The international students who participated in the special program hosted by the Office of International Affairs during the Winter Break were given a chance to experience the traditional culture of Korea by visiting Andong. The participants consisted of 29 students and professors from St. Olaf College of the U.S. and 17 students from Keio University of Japan. The group visited the Andong Hahoe Folk Village and the Hahoe Mask Museum. The students from Keio University even tried their hand in making Hahoe masks. This program made good the agreement which Yonsei University had signed with the city of Andong last June to introduce the world to the cultural bounty of Korea and share the academic and personnel resources of Yonsei. The Office of International Affairs plans to continue working with the city of Andong to increase opportunities of cultural experience for foreign students and professors. Also, the Andong Mask Dance Festival will be held this year from September 26 to October 5. The festival will feature the “World Mask Competition” with prize money totaling 60 million won. The festivities include competitions for original masks and drawings involving masks, and various traditional games and events. The special program of the Office of International Affairs was organized at the request of Yonsei’s sister universities including Hosei University, Keio University, St. Olaf College, and the University of Akron, and involves a curriculum designed for each group which allows the students to live on Yonsei campus for a period of time and to study and experience Korean culture, politics, economics, and history, helping them to understand Korea and Yonsei University. The students are thus encouraged to prepare themselves to become global leaders while at the same time earning credits at their home university. This program has served to increase the exchange efforts between Yonsei and other prestigious universities abroad. The excellent quality of the program at Yonsei has led universities such as Indiana University and the University of Hong Kong to join. In 2008, 138 students from seven universities are expected to participate in this program.