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              Sanctions Hobble Western-Funded Pyongyang University

   by Ham Jiha

   Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, which is largely funded
   by Western-based Evangelical Christians, is facing financial
   difficulties due to international sanctions against North Korea,
   according to Dr. Chan-Mo Park, the school's chancellor.

   The North's recent nuclear tests and hostilities against the South have
   further isolated the country, prompting U.N. Security Council
   resolutions to clampdown on its finances.

   "We want to recruit South Korean professors, but the May 24 measure
   blocks it," Park, a South Korean-born U.S. citizen, who is a former
   computer science professor at the University of Maryland, told VOA on
   Wednesday.

   Seoul initiated measures against Pyongyang in 2010 after accusing the
   North of sinking one of its naval vessels, claiming the lives of 46
   sailors. Despite ongoing tensions, North Korea's first privately funded
   university is growing, offering North Korean students rare
   opportunities to engage with Western-trained scientists, according to
   Park.

   "We were doing a virtual reality class and some students turned in
   materials about American hip hop music for their homework," said Park,
   describing students eager to learn about the outside world.

   Park also said the North Korean regime allows graduate students limited
   access to the internet for study, though it's not on par with the
   online access enjoyed by senior government officials.

   Critics argue the institution could help the North Korean regime
   advance nuclear technology, a charge dismissed by Park, who said the
   school's curriculum complies with U.S. regulations.

   The university, which opened in 2010, currently hosts some 500 enrolled
   students and 100 professors, some of whom are U.S. citizens.

   ^This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Korean Service.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/western-funded-pyongyang-university-h
   obbled-by-sanctions/3348850.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/western-funded-pyongyang-university-hobbled-by-sanctions/3348850.html