Foreign Professor Can’t Enter Pyongyang, Still Conducting Non-Face-to-Face Classes at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the only international private university in North Korea, is facing challenges in managing its academic programs. Foreign professors who applied for visas to enter Pyongyang ahead of the semester in March have not yet been able to enter the country.
The university, approved by the Ministry of Unification and the North’s Ministry of Education in 2009, offers classes in English to students who are mostly graduates of North Korea’s leading universities. The school focuses on practical studies such as business administration, medicine, and agriculture, aiming to meet global standards.
Due to the pandemic, foreign faculty members have been unable to travel to North Korea, leading to a halt in normal classes. The university has resorted to conducting online classes using Skype, but the effectiveness of non-face-to-face lectures is considered lower than traditional face-to-face classes.
To make up for the lack of in-person instruction, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology has dispatched alumni and professors from other North Korean universities. However, challenges remain in providing English classes, as the supply and demand of textbooks used by students is not smooth.
Despite sanctions against North Korea, students from the university have previously studied abroad in countries like China, the UK, Switzerland, and Brazil. However, current restrictions have made it impossible for them to continue their studies abroad.
In an effort to address these challenges, Lee Seung-yul, the third foreign president of the university, has embarked on a business trip to raise funds and explore joint research projects in the agricultural and food sector. He expressed concerns about the current state of inter-Korean relations and the international situation, emphasizing the importance of revitalizing exchanges between the two Koreas.