Indonesia, South Korea establish fisheries human resources partnership

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ministry of Marine and Fisheries is forging strategic partnerships with South Korean government agencies and universities to develop marine and fisheries human resources and protect Indonesian workers.

Those agencies and universities are the Korean Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology (KIMFT), Korea Seafarers Welfare and Employment Center (KOSWEC), Pukyong National University (PKNU), National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of Korea (MOF).

"These partnerships are part of the pilot project for the Indonesia-Korea Global Leader Talent Development Support Center establishment in Busan," Head of the ministry's Marine and Fisheries Human Resources Training and Development Agency, I Nyoman Radiarta, confirmed in Jakarta, Wednesday.

These partnerships also serve as a hub for bilateral collaboration in education, training, certification, and placement of Indonesian fisheries workers in South Korea, with funding support from the Korean Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Meanwhile, synergy between the ministry, KIMFT, and KOSWEC paves the way for technical training and certification for prospective Indonesian migrant workers, ensuring their competence is recognized in the South Korean fisheries industry.

The partnership involves the exchange of data and information on Indonesian migrant workers in the fisheries sector, which is expected to strengthen legal protection and workplace safety aspects of these workers.

Radiarta described the strategic partnership with South Korea as an important milestone in the efforts to build an integrated marine and fisheries human resource development ecosystem, from education to work placement.

"We want to ensure that Indonesian maritime talents are not only ready but also fully protected when working abroad," he stated.

Cooperation with PKNU includes lecturer and student exchange programs, scholarships, joint seminars, and collaborative research within the blue economy development framework.

MOF support is also directed toward developing smart campuses and an industry-based vocational education system to realize the Ocean Institute of Indonesia (OII) as a hub for national maritime talent development.

The Ministry of Marine and Fisheries and the Ministry of National Development Planning are preparing a strategic framework for the Global Leader Talent Development Support Center, finalizing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) drafts, and strengthening coordination across ministries and institutions in Indonesia.