—Largest Number of Participants Ever 

From August 26 to 29, the Office of International Affairs (OIA) held the fall 2014 orientation for international exchange and visiting students. With its headquarters in Baekyang Hall, the orientation included 913 students from 300 universities representing 46 different nations. This is the largest number of international exchange and visiting students to attend Yonsei in a single semester.

According to Gloria, a student at Underwood International College (UIC), “Yonsei people study arduously, and the competition is intense.  It is hard to get used to, but making friends helps very much.” During the orientation, OIA offered interested students tours of Seoul, allowing them to develop new friendships. These visits included stops at Samcheong-dong, the National Museum of Korea, Cheonggye Stream, Gwanghwamun Gate, Seochon Village, Banpo Bridge, and the North Seoul Tower at Namsan.

According to Lee Bo-kyung, head of the Division of International Education: “Exchange and visiting students from different countries learn about various cultures and improve their cultural communication skills. At the same time, Yonsei students develop more nuanced international perspectives through studying with international students.”

In recent years, the number of international students interested in studying in Korea has risen steadily, and this is reflected in the growing number of such students enrolling at Yonsei—this semester, the university saw an increase of 30% compared to last year.  The university’s ongoing efforts to attract international students is integral to its vision of making Yonsei the “Global University in Asia.”