The Senior Presidential Envoy on Special Programs, Hon. Adut Kiir, has called for expanded educational cooperation between South Sudan and South Korea, with a focus on scholarships, institutional partnerships, and academic capacity building.

The Envoy made the remarks during a meeting with the President of the National Institute for International Education (NIIED), Han Sangshin, a government agency under South Korea’s Ministry of Education responsible for international educational exchange, including the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) programme.

During the meeting, Hon. Adut welcomed South Korea’s inclusion of South Sudan in the GKS programme and called for increased opportunities for South Sudanese students to pursue studies in South Korea.

She noted that illiteracy remains a challenge in South Sudan and said education is essential to national development, institutional capacity, and workforce development.

The Envoy called for more South Sudanese students to benefit from the GKS programme, noting that access to education would help develop the country’s human resources and equip young people with knowledge and skills to contribute to national development.

She also called for measures to address barriers to education facing women, particularly those in underserved communities. She emphasized the need to expand literacy programmes within South Sudan for women who may be unable to travel abroad to pursue their education.

The meeting also addressed opportunities for institutional partnerships and exchange programmes in research, professional training, and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy.

Hon. Adut further called for investment in education infrastructure, expanded learning opportunities for underserved populations, and support for the teaching workforce. She emphasized the need to encourage South Sudanese teachers trained abroad to return home and contribute to the country’s education sector.

The Envoy highlighted the Office’s commitment to expanding access to education through the National High School Sponsorship Programme, which has provided 1,500 scholarships for orphans and vulnerable students to pursue secondary education in South Sudan.

Building on this programme, Hon. Adut proposed an initiative to enable another 1,500 South Sudanese students to study in South Korea, with the Government of South Sudan financing the programme.

She noted that the proposed initiative would expand educational cooperation between the two countries, strengthen local capacity, and provide South Sudanese students with opportunities to study abroad.

The meeting reaffirmed the role of education in South Sudan–South Korea relations, with discussions focusing on scholarships, institutional cooperation, research, and skills development to support South Sudan’s education sector and national development.