The leaders of the only private university in North Korea asked Texas A&M University, known for its agricultural economics and public health programs, for help on Monday in teaching subjects such as how to grow food in a land of chronic shortages.
The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) was founded by evangelical Christians and opened in 2010, with students generally the children of the country's elite. The PUST delegation said the requested help is not about politics but about using academics for humanitarian ideals.
"It just tugs at the heartstrings when people realize that there are these people who are struggling to get the food that they need. If there is no food, there is no education and life breaks down," said Norma Nichols, director of international academic affairs for the university in the North Korean capital.