The Seoul Water Recycling Corporation has spent five years turning its treatment facilities into classrooms for public officials from abroad, sharing the city’s water management expertise with 13 officials from 11 countries. The agency received a plaque of appreciation at the University of Seoul’s 2026 Global Friends Night on Friday in recognition of its international cooperation efforts. The program began in 2022 through a partnership with the University of Seoul, following a 2021 academic-industry cooperation agreement, and is linked to a master’s degree program for public officials from countries working with Korea on environmental cooperation. Officials from water environment agencies in Vietnam, Algeria, Egypt, Rwanda and seven other countries have completed the hands-on internship through this year. Participants visit the corporation’s water recycling centers, study Seoul’s treatment technologies and operating practices, and examine approaches that could be adapted to water environment policies and facilities in their home countries. The program has also grown beyond inter