**EU Delegation to Strengthen Korea-Europe Science and Technology Cooperation**
On the 5th, the European Union (EU) delegation visited the Ghent University Global Campus (GUGC) and took a commemorative photo with President Han Tae-jun and Park Byung-geun from the IGC Foundation.
[Herald Economy (Incheon) = Reporter Lee Hong-seok] GUGC is being recognized for its achievements as a research-focused university in Korea and is gaining attention as a central institution to strengthen future research cooperation between Korea and Europe.
Maria Castillo Fernandez, the EU Ambassador to Korea, and Signe Ratso, Deputy Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovation, along with other EU representatives, visited GUGC and discussed Korea-EU research cooperation with President Han Tae-jun.
This visit by the EU delegation was part of the final approval process to recognize Korea as an official associate member of Horizon Europe. The goal was to explore new possibilities for bilateral research cooperation by appreciating GUGC’s achievements in science and technology collaboration.
One of the key topics discussed between President Han and the EU was ‘Horizon Europe,’ the EU’s largest research and innovation program.
Horizon Europe is the EU’s flagship research program, which supports research and development (R&D) with a total budget of 95.5 billion euros (approximately 140 trillion won) from 2021 to 2027. It supports global innovative research, including climate change response, food security, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, the maritime industry, AI-based smart agriculture and fisheries, and the blue economy (a circular economy for the maritime industry).
With the agreement, Korea secured the status of an associate member country with the EU.
Since its establishment, GUGC has positioned itself as a research-focused university domestically and has led various national research projects and international research cooperation.
Signe Ratso, the Deputy Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Research and Innovation, said, “This year, Korea will enter into cooperation with Horizon Europe, the world’s largest collaborative research and innovation program, opening up various opportunities for Korean researchers and companies.”
She added, “In particular, GUGC has great potential by maintaining close cooperative relationships with several European universities, including Belgium, and I hope that it will seize this new opportunity to achieve great success in research cooperation and programs.”
Maria Castillo Fernandez, the EU Ambassador to Korea, stated, “The cooperation between the two sides will be an excellent example of overcoming complex economic and digital transitions together through science and innovation.”
President Han Tae-jun said, “This visit reaffirmed that GUGC plays an important bridge role in science and technology cooperation between Korea and Europe. We will continue to do our best to enable Korean researchers and European research institutions to conduct innovative research together.”