Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) and its HUSS Global Symbiosis Project Team ran the “2026 Australia Global Resource Coordinator Program” in Sydney, Australia, for eight days from Wednesday, June 17, 2026, to Wednesday, June 24, 2026.

This program is an overseas field-based extracurricular course linked to “Global Korean Studies and Korean Language Education,” a joint course offered by the HUSS Global Symbiosis Project Team. Held for the second time following the 2025 program, it was attended by 28 students from Kwangwoon University, Kookmin University, Sunmoon University, Yeungnam University, and Honam University, along with four accompanying professors. Lee Dong-Eun, Deputy Director of the HUSS Global Symbiosis Project Team at Kookmin University, oversaw the entire schedule.

A key component of the program was a joint Problem-Based Learning (PBL) project with students from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia. Six students from UNSW—which ranked 19th globally in the 2027 QS World University Rankings—and 28 students from the consortium formed six mixed teams to carry out a “Global Project for the Restoration of Biological, Linguistic, and Cultural Diversity.”

Each team selected a topic, including animal welfare and biodiversity conservation, preservation of Indigenous languages, restoration of marine plastic and coral ecosystems, and wildfire prevention and forest management. After preliminary online meetings, on-site interviews, and research, the students proposed solutions utilizing AI technology and field survey results, followed by final presentations.

Professor Hwang Dong-wook of the Department of Media and Communication at Kwangwoon University, who led the PBL program, said, “The students investigated social and environmental issues in Australia firsthand and collaborated with UNSW students to propose solutions.” He added, “It is particularly meaningful that students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds were able to produce a joint project.”

Participating students volunteered at the Sydney Saesun Korean School, teaching Korean language and culture to local elementary, middle, and high school students. They led programs including traditional games, physical activities, hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) experiences, folk painting scratch art, traditional Korean confectionery (hangwa) making, and arts and crafts.

They also attended special lectures on career exploration and visited local institutions and companies. Participants attended a special lecture by a UNSW professor on Australian university admissions and career paths, as well as a special lecture by the Korean Education Center in Sydney on the Australian education system and culture. At the KOTRA Sydney Trade Office, they examined the Australian economy and the current state of business exchanges between Korea and Australia.

In addition, they visited Korean companies operating in Australia—including Woori Bank, Hana Bank, and Hyundai Corporation’s Sydney branch—to learn about overseas business operations and the local work environment. In the Bondi Beach area, they carried out ESG social contribution programs, including environmental cleanup activities.

Deputy Director Lee Dong-Eun stated, “We designed the program so that students could experience cross-cultural communication and the process of solving real-world problems through joint projects, educational volunteer work, and corporate visits,” adding, “We plan to continue operating overseas field education programs based on cooperation with local universities, institutions, and companies.”

Meanwhile, the HUSS Global Symbiosis Consortium includes Kwangwoon University, Kookmin University, Sunmoon University, Yeungnam University, and Honam University. With support from the Ministry of Education and the National Research Foundation of Korea for a three-year period starting in 2024, the consortium is operating a program to cultivate interdisciplinary talent equipped with the ability to respond to sustainable resource challenges, understand sustainable industries, and engage inclusively in a sustainable international society.

△ Kookmin University HUSS Global Symbiosis Project Team’s Global Field Training Program in Australia