Sister city delegation from South Korea visits UH Hilo, strengthening collaboration in education and cultural exchange
“No institution or region can thrive in isolation; cross-cultural collaboration across the Pacific is essential for our shared future.” —UH Hilo Professor of Political Science Su-Mi Lee.
Story by Letrice Mitchell/UH Hilo Stories.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo welcomed on October 13 a delegation from Gokseong-gun, a county in South Korea. Coordinated by Professor of Political Science Su-Mi Lee and Associate Professor of Management Hee Sun Kim, the delegation’s visit to the university was part of a busy schedule of meetings and tours hosted by the County of Hawaiʻi administration aimed to strengthen Gokseong-gun’s sister-city relationship with the county.
The South Korean delegation was led by Sang-rae Cho, mayor of Gokseong-gun. Hosting the delegation’s visit to the island was Kimo Alameda, mayor of Hawaiʻi county.
Along with Lee and Kim, UH Hilo administrators joining the group’s visit were Norman Arancon, director of the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management; Julie Mowrer, director of the English Language Institute; and Todd Shumway, director of Global Exchange.
“From an international relations perspective, sister-city relationships are a vital form of public and people-to-people diplomacy,” says Lee, based at the College of Arts and Sciences and whose area of expertise is in international conflict management, particularly in regard to North Korea. In 2021-22 she served as a member of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a constitutional governmental organization to advise the president of South Korea on the formulation of Korean peaceful unification policy.
Lee says partnerships established through municipal governments create real opportunities for individuals to connect over shared values, mutual interests, and common challenges.
“When people come together across borders, we quickly realize we share far more commonalities than differences: we all care for our families, rely on local livelihoods, and face pressing global issues like environmental sustainability,” she says.
Malia Louis, executive assistant and sister city coordinator in the Hawaiʻi county mayor’s office, says “UH Hilo is uniquely positioned to serve as a catalyst for renewed partnerships by connecting people, sharing knowledge, and creating meaningful opportunities for collaboration that benefit both communities.”
“A meaningful opportunity to share our college’s academic and research initiatives, strengthen international friendships, and explore future collaborations”
Louis says educational connections are central to sustaining the broader partnership.
“Student and faculty exchanges in culture, agriculture business, science, and technology can foster mutual understanding, develop future ambassadors, and ensure the relationship endures for generations,” she says.
For example, Gokseong-gun, a rural agricultural community, produces approximately 70 percent of the taro in South Korea. Being a taro-producing community solidifies a shared agricultural interest with Hawaiʻi and a potential starting point for further exchange with the university and the Hilo community at large.
“UH Hilo has a thriving agricultural program and has the potential to bridge traditional practices and cultivation techniques between growers in Hawai’i and South Korea, greatly affecting sustainable food production in both areas,” explains Louis.
Director Arancon presented an overview to the delegation about the agriculture college’s programs and community partnerships. The discussions connected the visitors’ agricultural interests with UH Hilo’s expertise.
“It was a pleasure to welcome the Gokseong Sister City delegation from South Korea to UH Hilo,” says Arancon. “Their visit was a meaningful opportunity to share our college’s academic and research initiatives, strengthen international friendships, and explore future collaborations in agriculture, education, and cultural exchange. We look forward to building on this connection.”
Directors Mowrer (English Language Institute) and Shumway (Global Exchange) met with the delegation at the business college. They introduced UH Hilo’s English language programs and international exchange opportunities.
“When we approach international relations from a positive-sum mindset, where collaboration replaces competition, we create meaningful global progress”
For Professor Lee, preparations extended beyond arranging meetings and hosting. She handcrafted ribbon lei in the colors of the South Korean flag for all the delegates and guided the group for both their on- and off-campus site visits.
Lee, along with Associate Professor Kim from the business college, supported communication between county officials and the delegation. At meetings held with the mayor, Lee translated Mayor Alameda’s speech into Korean, while Kim translated Mayor Cho’s speech into English. Together, their contributions helped connect Gokseong-gun delegates with Hilo county and university officials.
For Lee, these personal and academic connections illustrate the role universities can play in international relations.
“When we approach international relations from a positive-sum mindset, where collaboration replaces competition, we create meaningful global progress,” she says. “Institutions of higher education like UH Hilo play a crucial role in this effort. The knowledge we generate cannot remain confined to campus, its real-world applicability matters.”
As an example of this type of collaboration, members of the delegation commented that through ongoing communication, including with faculty members of Korean origin, UH Hilo can facilitate the sharing of resources related to natural farming, a key focus of the exchange with Gokseong-gun.
Furthermore, should the scope of language training programs expand, the university can provide active support in areas such as arranging dormitory accommodations for visiting students from Gokseong-gun.
“Internationalizing our education prepares our community for an increasingly interconnected world,” says Lee. “No institution or region can thrive in isolation; cross-cultural collaboration across the Pacific is essential for our shared future.”
Story by Letrice “Leelu” Mitchell, a junior majoring in performing arts with a focus in drama.
