Students Graduate From North Korea’s First ‘International University’

BUCHDAHL: "It's a familiar scene for the month of May -- college students picking up their diplomas -- but this particular group is making history as the first graduating class of North Korea's first foreign-funded and foreign-staffed university."

KIM [Translated]: "Everybody said it would be impossible, but thanks to the care of our fatherland this international university has produced graduates. Many will go to Europe to study. And now it's a highly acclaimed university."

BUCHDAHL: "James Kim founded the university in 2010 in a rare attempt to bring more international exposure to North Korea, where interaction with foreigners is tightly controlled. Many of the academic staff are volunteers. 44 students collected their master's degrees on Wednesday in agriculture and life sciences, electrical and computer engineering, and international finance and management."

CHOL [Translated]: "I hope to be successful in software industry research, following the example of our respected marshal, Kim Jong Un, to build a strong and prosperous country."

BUCHDAHL: "The university has survived longer than expected and is now expanding to include a medical facility on campus. Hannah Buchdahl, Associated Press."