Columbus State University leads a Columbus, Ga. delegation to Korea this week to participate in the 2025 Jinju International Forum on Entrepreneurship in Jinju, South Korea, highlighting Southwest Georgia and the local spirit of servant leadership on the world stage.

Also on tap for the week:

• Signing a sister-city agreement between Columbus, Ga. And Jinju, South Korea

• Signing an agreement between Columbus State and Gyeongsang National University in Jinju for student and faculty exchange

• Meeting with key business and government partners to strengthen international economic ties to Columbus

• Tour JS Link, a South Korean company that recently announced a $223 million investment to build a permanent magnet manufacturing facility in Columbus—an initiative that supports advanced manufacturing, clean energy supply chains, and hundreds of new local jobs

• The University President and Provost will attend the Eighth US Army’s Change of Command at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea

This visit follows a visit to Korea earlier this year by Columbus State employees and students. That tour opened doors for further partnerships being realized next week. Attending the trip next week will be:

• Hon. Skip Henderson, Mayor of Columbus

• Dr. David F. Lewis, Superintendent of the Muscogee County School District

• Missy Kendrick, President and CEO of Choose Columbus

• Chris Woodruff, CEO of The Cotton Companies and Woodruff Brokerage Company; CSU Foundation Trustee

• Stuart Rayfield, President of Columbus State University

Together, the group will participate in a featured discussion session on October 27, highlighting Columbus’s innovative economic development strategies and its growing role as a hub for entrepreneurship, education, and international collaboration.

“Columbus State University is honored to represent our community and to bring together partners who share a vision for global connection and innovation,” said Stuart Rayfield, president of Columbus State University. “This experience will reinforce how higher education, business, and local leadership can work hand-in-hand to advance economic opportunity—both here at home and abroad.”

The delegation also will meet with representatives of the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Seoul Office to discuss ongoing collaboration, future investment opportunities, and strategies to promote Georgia and Columbus as premier destinations for global business expansion.

Now in its third year, the Jinju International Forum on Entrepreneurship is billed as a global platform for dialogue among entrepreneurs, academics, and policymakers. Under the 2025 theme, “The Age of Global Transformation: The Role of Entrepreneurship,” the Forum will address global challenges such as climate change, technological innovation, sustainable development, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

The event brings together government officials, international organization representatives, scholars, and entrepreneurs from around the world—including delegates from the United Nations General Assembly Presidential Council and leading global universities.

For more information about the Jinju K-Entrepreneurship International Forum, visit https://www.jinju.go.kr/jinjuforum/en/.