(Korean Language & Culture Education Major 15, China)

Hello, I’m LIU RENBO, a graduated student from China who entered GLC in 2015.

Global Leaders College offers various support programs for foreign students, and I took advantage of them well and had a fruitful study abroad life in Korea. Thanks to the help of my friends and professors, I was able to make multiple achievements. I went as an overseas exchange student to Taiwan National Chung Hwa University, achieved a total of six grade honors, and graduated as an honor student. In addition, I received a total of four scholarships during my undergraduate years as well as two scholarships during my graduate program.

I also participated in various social activities to learn more about Korea. Working in the administration office at Yonsei University, I actively helped the communication between Chinese students and teachers in the administration office of the school, and also served as vice president of the Chinese Student Association of Yonsei University. I also did volunteer work at the Seoul Global Center.

Currently, I am attending a Ph.D. course in the Department of Korean Language and Literature at Yonsei University Graduate School and have been hired as a Korean language instructor at the Graduate School of International Studies from 2022-2nd semester. I also have been teaching and research activities at the same time. I want to become a Korean language teacher with expertise in the future, so I am planning my career and future accordingly. Personally, I think that as a Korean language teacher, I need to gain professional knowledge to provide more customized education to students in the future. Also, I think it is essential to study more broadly and in depth academically to fulfill the responsibilities as a teacher. I believe going on to a PhD is an opportunity to add depth to my knowledge. As a result, I have published nine papers in KCI-level journals so far, and have accumulated research results such as two translations and co-author an academic book. I am also a judge of the English journal Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS).

After completing my PhD program, I want to become an influential Korean language professor at a local university in China. Korea and China are close and have many cultural similarities, but they still have many prejudices and stereotypes regarding each other. I felt bad to see this with my own eyes, and I want to go back to my home country and show my own capabilities in Korean language education or Korean studies so that Chinese people can recognize Korea, Korean language, Korean culture, Koreans, and Korean society more deeply and more accurately.

(Korean Language & Culture Education Major 17, Brazil)

My name is Raul and I majored in Korean language and culture education at the Global Leaders College after moving to Korea to become a professor of Korean language teaching. Currently, I am completing a master’s course in Korean literature and Korean literature at the Central Institute of Korean Studies. During this graduate program, I received tuition exemption and living expenses as scholarships, so I am attending school without burden and studying in-depth about my favorite fields.

There are many asking me about my studying tips as I graduated early despite being a foreigner. I tried to study hard in all the subjects I took. I participated actively in class, and I prepared and reviewed class materials every week. As a result, I was able to prepare without any burden for exams. If I got a lot of assignments, I started the assignment as soon as the class was over, and once I started, I was able to finish most of the assignments quickly. It was also helpful to try to finish the task within the deadline when you were running out of time. For students who lack Korean skills, I would like to tell them that they can overcome language barriers if they understand the important concepts first, organize them in their notebook, and before jumping into details, understand the weekly contents from the wider context instead of memorizing bunch of different vocabularies. For students who don’t have any study habits or don’t know how to study, I would like to tell them that summarizing the main contents of the class every day and organizing notes can help them develop their study habits and learn more quickly.

Although my college life was relatively short, I could make many good friends who I can spend the rest of my life with, gain important knowledge, and achieve various goals through various experiences. I hope you can create your lifelong knowledge and experience at Yonsei University. A university is built to share. Of course, there are many things you can gain if you live only with your own interests, but there are far more moments when you acknowledge the value of our neighbors and serving them. I want my fellow colleagues to know the value of sharing. Global Leaders College is a place where you can learn the difference between being ‘different’ and ‘wrong’ while respecting each other generously. I hope our fellow students will not forget the difference between ‘different’ and ‘wrong’. Finally, being in a university, we are learning students but there are times when we also have to teach. Therefore, I hope my underclassmen remember the importance of their voices. Thank you.

(Korean Language & Culture Education Major 17, Iran)

Hello, I’m Mozhdeh Parashkouhi from Iran. I finished my studies at Yonsei University language department, and now I am pursing a master’s degree at Yonsei University Graduate School. When I was in Iran, I was interested in Korean culture due to watching a lot of Korean dramas, and as I was passionate about learning Korean, I came to Korea to study abroad at the age of 17. Before I left my hometown, I really wanted to go to Yonsei University. This dream became a reality, and the time I spent at Yonsei University for 6 years made me really strong and I was able to have many learning opportunities.

I regret that I couldn’t fully focus on studying for six years due to the difficulties of studying abroad, but all of them have become memories now, and I will always think positively rather than regretting them, and I will continue to focus on studying. I haven’t been to Iran for six years and have been in Korea all the time, so I think I find my hometown more unfamiliar than Korea now. Now, my dream is to obtain a master’s degree and get a job in Korea.

