WeGO Champions 2024 kicked off in partnership with 2 universities
Seoul, May 24th – WeGO (World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization) is excited to announce a special session for students from Navarra University, focusing on WeGO’s programs and initiatives in smart city development. This initiative stemmed from a study trip to Seoul, organized by the University of Navarra for their International Relations students, as part of an Asian studies course in collaboration with Kyung Hee University. The session was integrated into a comprehensive program that included classroom sessions and visits to various institutions and organizations. A highlight of the event was the presentation of WeGO’s Smart City Champions initiative presented by Mr. Danil Karimi, Chief WeGO Advisor, and WeGO Sustainable Smart City Champions Dean. This initiative underscored WeGO’s commitment to engaging young minds in creating innovative solutions for urban challenges.
This session was attended by 117 participants from the University of Navarra, including 113 undergraduate students and 3 professors. It significantly enhanced understanding of WeGO’s activities among the attendees and aimed at boosting registrations for the Smart City Champions online lecture website.
In the afternoon, the WeGO Secretariat, in collaboration with Seoul National University’s Center for International Development Evaluation (CIDE), launched the WeGO Champions Program in Seoul, the WeGO President City. This event served as a platform to introduce the WeGO Champions online course to students of SNU and to officially start the program through an engaging in-person event.
The session successfully introduced the online course to SNU students, effectively kicking off the WeGO Champions program. Additionally, it facilitated discussions on innovative frameworks for sustainable urban and agricultural development, enriching the attendees’ understanding and engagement with these critical topics.
The session featured esteemed speakers including: Prof. Suk-Won Lee, Graduate School of Public Administration (GSPA), Seoul National University (SNU), who discussed the development of the scoring system for the Seoul Smart City Prize. Mr. Seok Jin Han, Officer in Charge for the World Food Programme, who spoke on WFP and Climate Smart Agriculture, and Mr. Danil Kerimi, who provided insights into innovative frameworks for sustainable urban and agricultural development.
The event was attended by 19 students from Seoul National University, both international and local. This diverse group of students benefited from direct interaction with experts and gained valuable insights into the dynamics of smart city development and sustainable practices.
“We are excited to further expand our WeGO Smart City Champions program, offering a blend of online learning and real-world experiences,” said WeGO Secretary-General Ms. Jung Sook Park. “With the ever-growing importance of sustainable urban development, this program serves as a platform for young leaders to contribute meaningfully to shaping smarter and more inclusive cities.”
About WeGO
The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), is a membership-based international association of local governments, smart tech solution providers, and institutions committed to the transformation of cities into smart sustainable cities through facilitating public-private partnerships (PPP). WeGO was founded by 50 member cities in 2010 as the World e-Governments Organization, hence our acronym. In response to the evolving concept of smart cities, WeGO expanded its vision and mandate at the 7th General Assembly (2017) and its name to the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization. WeGO’s Secretariat is based in Seoul, Korea, and has regional offices in East Asia (Chengdu, China), the Mediterranean (Beyoglu, Turkey), Africa (Abuja, Nigeria), Middle East & North Africa (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), Latin America (Cuenca, Ecuador), and Central Asia (Almaty, Kazakhstan). As the leading platform on smart city development, WeGO’s mission is to share knowledge and good practices in e-Governance; strengthen administrative efficiency and transparency; advance digital capacity; facilitate civic involvement; bridge the digital divide and inequality; and promote cooperation solidarity among cities and local governments around the world.
WeGO serves for its members as their international platform to improve the quality of life, innovate in the delivery of public services, and strengthen regional competitiveness.
Press Contact:
Name: Kakim Danabayev
E-mail: kakim@we-gov.org
Phone: +82-70-4202-9169