The work of Prof. Kyung-Ae Park has recently been highlighted by Marc Garneau, Canada’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs. Garneau’s newly published memoir A Most Extraordinary Ride: Space, Politics, and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream discusses the Knowledge Partnership Program (KPP) at SPPGA, a ground-breaking initiative pioneered by Prof. Park that hosts North Korean professors as part of an unprecedented long-term knowledge exchange in North America.
The memoir describes Garneau’s invitation to partake in KPP-Parliament visits to South Korea in early 2022 as part of an informal parliamentary group of two senators and three MPs. The trip to Seoul, which was organized by Prof. Park, was described by Garneau as “one of the most stimulating and enjoyable weeks” of his political career as he met with influential figures such as legislators, ex-politicians, and scholars. He notes that the willingness of “such an important group” to meet with the them was “a testament to the high regard in which they held Dr. Park and her Knowledge Partnership Program.” The visit focused on key issues surrounding peace and security on the Korean peninsula.
View photos from Marc Garneau and Kyung-Ae Park’s visit to Seoul below:
The UBC Department of Physics and Astronomy recently hosted a talk with Garneau that reflected on his extraordinary experiences as the world’s first Canadian astronaut. His memoir can be purchased at the UBC bookstore here.
