Since the general founding meeting in 2007, KAIDEC has grown along with the history and development of Korea’s international development cooperation. With our sincere interest in poverty reduction in developing countries and humanitarian aid in disaster situations, we are now an association with tradition and history, leading the way in discovering problems in theories and on the field and providing agendas for international development cooperation at home and abroad.

Recent experiences such as but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, the protracted war in Ukraine, and natural disasters due to climate change are realizing concerns regarding the sustainability of humanity and its natural ecosystems. Our efforts in international development cooperation have come to a point where we must go beyond quantitative growth and transform it into creative attempts and challenges. It is a serious task given to our society to find solutions to problems around the world where poverty, alienation, disaster, and disease have intensified.

Against this backdrop, KAIDEC provides a learning community for academic members to find answers to such problems. The issue of ‘development’ requires a complex and long-term solution that cannot be addressed by a fragmentary approach focusing on economic efficiency or technical effectiveness. Therefore, it is imperative for our association to bear the weight of a theoretical as well as practical platform based on 'cooperation' in a variety of fields. As a ‘reliable learning community with a solid theoretical foundation,’ KAIDEC promises to fulfill its role as a repository and incubator of knowledge for members to acquire expertise in the field of development cooperation.

In this regard, KAIDEC seeks to promote the following principles:

1) To acknowledge the significance of communication, cooperation, diversity, and inclusion while pursuing transparent information sharing and active communication for inclusion and connection beyond the classification of various academic fields, regions of interest, and participants;
2) To establish practical policies and theories by promoting mutual growth and to revitalize a cooperative learning community among activists and academic researchers;
3) To grow and expand globally with leading values and perspectives by setting the direction of Korea’s development cooperation and presenting new development cooperation models and agendas to the international community;
4) To serve as a guardian and companion for the next generation and to become an association that rising scholars wish to become a part of;

The etymology of development is said to be ‘revealing the hidden’. As KAIDEC strives to achieve genuine development cooperation through cooperation based on 'working together,' bringing about positive change by utilizing the capabilities and resources of individuals and communities across the world should be its compass.

The historical assets accumulated by the association are the foundation for all of us. As the knowledge assets of each member of KAIDEC and the interests and expectations of those who support our association are added to this foundation, our association will become a place where the experience of sharing and learning is engaging and delightful.

With sincere gratitude.