On November 21st, 2021, the ‘Seoul National University-University of Minnesota Cultural Exchange’ (SNU-UMN Cultural Exchange), hosted by Seoul National University’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), has ended. SNU and UMN students were matched 1:1 to introduce their own language and culture through a total of four Zoom meetings. This exchange is especially meaningful in that it showed the possibility of new international exchanges between college students which had slowed down due to COVID-19.
The relationship with UMN that lasted despite COVID-19
The relationship between SNU and UMN began in 2018. The Office of International Affairs held the first ‘SNU in Minnesota’ program in 2018 when operating the summer/winter semester program ‘SNU in the World,’ which provides study-abroad opportunities in major cities. The SNU students that participated in the program spent time listening to lectures at UMN and thinking about the roles of the international society for sustainable growth through activities such as visiting the 3M headquarters. Later, at 2019’s ‘SNU in Minnesota,’ cultural exchange activities have proceeded through the 1:1 matching system between students from both schools to promote deeper communication among students. Based on the positive responses submitted by the participants, the Office of International Affairs has continuously discussed plans to promote full-fledged cultural exchanges with UMN’s TandemPlus (Language Exchange Team).
‘SNU in Minnesota’ of 2019
Later, while the existing ‘SNU in Minnesota’ has not been hosted due to COVID-19, UMN proposed online cultural exchange, and thanks to the efforts of both universities, two sessions of the SNU-UMN Cultural Exchange have been held.
Four courses of meeting that brought the students closer
In the SNU-UMN Cultural Exchange of the fall semester, 60 pre-registered SNU students and 50 UMN students who were taking intermediate-level Korean classes participated. Matched 1:1, the students had four meetings from 9/27 to 11/21, with the specific time and date decided on by the matched students. At each meeting, which lasted about an hour per session, students talked about topics set up for each session, such as ▲ weather/season/fashion ▲ travel ▲ Korean residential life ▲ public transportation/shopping complex/restaurant, and what they were curious about. Participant Jin-hoe Koo(Department of Asian History·16) said, “The conversation with a UMN student who was interested in Korean culture was very interesting, and I could also get a lot of useful information about Minnesota and the United States.” He also added, “It's a good opportunity to speak in English with a student of my age.”
Jimin Song (Department of Forest Sciences) and Dana Kenney-Lillejord from UMN are in the course of the Cultural Exchange program.
SNU students submitted reports after each session, and certificates were provided to students who diligently submitted all four reports. If the COVID-19 epidemic subsides and normal ‘SNU in the World’ can be carried out from next year, additional points will be given to students who participated in this SNU-UMN Cultural Exchange, when they register for ‘SNU in Minnesota.’
It is highly likely that the SNU-UMN Cultural Exchange will take place online in the first semester of this year as well. Soo-im Yoo (Division of International Planning and Coordination) said, “There are many restrictions due to the COVID-19 situation, but we are seeking diversification to provide students with more diverse and great international education, so we hope you participate in the programs of the Office of International Affairs.” In-person meetings have become difficult due to the COVID-19, but as Zoom has become more common, more attempts have been made to overcome the limitations of physical distance. Hopefully members of SNU will actively participate in online international exchanges such as the SNU-UMN Cultural Exchange and gain both language skills and cultural knowledge.
Source: https://www.snu.ac.kr/snunow/snu_story?md=v&bbsidx=134895