Institute for Development and Human Security(IDHS)

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1. Introduction and History of IDHS

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The Global Cooperation Center (GCC) was founded at Ewha Womans University in September 2007. The GCC was established as South Korea’s first think-tank devoted to multidisciplinary research and outreach programs on development cooperation with a special emphasis on official development assistance (ODA).

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The Global Cooperation Center was renamed as the Institute for Development and Human Security (IDHS) in 2009 to better reflect its expanded research interests when it was awarded the World Class University (WCU) research grant by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Korea. IDHS has two areas of research emphases: comparative analysis of development cooperation, and human security and development in conflict-affected areas.

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IDHS’ vision is for South Korea to play a leading role in sustainable development initiatives, poverty eradication and promoting peace around the world. The institute aims to conduct research on the practices of development cooperation, global public health and the relationship between human security and ODA to promote economic, social and environmental development.

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IDHS research team is an interdisciplinary group composed of faculty members from diverse majors: international studies (development cooperation), medicine (emergency medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, preventive medicine, and etc.), public administration, public health, sociology, and women’s studies. Interdisciplinary research has provided fruitful collaboration for identifying causes of global development problems and their solutions.

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2. Research Projects Undertaken by IDHS

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From 2009 to 2013, IDHS undertook the World Class University research project entitled “Cross-National Comparative Analysis of the Effectiveness of Development Assistance.” IDHS published extensively in academic journals and in the form of book monographs on development assistance and human security; held numerous seminars and conferences; and promoted greater international research cooperation and exchanges.

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In 2013, Dr. Eun Mee Kim, Dean and Professor of the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) and Director of IDHS, and her research team received a research grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2013 to 2016, the first grant from the Gates Foundation to a university in South Korea. The title of the research project was, “Advocacy for Korean Engagement in Global Health and Development.” The project focused on South Korea’s engagement with international development cooperation with a special emphasis on enhancing global health, raising public awareness and support for South Korea’s ODA efforts, and developing a global network strategy between international and domestic organizations.

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IDHS and its research team have identified one of the root causes of the relative meager results for Millennium Development Goal 4 (reduce child mortality) and Millennium Development Goal 5 (improve maternal health) to be late intervention when it comes to maternal and child health (MCH). Traditional MCH support targeted women beyond of the age of 18, which our project team found to be too late in developing countries where early marriage, early pregnancy and childbirth, and child-rearing by girls were occurring. The female adolescents and young girls suffer from early marriage, early pregnancy, malnutrition, sexual violence and lack of educational opportunities, and are exposed to greater environmental risks. This tragedy also passes on to the next generation, causing a vicious cycle of poverty.

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Ewha’s findings were presented to the government of the Republic of Korea, which led to the announcement by President Park Geun-hye at the 70th session of General Assembly meeting in September 2015 at the United Nations of the “Better Life for Girls” initiative. The South Korean government pledged that it will support $200 million in ODA in 2016-2020 for the initiative. It is our commitment here at IDHS to work towards ensuring the implementation of the ODA commitment and seeing these visions come through.

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In recognition of Ewha’s excellence in research and project outcome, Professor Kim and her team received a second grant (US $400,451) from the Gates Foundation entitled, “Korea Global Health Strategy” in November 2016 for the following three years until October 31, 2019. In the second phase of the project, the team will continue their research on South Korea’s engagement in ODA, and expand to include specialists from other majors to broaden the scope for the “comprehensive health” of girls including experts from food & nutrition, nursing science, and physical education. The team will also engage with key stakeholders across the government, multilateral agencies, civil society organizations and academia to build a strong community on the issue of global health with emphasis on girls’ health in developing countries.