The most memorable moment during my undergraduate life is the times I stayed in Songdo as a freshman. It was really nice to study in Songdo for a year, which has a very quiet and beautiful scenery. My major is Korean language and culture education, so most of the subjects I want to recommend are major lectures, but personally, I really enjoyed the ‘Understanding Korean Language’ and ‘Pragmatics of Korean Language’ classes, and I think it is something I must know as a foreigner living in Korea.

I would like to tell my underclassmen not to miss any opportunities offered in clubs or schools and to participate in learning many things and get new motivation. Also, I was able to finish my undergraduate studies well thanks to the kind staff and great professors at GLC, not by myself. If there is anything difficult or you don’t know something, I want you to ask a lot of questions and tell you not to give up even if it things get harder because many people around you can help.

(Bio & Living Engineering Major 20, Korea)

Kim Mi-ji was selected as a full scholarship student at Hyundai Motor’s Chung Mong-koo Foundation in the second semester of 2021. Hyundai Motor’s Chung Mong-koo Foundation’s Dream Future Industry Talent Scholarship Project is a scholarship project to support graduate and undergraduate students who dream of becoming researchers and workers in future innovative industries such as intelligent information technology, biohealth, and new energy industries. If selected as scholarship students, they will receive full tuition fees, 1.8 million won per semester, scholarships for international academic conferences and global excellence, scholarships for overseas scholarships, and networking programs for foundation scholarships.

Q. Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I’m Kim Mi-ji, majoring in Bio & Living Engineering at Yonsei University. Currently, I am studying for the development and research of non-invasive cancer early diagnosis technology.

Q. Why did you choose Bio & Living Engineering as your major?

First of all, I was a dyed-in-the-wool natural science sutdent when I was in high school, and I liked biology and physics the most. So when I applied to Yonsei University, I planned to major in Bio & Living Engineering, and because its courses are composed with of talented faculty including Professor Jeong Hyeong-il and Professor Kim Sung-bo.

Q. Please tell us how you feel about your selection as a scholarship student.

It took more than two months and had to prepare thoroughly because I had to pass all four stages of document screening, including personality test, major interview, and personality interview. In the major interview, I had to give a five-minute presentation on the subject I wanted to study, but I was very happy that all my efforts were recognized because the judges praised me a lot. The most memorable thing was that the judge really liked what I said, “I think research is a story process that starts with an idea, considers various factors to make it work, and puts them directly into the experiment.” I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Jung Hyung-il for teaching me that research is like this when I was an undergraduate. Research may be difficult to walk down the path because the results are not guaranteed, but the fact that a large company called Hyundai Motor invests in me and supports my dream encourages me every moment.

Q. What are your future aspirations or dreams?

I think a good university is evaluated not only by the value of its name, but also by how much learning opportunities it provides to students and how much great infrastructure it builds to foster students into a member of society. Therefore, I want to learn to gain a lot of experience as an undergraduate at Yonsei University and become a good researcher. In addition, I will do my best every moment to become “scientist Kim Min-ji”, who rewards valuable experiences and opportunities enjoyed at Yonsei University and Hyundai Motor’s Chung Mong-koo Foundation.

(International Commerce Major 18, Hong Kong)

Q. Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I’m Hung Hoi Yiu Krysti from Hong Kong. In the second semester of 2021, I went to Erasmus University (Rotterdam School of Management) in the Netherlands as an exchange student.

Q. What made you participate in the exchange student program and what were your expectations?

Actually, I really wanted to go as an exchange student since I entered the school. As much as the experiences and interactions I had with people of different cultures while studying in Korea, in Korea, I had a great desire to visit other countries. I expected to broaden my horizons and gain experience by spending time with new people in a different country.

Q. Why did you choose your country’s school among many countries and schools?

Since I spent all my past life in Asia, I wanted to go to Europe, which has a different interesting history and cultural background. The reason why I chose Netherlands among many countries is their language. Unlike other European countries, in the Netherlands, they communicate a lot in English and the school courses are in English, so I didn’t have to worry about communication. Erasmus University is one of the best universities in Europe, and in the case of International Business Administration major, about 70% are overseas students. The most memorable class is called ‘Virtual Global Teams’. In the global era of the 21st century, cross-border, non-face-to-face teamwork is active within companies, and we studied about it and actually worked in groups with students in Mexico, the United States, and the Netherlands. Through various workshops, I experienced difficulties due to language barrier, jet lag, and culture, and went through the process of finding solutions as a leader. It was a useful and valuable experience because it had well-equipped opportunities and environments to learn and practice and use in class by reading the theoretical part on its own.

