International Studies & Programs

VIPP Hosts Virtual Workshop on the World Post-Covid 19 for South Korean Government

The innovative program brought together South Korean government officials and experts from around the U.S. to prepare for the post-pandemic era.

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Published: Tuesday, 16 Mar 2021 Author: Teresa Svec, Visiting International Professional Program

When the pandemic struck and international travel became impossible, VIPP quickly took action to find new ways to continue to offer high-quality exchange experiences in a virtual setting. Dr. Mina Shin, Associate Director of VIPP, developed VIPP’s first virtual training program – the Global Executive Workshop on the World Post-Covid 19 – in collaboration with the South Korean Ministry of Personnel Management. The two-day long workshop took place on December 3-4, 2020, for South Korean government officials from various government ministries. The workshop examined the effects of Covid-19 on society and shared strategies for preparing for the post-pandemic era. The training was very timely in its online format, but also in its content, as Covid-19 is relevant to everyone worldwide. “We all suffer from the pandemic. This workshop allowed people to get together to discuss how we can make good decisions to fight back and make a difference. It is our effort to mitigate and actively respond to the pandemic,” said Dr. Shin. 

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The South Korean government has quickly adapted and adjusted how public services are delivered to minimize the negative impact of the pandemic. It is ahead of the game by already preparing for the post-pandemic era.

A forum for reflection and preparation

At the onset of the pandemic, government leaders and public servants had to quickly break from routine to deploy innovative solutions to many unpredictable problems. The Global Executive Workshop gave Korean government leaders and public servants a forum to discuss their challenges and gain insights from one another. The training featured scholars, leaders, and experts in communications, public administration, sociology, education, public health, and international politics. Participants had the opportunity to connect with world-renowned experts and learn new strategies to better respond to the pandemic and plan for the future.

Unique challenges, innovative solutions

Coordinating a high-quality learning experience under the constraints of a fully online environment posed some unique challenges for Dr. Shin, especially with participants and organizers on opposite sides of the world. One challenge was the 11 hour time difference between South Korea and East Lansing, as the participants’ preferred format was two days of live synchronous training. Dr. Shin implemented an ingenious way to overcome this problem and make good use of the trainees’ time while respecting the presenters’ time. The workshop brought together a dynamic group of speakers from MSU and across the U.S. in different time zones. Some of the lectures were live, but when the time difference was too great, VIPP recorded the lectures for trainees to watch prior to the session. A 30-minute Q & A with the presenters to complement the recorded lecture gave the participants the opportunity to ask questions in real-time and fully interact with speakers.

Collaborating for the common good

Over the course of the two days, the trainees successfully completed an intensive agenda, which included six different lectures, live Q & A with each of the presenters, and an open forum for participants to reflect on what they learned, refine their understanding, and share ideas. The online format proved to be advantageous for accessing a diverse group of presenters from around the U.S., without the limitations typically imposed by geography and travel. The participants found the virtual training program surprisingly effective and were delighted to see the potential of remote training.  

Photo of participants on zoom call.
Workshop participants share ideas during a remote discussion session.

The collaboration between VIPP and the Korea Ministry of Personnel Management was a success for both parties. VIPP furthered its mission of providing world-class educational exchange experiences while at the same time innovating programs for online education. VIPP was also proud to be able to support public servants and government leaders in their role in fighting the pandemic.