Through actively carrying out interchange with a wealth of universities of various nations, numerous students from Kookmin University are studying overseas as exchange students and at the same time are widely advertising Kookmin University. Likewise, thanks to the exchange students from overseas, it is no longer hard to meet aliens with unfamiliar color on campus. If so, have we ever seen blue-eyed foreigners from Europe? Here we met 4 young people from SRH Hochschule Heidelberg, Germany.

(Photo 3) Let us introduce four exchange students from Germany-Stephen, Aram, Toby and Chris

Q: What brought you to Kookmin University as an exchange student?

Chris) I was aware of an exchange student program between my university in German and Kookmin University and had counseling with my professor and he strongly recommended it. I also had much curiosity on Asian country, namely Korea and applied for it.

Q: How much did you know about Korea?

Stephen) We competed with Korea in the semi-final of 2002 World Cup. We beat Korea 1-0. (Laugh)

Aram) I like Manchester United team and Ji Sung Park is one of the players there.

Chris) Honestly, I don’t quite know much about Asian countries and that’s why I am more curious about them.

Q: What were your concerns on your coming to Korea?

Toby) I wasn’t concerned at all, but before coming to Korea, one of the professors advised me to be watchful because Koreans are very blunt and unfriendly. However, all the students at Kookmin University and Koreans I have met so far are all very kind. I guess my professor just made a joke.

Q: What was your first impression of Korea when you arrived at the airport?

Chris) First of all, Incheon Airport is quite modern and neat. Also, Seoul is a lot much cleaner and tidier that I thought. Actually, I thought it would be a little messy and dirty and surprisingly it wasn’t.

Q: What about your first impression of Kookmin University?

Toby) I thought campus was really beautiful. Seoul seems to be a quite developed city and it was very surprising to see this big mountain and a school under it. I guess this school is miles better than ours in Germany.

Q: Let us talk about your school life. How are the classes?

Stephen) Well, I take courses in English and professors are all enthusiastic and nice. They seem to be a bit uncomfortable because we are foreigners, but they are very caring all the time.

Aram) Not to complain, but I am quite distressed with a bunch of presentations and quizzes in the class of Business Administration. (Laugh)

          Prof. Choon Ryul Ryoo at the department of Mass Communication, teaching human communication studies in English to German students, lavished praise on them by saying “they prepare for the class more thoroughly than Korean students and that they are faithful students.” Furthermore, he added that “they motivate a lot of Korean students by participating in English lectures and make them feel ‘globalization’ is not far-reaching.

Q: Eating is very important, so is the food to your taste?

Toby) I eat at the school cafeteria. It is fine. I can eat Kimchi and Korean food tastes good.

Stephen) It is not bad, but these days I have a craving for pizza.

Q: How is the living place?

Stephen) I stay in the student dormitory with Korean students and it is good. We get along and they are nice to me. I even went to Insadong with my friend at dormitory.

Q: What do you think about the students you meet at Kookmin University?

Aram) I would say they are very friendly. Some students talk to me first and I also became close with the others in the same class.

Chris) I never thought there would be so many students who can speak English well. I realize during the discussion in human communication class that there are more students than I expected who is fluent in English.

             Jae Min Hwang (majoring in Business Administration in’04), sharing the room with Stephen stated that “German students have a good sense of humor and friendly so would very much like to introduce well-known sites in Seoul, but regretfully too busy to do so as a senior”. Besides, he was fully satisfied in sharing the room by stating “it helped a lot in improving English ability through staying together with fluent speakers of English.

Q: What are the places you have visited in Korea?

Toby) A great many. I don’t quite remember the name, but I have visited the palace and Insadong. I have gone to Myungdong and Dongdaemun and one thing I realized was that there are so many people. Everywhere I go; it is all crowded with people. The place we lived, Heidelberg, is a very quiet and tranquil countryside. I guess I am not used to it yet.

Q: What would you most like to do in Korea?

Stephen) First, I would like to make a lot of friends. We are returning when the semester finishes, so not much time left for us. That’s why my goal is to be close with more students at Kookmin University.

Aram) I want to know more about Korea. I am very curious about Korean culture and sentiment. I wish to experience lots of things before leaving.

Q: Lastly, any words to the students you have met at Kookmin University?

Chris) Students at Kookmin University are kinder and nicer that I thought before. Now that there are two months left, I wish to become close with more friends. Thank you all!

             They defined Korea and Kookmin University in one word as “Kind”. It was the students at Kookmin University who helped them safely adapt to the new life in a strange land where everything is unfamiliar. We are becoming more of a “customized international citizen” and it is no longer awkward to approach strange foreigners and speak to them. Project of promoting global citizens of Kookmin University is to be continued until the day every Kookmin person stands in the center of internationalization.