Q. What are the similarities and differences between Korean universities and universities in the Netherlands?

The similarity is the “work hard, play hard” culture between students. Especially, students in our school play well and manage their academics well, and so do students there. The difference is the study method and the study schedule, as attendance is very important in Korea, but it is not that important there. Professors usually hand out reading materials for students to learn on their own before conducting Q&A sections in class. Only students with questions often attend, so they can make their own schedules more flexible. When I look at my friends around me, I go to the same university and take the same classes, but we live various lives.

Q. Do you have any advice or tips for juniors?

There will be many opportunities during college, so don’t be afraid, don’t care about other people, and I hope you try everything you want to do. In the end, I think what you learned in the process is more important than the result. I would like to tell those who are worried about the exchange student program not to worry in advance. Of course, you will have a lot of difficulties when you go to a new place, but it will be precious and rewarding as it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

(International Commerce Major 18, Japan)

Hello. When I was in elementary school, I started studying Korean using textbooks published by Yonsei University’s Korean Language Institute. As a result, I naturally became interested in Yonsei University and entered GLC after attending high school in Japan. I majored in international commerce as my first major and cultural media as my second major at GLC, and I was able to learn a wide range of subjects from statistics and marketing to design making using Adobe, so I was perfectly satisfied with my college life.

Currently, I am living a busy but a happy life working in the Japanese sales team of NERDY, a fashion brand of APR. The reason I could become NERDY’s full-time employee from an ordinary student is because I utilized the special internship opportunity provided by GLC.

Since the inauguration of the dean of GLC, Kim Sung-moon, GLC’s active assistance to find employment and scholarships made diverse programs for GLC students. On the day after graduation, I saw the announcement of APR Internship on the GLC website. Unlike ordinary internships, this internship was very attractive in that it was based on the premise of a full-time job, and as soon as I saw the job of Japanese fashion sales and the contents of the job, I applied because I was confident that I would be able to fully demonstrate my capabilities.

It was something I really wanted to do, so I collected as much information as possible about the company to pass the internship. I tried to understand and analyze the domestic and Japanese brand image through social media, comparing brand sites in each country, as well as the goal of operating the business, growth potential, number of overseas corporations, and the atmosphere and welfare of the organization. In addition, I think I proudly appealed myself without exaggeration or falsehood during the interview. Thanks to that, I am thankfully in charge of almost everything related to the Japanese business in the Nerdy Japanese sales team.

I am currently in charge of operating Japanese malls, planning and operating promotions for sales, translating product details pages to Korea and Japan, managing inventory in Japan, communicating with Japanese offline stores, planning and operating events, operating Japanese official Instagram, outbound marketing, sponsoring Japanese celebrities, and creating contents. As there is a lot of work, you can access almost all the processes until the customer receives the product when the product design is completed, so each task in charge is meaningful and you can work with a sense of responsibility at the same time. Also, through this opportunity, I was able to operate the homepage platform and have basic coding capabilities.

In addition, even though there is a separate content team in Nerdy, my skills obtained from my major courses (Cultural Media) were recognized by the Contents team, so I am currently producing most of the contents of malls in Japan and the official Instagram page. When I studied in GLC, the design assignment that I had to submit every week put a lot of pressure on me, but now I feel a great sense of accomplishment because I can use it at the company thanks to the professors’ top quality teaching.

I have experienced various jobs in the entire process of being hired as a full-time employee through an internship, and I was able to get many implications for where my aptitude fits well. Especially, I came to think that the job in the fashion field fits me well better than other business fields, and I am very grateful and honored that I am working for a company that supports me to realize what I want to challenge in such a free atmosphere. Based on this experience, I wanted to continue my fashion-related work in the future, and I wanted to grow into a promising employee of APR, grow our brand in Japan, and succeed with the brand myself. I will continue to make efforts to produce content that fits the brand image with quality that I can satisfy myself as soon as possible.

I’d like to deliver my final message. One thing I’ve realized for sure during my first career is that everything learnt in GLC major class will definitely help when you enter society in the future. I was originally a person who had no knowledge, but I learned a little bit about what I could do better than others through my major classes, and I am actually using it well in my current workplace. It’s good to set a big goal, but I think you’ll be able to achieve great results if you start with what’s in front of you first. Rather than achieving great results, I will also have an active attitude with unlimited responsibility and continue to challenge passionately without sparing no effort. I hope you don’t get tired even if you’re having a hard time, and have a college life with no regrets. Thank you!