The Post-COVID Rebound: Global Students Gathering in Korea Once Again
Korea University Hosts Korea’s Largest Domestic International Summer Campus (ISC)
Offering In-person/Blended/Online Classes to Over 2,000 Students Worldwide

 

In the post-COVID era, Korea’s largest domestic international summer campus (ISC) opened at Korea University, restoring the campus to its former summer vitality.

On June 27, Korea University held the 2023 ISC Commencement Ceremony and Orientation at Inchon Memorial Hall. The students were given a range of information on academics and campus life at Korea University. In the afternoon, there was a cheering session and campus tour with the Korea University cheerleading team

Since its inception in 2004, Korea University ISC has shown steady growth and established itself as the largest short international education program in Korea.

The 2023 Korea University ISC welcomed over 2,000 international and domestic university students, as well as prospective Korea University students, from approximately 50 countries and over 350 universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, and more. In particular, the 2023 ISC expanded the program by offering both in-person classes and blended learning (combining in-person and online participation) to accommodate students' preferences, while maintaining online classes through the Virtual Student Exchange Program (VSEP), run in partnership with prestigious universities abroad. As a result, there was a significant increase in the number of participating students and universities compared to the previous programs, which had only in-person classes.

The newly established Korean Culture and Society Microdegree Program, introduced last year, was also offered during the 2023 ISC. International university students who fulfilled the requirements of the program received certificates in the form of a digital badge, and scholarships.

The ISC faculty consists of professors from renowned universities such as Cornell University and the University of California in the United States, the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, the Australian National University, and the University of Sydney in Australia, as well as faculty members from Korea University. They deliver over 100 courses in various fields, including business, economics, humanities, sciences, and the Korean language, all taught in English.

In addition to taking English-taught courses given by a highly qualified faculty, participating students can also experience various Korean Wave (K-wave) trends through cultural experience programs such as K-pop flash mobs, K-cooking, and Taekwondo. Moreover, there are opportunities for immersive cultural experiences, such as K-Movie Day, through which students can watch movies in theaters, and K-Sports Day, through which they can watch and enjoy sports events at sports stadiums.

During the commencement ceremony, Professor Dario Landa-Silva from the University of Nottingham, who was representing the participating faculty, delivered a speech. Professor Silva said, "Life is a culmination of experiences, and I am confident that you will have incredible experiences at KU ISC. Some people believe that AI will replace humans, and indeed jobs in some fields may be replaced by AI. However, there are undoubtedly human qualities such as emotion, empathy, imagination, and wisdom. The goal of education is not merely to foster intelligence, and ISC will also provide you with knowledge and wisdom. Knowing others is intelligence, but knowing oneself is true wisdom. Mastering all theories is a strength, but mastering oneself is true power. I am confident that you will succeed, but at the same time, I hope you continue to develop as caring individuals."

Song Sang-Kee, the Executive Officer of International Affairs, stated, "For foreign students who have faced difficulties entering Korea due to COVID-19, we have expanded the opportunities for in-person participation and provided a broader experience of the latest K-wave cultural trends. The 2023 ISC has made efforts to reflect students' requirements as much as possible by leveraging the accumulated expertise and infrastructure of our university, which has resulted in the participation of many foreign students and universities. In the future, we will continue to provide high-quality programs that are suitable for the status and top calibre of Korea University ISC, as we aim to make K-education and K-wave culture ever more accessible and stimulating for international students."