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3. Participating Researchers

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Principal Investigator:
• Prof. Eun Mee Kim (Dean, Graduate School of International Studies)

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Ewha Womans University Researchers (in alphabetical order):
• Prof. Hae-Won Chung (Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Eun-Hee Ha (Dept. of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Jae Jin Han (Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Koo-Young Jung (Dept. of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Minah Kang (Dept. of Public Administration, College of Social Sciences)
• Prof. Jean S. Kang (Division of International Studies, Scranton College)
• Prof. Eui Jung Kim (Dept. of Psychiatry, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Eun-Shil Kim (Dept. of Women’s Studies, Graduate School)
• Prof. Hae Soon Kim (Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Harris Hyunsoo Kim (Dept. of Sociology, College of Social Sciences)
• Prof. Kyung-Hyo Kim (Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Seung Cheol Kim (Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Young Ju Kim (Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Yuri Kim (Dept. of Nutritional Science and Food Management, College of Science and Industry Convergence)
• Prof. Oran Kwon (Dept. of Nutritional Science and Food Management, College of Science and Industry Convergence)
• Prof. Gunjeong Lee (Dept. of Nursing, College of Nursing)
• Prof. Sa Ra Lee (Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Eun Ae Park (Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Kyung Ha Ryu (Dept. of Pediatrics, School of Medicine)
• Prof. Jie-Ae Sohn (Dept. of International Studies, Graduate School of International Studies)
• Prof. Sook Ja Yang (Dept. of Nursing, College of Nursing)
• Prof. Kyung Ock Yi (Dept. of Kinesiology and Sports Studies, College of Science and Industry Convergence)

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Assistant Researchers:
• Ms. Jisun Song
• Ms. Dahye Chung
• Ms. Eunji Shin

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Administrative Staff:
• Ms. Jina Kim

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4. Events

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IDHS has organized a number of international seminars, workshops and conferences every year. IDHS has also held seminar with its research team every year. Below are the list of major events organized by IDHS from 2009 to 2016.

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• Institute for Development and Human Security - Chatham House Conference on Development and Human Security: August 3, 2009. London, United Kingdom
• International Conference on “Gender and Development Cooperation: Korea, Denmark and the World”: June 2-4, 2010. Seoul, Korea.
• International Symposium on “Styles of Foreign Assistance”: May 26-28, 2011. Seoul, Korea
• International Conference on “East Asian Human Security and Post-Conflict Development in Comparative Perspective”: May 18, 2012. Seoul, Korea
• International Conference on “Asian Solutions to Asian Problems? Bringing Together Development and Human Security in Asia”: May 24-25, 2013. Seoul, Korea
• International Conference on “Women and Children in Global Public Health ODA: China, Japan and South Korea”: July 18, 2014. Seoul, Korea
• International Conference on “Gender, Health and Environment in Sustainable Development”: May 11, 2015. Seoul, Korea
• 2016 International Girls’ Health Student Writing Competition: June 7, 2016. Seoul, Korea
• 2016 International Conference on Girls’ Health: June 8, 2016. Seoul, Korea 

In 2016, IDHS organized two major events on improving girls’ health in developing countries: 2016 International Girls’ Health Student Writing Competition (June 7, 2016) and 2016 International Conference on Girls’ Health (June 8, 2016). The Writing Competition was developed in order to reach out to the youth of the world, who are the primary stakeholders of the girls’ health initiative – i.e, the youth are the potential primary victims, but members at IDHS felt very strongly that they must also be part of the empowered solutions for improving girls’ health around the world. Thus, we conducted a series of events for the Writing Competition including teach-ins at local high schools and a workshop at Ewha. As a result, a total of 155 teams from 31 countries submitted their proposals, and through two review processes, 27 teams from 14 countries were selected and invited to the Writing Competition to present their research papers on girls’ health in developing countries. The International Conference brought together world-renown experts on girls’ comprehensive health, including Dr. Lloyd J. Kolbe, Emeritus Professor of Applied Health Science in Indiana University School of Public Health—Bloomington, and Ms. Maki Hayashikawa, Chief of Section of Education for Inclusion and Gender Equality of UNESCO. The outcome was the construction and provision of platform for global networking for stakeholders across the government, multilateral agencies, civil society organizations, universities and the general public on the issue of global health and development with emphasis on girls’ health in developing countries.

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Photos

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5. Contact Information

Institute for Development and Human Security
Ewha Womans University
Room 802-2, International Education Building
52 Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03760, Republic of Korea
Tel: 82-2-3277-5915 / Fax: 82-2-3277-5984
E-mail: idhs@ewha.ac.kr
Homepage: http://idhs.ewha.ac.kr

Jina Kim
Tel: 82-2-3277-5915
Email: idhs@ewha.ac.kr ​