With winter fading away and spring approaching, Gwanak Campus is bustling with people moving in and out as the graduation ceremony and the matriculation ceremony each took place within a three-day interval. And for those who took long flights to and fro, the Office of International Affairs (OIA) hosted special occasions to bid farewell to the graduates returning home and to welcome new students coming from over 80 countries.

On February 24th, a luncheon was held at OIA for 139 international student graduates, followed by a short informal session during which graduates shared their memories of SNU.

Ye Chang Qing (B.A., College of Human Ecology), a former Chinese representative of the SNU International Students Association, recounted her past four years at SNU saying that “writing papers was the most challenging task but I was able to pull through thanks to the help of friends and professors.” And she added that “institutionalizing a mentoring program for international students would be very helpful to new comers.”

Srivasta Sapyanshu (M.A., College of Humanities) was happy about returning to India but also determined to come back to SNU to pursue a doctoral degree. He recalled that “studying modern Korean literature was not easy as a foreign student but (that he's) glad that those three years paid off at last” and mentioned that he hoped that his “training at SNU will be a valuable asset” as he plans to teach Korean literature at Indian universities.

On February 25th, the orientation for international freshmen and exchange students took place at the auditorium of the Museum of Modern Art. Covering extensive academic affairs as well as on- and off- campus life, the orientation consisted of two sessions for the 480 new students from abroad.

Visiting from Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (Paris), Younes M’Ghari said that he would like to “make the best out of this opportunity to master the Korean language as well as make many Korean friends.” He added that during his stay at SNU, he plans to travel around the peninsula including a visit to Jeju Island, one of the most celebrated vacation spots in Korea, this summer.

Taking courses at the Graduate School of International Studies, Sandra Siposova from Slovakia expressed mixed feelings of worry and excitement. She confessed that “not speaking Korean, I do have some concerns. But seeing how huge and vibrant the campus is, there seemed to be many activities which I expect to get myself involved in.”

International students may get help from the Global Information Center (GIC) on campus. GIC provides comprehensive living information and services to foreigners and their families in cooperation with various organizations on- and off- campus and is supported by volunteers composed of students and staff. It is located in the Natural Sciences Building (D-500) and can be reached at 880-4447.


Mar 04, 2010
SNU PR Office