Shin Yo-han, a senior majoring in International Development and Saemaul Undong sent overseas 11 times as a student with funding by YU
Selected for ‘YUGP’ and sent for internship to international organization in Africa and sent to the UN headquarters as a college representative
Dispatched for international organization internship for one year to a UN organization gaining practical experience in the international stage
[July 5, 2019]
<Shin Yo-han a senior majoring in International Development & Saemaul Undong is scheduled to be dispatched to LVRLACC, an international cooperation organization for three nations in Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda) through the ‘YU Global Pioneer’ (YUGP) program>
“Simply participating in programs offered by the university is enough to dream of becoming an expert in international development. I believe that opportunities will come to people who search for and take on challenges.”
There is a college student who is dreaming of entering the international stage without not only going on an overseas language program, but not even the ever-so-common foreign language academy. His name is Shin Yo-han (22), a senior majoring in International Development & Saemaul Undong at YU.
Mr. Shin is planning to finish his last undergraduate semester with an internship at an international organization. Mr. Shin will be sent to the LVRLACC (Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities & Counties Cooperation), an international cooperation organization of three nations in Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda) through the credit-linked overseas internship program from September 2019 to January 2020 through the ‘YU Global Pioneer’ (hereinafter called ‘YUGP’) program that was newly established by YU this year. He will work in Tanzania for 11 weeks and in Kenya for 5 weeks at the African international organization.
In particular, Mr. Shin has been asked to give a lecture on Saemaul international development for municipal congressmen, public employees and students by LVRLACC. He is scheduled to give a lecture on Saemaul international development and application of Saemaul in Africa during his internship.
Mr. Shin said, “I am surprised to be asked to give a lecture as I lack expertise in the area. I would like to utilize what I studied in my major and overseas field learning experiences that I accrued in the past.” He added with an air of confidence saying, “I am planning to concentrate on studies with the help of my advising professor during the summer break before leaving. I believe that it will be a great opportunity to take a step closer to my dreams.”
This is not the first time that Mr. Shin will be interning at an international organization. He has been working at the UN Institute for Training and Research – Jeju International Research Center since February. Mr. Shin’s main duties are supporting seminars and workshops of policy-makers of the UN Institute for Training and Research Asia Pacific region. Though English is spoken for most of the work at the international organization, he has been just as effective as professionals in planning, operation and administrative work. He provided support for 11 major events. When including unofficial events, he has been working restlessly throughout his short internship.
Mr. Shin has been recognized for his capacities to stand in international arenas even before he became a senior. He has been chosen for internships at various international organizations, and so he is spending his last year as an undergraduate in the field rather in a classroom. This did not all happen overnight. Mr. Shin gained strong fundamentals by participating in various internationalization programs offered by the university until his junior year. He participated in over 11 overseas study programs in eight different countries including the Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia and Thailand since his freshman year.
“I constantly knocked on the doors to relevant overseas field study, contests, forums and internships to gain expertise in Saemaul and international development. At first, I was disappointed because I was not selected for the programs I applied to. But, I kept going. I think I have been selected for all of the programs I applied to since 2016. After gaining the opportunity to be dispatched abroad a couple of times, I gained the confidence that ‘I can do it’, which I believe is now my biggest asset.”
Mr. Shin said that participating in so many overseas dispatch programs was not accompanied by financial issues. This is because most of the programs that Mr. Shin participated in were operated by the university or his department, or were sponsored by the Yeungnam Saemaul Scholarship Association founded by senior alumni. Mr. Shin was selected for the first ‘YUGP’ that was newly established this year. Mr. Shin will be dispatched to the LVRLACC in Africa through the ‘YUGP’ program and also be dispatched to the UN Headquarters in New York as the Korean college representative in August, and will receive about 9 million KRW from YU for this.
He has also exhibited outstanding language abilities, which he studied on his own. He used the infrastructure in the campus for this. He participated in programs related to the foreign language center of YU and international student-related programs. He also made friends and studied with international students enrolled at YU to improve his foreign language skills.
Mr. Shin’s goal is to work as an educator and help others. He has set his dream clear as an educator with expertise in the international development cooperation sector. Mr. Shin stated that after graduating in February of next year, he would like to continue his studies in the master’s degree program at the YU Graduate School of Saemaul and International Development and stated, “My short-term goal is to gain more detailed knowledge on my major at graduate school, and then gain practical experience by participating in mid- to long-term overseas dispatch programs operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or government agencies overseas. My final goal is to become an educator that shares my experience and knowledge in the international development cooperation sector.”
‘YUGP’ is a program that is being offered for the first time this year by YU as a university innovation support project. It is a program to select and dispatch students from low income families, who have relatively less opportunities to receive global experience, overseas. Selected students will be dispatched to developing countries high future development potential such as in Southeast Asia and Africa to enhance their capacities as global experts. All students that are selected will receive a total of 5 million KRW including airfare and allowances by YU. A total of nine students were selected this year including mr. Shin and three will be sent to the LVRLACC internship, while three will be sent to Vietnam and three to Indonesia as exchange students.
