For more than two years now, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has brought the entire world to a halt. Korea University (KU) was no exception, especially for students in terms of participating in international exchange. At the beginning of COVID-19, many academic exchange programs at KU seemed to be at the risk of running into a dead end, due to lockdown, quarantine, and the fear of travelling overseas. In response to dire situations, KU modified a few programs that work to overcome the pandemic and give students the international experiences they desire. These programs include the Global Leadership Program (GLP) and International Winter Campus (IWC).

eGLP: Bringing Overseas Experiences Home

The GLP is a program where KU students can enhance their global leadership skills by expanding their foreign language skills as well as cultural, political, and economic knowledge of foreign countries. First started in 2013 in partnership with China, the IWC has now sent up to 900 KU students to foreign universities in Japan, Germany, and Mexico. Normally, it is held for four weeks in Korea and four weeks in the foreign country, but due to COVID-19, the GLP has been revamped.

The newly modified version is known as eGLP, an online version of the GLP. This modification is successful in providing a rewarding experience for students who want to learn overseas amidst COVID-19. For instance, students can sign up for the “Create Your Own e-Global Leadership Program (CYO e-GLP)” to partake in various countries’ programs more freely. Students are also able to gain extra points in their future admissions process for the GLP. But all new policies aside, the greatest advantage to this new program is that students are able to actively pursue their passion for studying at foreign universities from the comfort of their own homes.

Kim Donghwi (’21, Spanish Language and Literature), a participant in the KU-Latin America eGLP with the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, said he decided to take part because he hoped to broaden his scope of studies relating to his major. “The classes are centered on Mexican culture, history, politics, economy, folklore, and more, so I can learn plenty about Mexico. On Mondays, there are dancing classes and cooking classes to add more cultural entertainment for students.”

Despite the program being held online, students’ passions make up for what could have been a superficial means of study. Students seem to be fully immersed in their academics and are enthusiastic to learn more about the foreign country they signed up for. Kim certainly feels this way. “I am so happy I get to learn about Mexican culture specifically and accurately through the eyes of a local.” He also considers the program satisfactory for his wishes to enhance his Spanish language skills, as the classes are held entirely in Spanish.

Overall, the eGLP is effective in broadening students’ international experiences by sublimating the drawbacks of the global pandemic into a more rewarding experience. With almost no opportunity for travel, most people have given up or postponed international travels and exchanges. It is programs like the eGLP that remind people of the importance of academics on a global scale.

e-IWC: Reaching Out, Expanding Knowledge

Another transnational program that continues to show KU’s efforts amidst hard times is the IWC. In the IWC, students from both KU and universities overseas attend classes at each other’s universities during winter vacation. First started in 2016, the IWC unfolds over the course of three weeks, where students can participate in up to two classes of their choice, which may be accepted as credits. Moreover, the IWC is a truly wholesome means for foreign students to learn about Korean culture, providing experiences ranging from trips visiting famous landmarks like the Lotte Amusement Park to learning calligraphy and Taekwondo.

Due to COVID-19, the IWC also went through some changes. The e-IWC is a way to continue the original IWC program despite the pandemic. It is the biggest winter campus in the country, with students showing great diversity in academic passions from subjects like “Polymerization Reaction Engineering” to “Mass Media & Popular Culture in Korea.” Additionally, foreign students are given the means to virtually tour Seoul, through YouTube videos and Zepeto – a metaverse app. To guarantee better cultural knowledge of Korea, an online K-pop class and K-cooking class are also provided for students stuck at home overseas.

Professor Namsoo Peter Kim (Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)), teaches “Introduction to Artistic Smart-Manufacturing (SM)” at the e-IWC, a class centering on students’ practices of design using SM technology, based on his “Printable Materials” class back at UTEP. Needless to say, teaching an engineering class online was challenging at first. “There were obvious limits to interacting with the students or getting direct feedback from them, and it was also difficult to grasp their overall understanding of the course material,” he says.

To overcome these challenges, Professor Kim incorporated more visuals to ensure students’ comprehension and arranged a more active learning space. “Rather than employing the usual one-sided lecture, I tried communicating more with students and had them offer their opinions, improving their concentration and class participation.” Due to the practical nature of his class, a few offline classes were allowed, which supported a more active learning environment. The e-IWC initially seemed to disadvantage students’ overall studies, but students and professors found ways to withstand and, in some cases, even improve the learning environment.

Both the eGLP and e-IWC took on various measures to ensure a full learning experience with the least possible inconvenience for all participants. Students from different regions of the world are able to efficiently communicate with one another, sharing their thoughts on topics they all have passion for. By continuing to make efforts for international exchange during the pandemic, KU members will be able to further broaden their horizons and enhance their global communication skills in the time to come, reminding us of the noteworthy message that the show must go on.