Representatives from Cheonan University during the signing ceremony.

The Faculty of Education and South Korea’s Cheonan University have signed an official letter of agreement recognizing one another as affiliated institutions and pledging to develop a cooperative relationship. The Burnaby-New Westminster area has the largest Korean population in Canada.

“It is a big opportunity for our university to have this letter of agreement,” said Gab Jong Choi, Cheonan University’s provost and vice president. “We see it as a beginning for developing our school as a global university.”

The agreement includes the joint development of short- and long-term programs in early childhood education curriculum development, instructional design, teaching methods, and quality assessment and evaluation. In addition, the new affiliates have agreed to consider joint programs in educational leadership, educational technology and distance education. The agreement also includes initiatives to promote academic cooperation and cultural exchange between Korea and Canada.

Ian Andrews, SFU’s faculty of education director of international initiatives, said he views these early childhood education initiatives as the beginning of a long-term relationship that may later lead to international collaboration on learning disabilities, special education and literacy programs.

Cheonan University was named the best university in Korea by the Korea Education Committee in 2000 and is widely recognized for its studies in cultural education and educational reform.