From- http://www.chron.com
For me, like many Americans, the mention of the country of North Korea has evoked images of an insular, inaccessible place, a member of the "axis of evil," an inscrutable, nuclear-equipped land with which one could not reason. It was natural, then, that when invited to attend a scientific conference in the capital of Pyongyang, I accepted with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
The meeting was recently held in the new Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). What I came to learn was that the very existence of this institution represents nothing short of a miracle and a unique opportunity for change.
The brainchild of James Kim, a Korean-American businessman who survived imprisonment and a death sentence in Pyongyang in 1998, the university is a place where hundreds of North Korean students are receiving a first-class education taught in English by a multinational, primarily Western faculty. The students who live and study here are among their nation's brightest and best, and most importantly, represent the leaders of tomorrow.
The matriculation of the first class one year ago was the culmination of nearly a decade of planning and negotiations between North Korean leaders and representatives of a U.S.-based nongovernmental organization headed by Kim. While there is continued oversight by the government (each of the departmental chairs and administrative leaders have a North Korean counterpart) and limits are set on the contact that faculty members can have with the local population, the students have had increasing freedom to interact with their instructors. Where last year there were separate sections of the dining facility for students and faculty, now the two groups freely eat and converse together.
The mastery of the English language requires the introduction of all sorts of social, philosophical and cultural concepts, which leads to mutual understanding. Many of the instructors have come to take an abiding interest in their students' personal lives and well-being. After my lectures, the students were free to ask questions, and later I ate meals with them in the cafeteria. They demonstrated surprising English fluency, possessed great intellectual curiosity and were open with answers to my questions.
These advances in trust and understanding by the students and government officials are a microcosm of what could be achieved on a larger scale between the peoples and governments of our two nations. PUST represents a small, but significant step toward bringing North Korea into the global community. While the "Juche idea," which promulgates the concept of personal and national self-reliance, is still widely revered, it is evident that North Korean leaders are already discovering that there are benefits to cooperation over isolation. PUST is helping to expedite this process by exposing future leaders to Western education and culture. I am convinced that this type of enterprise should constitute a greater part of our diplomatic efforts toward governments whose interests and philosophies are contrary to our own.
As a retired Marine Corps officer I realize that there are times when there is no alternative to confrontation, yet it is perhaps overused. To simply oppose and coerce the North Koreans without trying to engage them is a prescription for failure. We can engage without appeasing; rapprochement with China demonstrated this. In the years since the cessation of hostilities on the Korean peninsula (a peace treaty has never been signed), we have expended considerable national treasure in maintaining forces in the Far East in an attempt to contain North Korea. Our efforts have led to little progress toward peace and stability. The embrace of academic diplomacy exemplified by PUST in North Korea and elsewhere might lead to a reduction in military expenditures, a promotion of understanding and peace, and the introduction of new markets for our goods and services. The operation of PUST requires the continued sacrifice of many donors and unpaid faculty and the significance of their efforts should not be underestimated. I would urge individuals, NGOs and our government to support similar initiatives as an alternative to the often unsuccessful policies of unconditional confrontation. Admittedly, I was gazing into North Korea through a pinhole, yet the existence of PUST has already made the world a safer place and has given this American a glimpse of what could be.
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