Dr. Seok-ku Ko (left), KOWACO President exchanges the signed KOWACO-AIT partnership MOU with Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President.
KOWACO, AIT sign accord
The Korea Water Corporation (KOWACO) and AIT recently formalized its ties through an MoU signed between Dr. Seok-ku Ko (above left), KOWACO President and Prof. Jean-Louis Armand (above right), AIT President.
The KOWACO-AIT accord, signed on 13 May 2004, is expected to spur related activities in human resources development in water and environment, researches on integrated water resources, water supply and waste water, and dam technology; and educational development in related fields.
Dr. Seok-ku Ko (second from right), KOWACO President describes to Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President, a research study on a water virus undertaken in KOWACO's Drinking Water Quality Analysis Center.
Under the framework of this cooperation, focus will be on the promotion of regular academic programs (master's, doctoral, and short courses) and tailor-made training courses for KOWACO staff at AIT; joint research programs; exchange of faculty and staff in educational and research programs; joint seminars, workshops, and symposia; and exchange of technological information.
KOWACO, founded in 1967, is a public enterprise providing 32 percent of Korea's total water supply needs. It is the biggest existing corporation in the country that continually aims to improve public welfare through water supply and water quality improvement. In the academic arena KOWACO maintains strong links with Colorado State University, which played an essential role in the establishment of the then SEATO Graduate School of Engineering, now known as AIT.
In November 2003, Prof. Jae Chul Yi from KOWACO's Water Resources Education Center and Mr. Jin Soo Hwang, Manager for Project Design were welcomed for a visit at AIT's School of Civil Engineering. As a result of the visit, a draft Memorandum of Understanding which, encourages collaboration in areas of mutual interest through education, research, and technology, was discussed.
Welcome aboard: Dr. Seok-ku Ko (sixth from left), KOWACO President and senior KOWACO officials welcome Professor Jean-Louis Armand (seventh from left), Mrs. Candice Ann Armand (fifth from right), and Dr. Kim Kidu (fourth from right).
Six months thereafter, Prof. Jean-Louis Armand, AIT President accompanied by Mrs. Candice Ann Armand and Dr. Kim Kidu, a Korean faculty member in Structural Engineering and an AIT alumnus traveled to Korea in May 2004 to formalize the ties.