University students around the world gathered to grow as global leaders

The International Summer Campus has brought together 1800 students 

from 51 countries worldwide.

The program went even more global—the number of participating countries increased 

by 17 from last year.

On June 25 (Tuesday), the International Summer Campus (ISC), a 6-week educational program for university and pre-university students from Korea and around the world, kicked off at Korea University.

Since its inception in 2004, the ISC has grown steadily over the last 16 years and has now become the largest short-term international educational program in Korea. This year, the program has brought together more than 1800 students from over 370 universities in 51 countries. As the number of participating countries increased by 17 from last year, the program went even more global thanks to Korea University’s wide-ranging international efforts.

The 6-week journey started with the entrance ceremony and orientation on June 25. Korea University also launched a 4-week program in 2016 to meet the diverse needs of students from countries with different academic calendars from Korea, such as Australia, and New Zealand.

The entrance ceremony and orientation started at 10:00 a.m., which was followed by an explanation of the academic calendar, campus life, scholarship and gender equality, a security session, and a chance to experience Korea University’s cheerleading with the KU cheering squad.

The ISC has provided top-class lectures by inviting distinguished scholars from all over the world. This year, the lectures will be given in about 120 disciplines, including business management, economics, politics, law, humanities, social science, science, engineering, art, and Korean Studies, by professors from prestigious universities, such as Johns Hopkins University, King’s College London, and Cornell.

The KU Pre-College program will be offered to pre-university students from abroad. The strong point of this program is that the students can take classes alongside university students and experience college life.

On top of lectures taught by distinguished professors, students will have the opportunity to experience various aspects of Korean culture, such as making Korean food, Taekwondo, a K-Pop dance flash mob, a quiz event titled ‘Challenge, Golden bell,’ and attending a baseball game. They will also be offered internships at Korean conglomerates, public enterprises, and government offices.

Korea University also offers the Buddy Program, in which a Korea University student teams up with an international student. This program provides Korean students chances to learn international norms and helps the international students become familiar with their new environment.

In his entrance ceremony speech, Professor Piotr Swistak from the University of Maryland congratulated the ISC students by saying: “Korea and Korea University are very attractive places. Welcome to the ISC. I hope that this program will give you an engaging and enjoyable learning experience.”

Professor June-Seek Choi, Associate Dean of the International Summer School, said, “The ISC’s Buddy Program will help you quickly adjust to life at Korea University and in Korea. This year, more than 1800 students from 51 countries have joined the program. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you six weeks later at the graduation ceremony.”

Jeong-ho Kim, Vice President for International Affairs, said, “The ISC, which laid the foundation for the internationalization of Korea University, marks its 16th anniversary this year. So far, more than 25,000 students have graduated from the program. The ISC is truly the best summer campus program in Korea.” He added that, with growing global interest in Korea and Korean culture, the demographics of ISC students are becoming more diverse, and this will help the program to grow in size and status.