- Global Leaders College Holds "GLC Night" for International Students June 02, 2022
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As Lockdown Ended, International Students' Lives Also Recovers
Photo 1. Some 350 students from 20 countries attended the "GLC Night" event on May 26.The Global Leaders College (GLC) of Yonsei University held a large-scale face-to-face festival for the first time since the pandemic. On May 26, the "GLC Night" event brought 350 international students from about 20 countries to the President's Residence on the Sinchon Campus to celebrate the first-ever face-to-face gathering in more than two years.
As face-to-face activities have become possible due to the ease of social distancing, GLC planned the "GLC Night" as a venue for gathering for international students wishing to enjoy their college life fully in Korea. Thanks to President Seoung Hwan Suh's support, dinner and various events were held at the President's Residence.
The GLC Night received explosive interest and response from international students even from the notice. The number of applicants exceeded 300 just two days since the pre-entry application began. Except for the students staying overseas, almost all GLC students are believed to have applied.
Photo 2. Japanese student Yumi shows off his taekwondo skills at the talent show.Students from various backgrounds, including Canada, China, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, the United States, and Vietnam, came together. Some students wore unique clothes from their own cultures, and some showed off their K-pop singing and dancing skills and taekwondo poomsae. How college students enjoyed their meals and beer on the lawn was the scene we could see before the pandemic.
"The GLC Night is a festival that celebrates overcoming the COVID-19 situation together and welcomes international students to return to their daily lives on the open campus," said President Seoung Hwan Suh in his congratulatory speech, "Now I hope all the international students can interact with each other and have fun on our campus." He also added, "I hope you will grow into leaders who connect Korea and the world with the pride of being Yonseians by taking nourishment of what you learn and experience at Yonsei."
"The international students who just returned to where they belong have begun to experience various college life. I'm happy to meet students full of vitality and hear their expectations after a long time," said Dean Kim Seongmoon of GLC, "More and more international students are coming to South Korea because they like the Korean Wave boom, such as BTS, K-pop, Parasite, Minari, and Squid Game." He also explained, "In preparation for a significant increase in the number of international students after the "re-opening," we are making full preparations by establishing one-stop support services and maintaining facilities."
Photo 3. More than 350 students enjoyed the festival by singing along to the Yonsei cheering songs."I became a junior without even having a proper entrance ceremony, but now I feel like I'm a college student finally." said Norwegian student Ann, "I've been frustrated with my non-face-to-face college life, but I'm delighted to meet my professors and friends who I had only met online."
"I came to campus after a long time after taking classes online," said Jessalyn from the United States, "From now on, classes in the real classrooms and various events like festivals, the Yon-Ko Games, and club activities will continue, and I'm looking forward to a variety in college life."
After the talent shows of the students, the "Akaraka" cheering orientation was followed. It was the first time many students learned cheering songs and dances because many events such as the Yon-Ko Games have not been held properly over the past two years. Under the cheering squad's lead, they enthusiastically sang and danced together along with the cheering songs.
Photo 4. Captured images from broadcasted reports (ⓒMBN, YTN)The event was also highly interested in the public, with coverage by major domestic television news media such as MBN and YTN. MBN covered interviews with GLC students and Dean Kim, as well as on-site sketches of enjoying the festival. MBN reported, "As the number of international students and tourists who have not been seen before is increasing again, schools and tourist attractions are also regaining their former selves." YTN reported, "A college town is full of youthful enthusiasm. The daily life recovered from COVID-19 feels more precious."
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Photo 5. Dean Kim of GLC is serving barbecue to international students.Global Leaders College (GLC)
GLC is a college dedicated to international students at Yonsei University. More than 1,200 international and overseas Korean students from 30 countries are enrolled.
As non-face-to-face academic programs had become inevitable over the past two and a half years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GLC provided lectures and learning programs to students scattered around the world through "LearnUs," the online education platform developed by Yonsei University. GLC also organized various events on the metaverse to help students reduce the feeling of isolation. In particular, GLC played a leading role in increasing international students’ satisfaction with college life beyond space and time constraints, such as holding the freshmen orientation and students’ MT using the metaverse platform when holding face-to-face events was restricted.
GLC is stepping up efforts to prepare various support measures and programs for international students to smoothly adapt to their studies and college life ahead of the complete transition to a face-to-face system from the upcoming fall semester in September.
Starting with a special lecture to help international students prepare for the TOPIK during the summer vacation, various learning support programs, including online Korean language courses exclusively for GLC students, will be operated with the cooperation of the Sejong Institute Foundation, a national Korean language education institution.
In addition, GLC invites graduates and experts as mentors for various career development programs such as special lectures and workshops on job searching and further education to expand opportunities for students to communicate with seniors.
Photo 6. President Suh, Dean Kim, and international students at GLC are taking pictures. -
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