Seoul National University’s STEM (SNU Tomorrow’s Edge Membership) recently selected its new members for 2015. Established in 2010, STEM envisions to create a network for aspiring Engineers in SNU, as well as excellent students in Northeast Asia. Following STEM’s footsteps is the GLEAP (Global Leadership Program) for students studying natural sciences.
The Beginning for a Future Network of Engineers
STEM made history as SNU’s first honor society. The necessary requirements to apply for STEM are a GPA score within the top 10% of students in his or her respective major, foreign language skills and experience with diverse extracurricular activities, and more importantly a willingness to serve the community. The honor society has selected twenty students in their third or fourth year of university annually since its founding in 14 July, 2010. STEM inductees participate in its programs for three regular semesters and two vacation semesters. Afterwards, they are allowed to retain a life-long membership to the network.
STEMentor Website for High School Students
Rooted in its vision ‘Cultivate Society’s Leaders with Engineering Minds,’ STEM engages in diverse activities. Through ‘practical seminar’ sessions, members share knowledge by introducing topics and fields of studies that they are interested in. During the ‘Tech Square Workshop,’ members form teams with those studying different areas to debate and solve engineering problems. In addition to scholarly events, STEM holds regular exchange sessions with other universities’ honor societies and opens ‘leadership programs’ to disseminate thoughts on the role of a leader.
STEM President
The most important virtues held as exemplary by STEM are ‘sharing’ and ‘community service.’ STEM endeavors to promote sharing the members’ knowledge and contributing their talent to the community. One example is the ‘STEMentor’ website, which hopes to instill high school students with a genuine curiosity and likeness for engineering. The website introduces math and physics utilized in engineering that could be easily understood by high school students. Since its start last fall, the website received many good reviews.
STEMentor Website: http://stementor.tistory.com/
Ultimately, STEM endeavors to engender a network for exchange among excellent engineering students. STEM President KIM Sung Hoon (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Master’s Program) stated, “I think the most important elements that make up the honor society are harmony (teamwork) and exchange.” As the president of the organization, Kim strives to encourage intellectual exchange and friendship among members. “Even after completing the program, I hope our group could grow into a network that continues exchange among members and alumni,” he said while adding that he is in the process of planning Homecoming days and lectures by alumni.
GLEAP Connecting Natural Sciences
2014 GLEAP Research Trip to Taiwan
Founded two years after STEM in 2012, GLEAP is the honor society linking various fields of natural sciences. Second and third year students with high academic achievements, passion for the sciences, community service spirits, and dreams to become global leaders constitute the group. Every year, twenty students are selected. GLEAP’s motto is ‘Connect science, illuminate the world.’ GLEAP seeks to converge disciplines together by sharing knowledge and research amongst the diverse studies within natural sciences. This is illustrated in their online journal that reflects upon the researches in the various scientific fields.
In order to equip the inductees with an open attitude for new knowledge, GLEAP holds regular research seminars with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Every winter and summer vacation, the members have the opportunity to go on cultural and academic exchange seminars with the honor societies of foreign universities in Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and so on.
GLEAP‘s President
GLEAP’s President KIM Sung-hwan (Department of Chemistry) emphasized that he wishes GLEAP could “develop into a group that will become the hub for natural sciences.” During Kim’s leadership, not only has GLEAP tried to connect various studies, but also reached out to middle and high school students who wish to become future scholars and researchers in the area. GLEAP provides mentoring to high school students in the Gwanak community on natural sciences. Last year, GLEAP initiated ‘natural science talk concerts’ targeted at high school students.
STEM and GLEAP have one important aspect in common, which is ‘exchange.’ Co-developing by taking interest in each other’s fields of studies, learning to work together, and most significantly, contributing to the development of society are the shared visions of the two groups.
Article Referenced: http://snu.ac.kr/news?bm=v&bbsidx=121438
Written by BAE Su Hyen, English Editor, suhyenbae@snu.ac.kr
Reviewed by Eli Park Sorensen, SNU Professor of Liberal Studies, eps7257@snu.ac.kr