Over 400 students go abroad for overseas volunteer corps, overseas internships, backpacking, etc.
Overseas field trip related to majors, advanced industry field trips, and other diverse programs
[July 6, 2017]
<33rd YU Overseas Volunteer Corps launching ceremony>
During summer vacation, YU students will be even busier during the school semester. YU students will be travelling all around the world through various global capacity strengthen programs during the summer break.
YU offers various overseas programs during the vacation periods every year. Over 400 YU students will be travelling around the world during this summer break as well.
The 'overseas volunteer corps' in which 2,490 students participated in over a total of 32 sessions since 2001 is one of YU's most representative overseas dispatch programs. This summer as well, YU will dispatch 40 people in the 33rd overseas volunteer corps to Mongolia and Laos. They held the launching ceremony at the YU College of Education at 3 p.m. on the 5th, and will be dispatched to their respective nations in July and offer volunteer services for two weeks.
<Volunteer activities in India by the 32nd overseas volunteer corps>
The volunteer corps dispatched this time will visit local elementary schools and offer volunteer services for education and environmental improvement. During the volunteer period, in addition to repairing old facilities, painting the walls, etc. at the elementary school, they will also engage in educational volunteer activities by organizing various teams such as arts and physical education. In particular, they will also spread Korean culture through taekwondo lessons and traditional games such as yutnori.
Kim Yeo-won (23, Department of Psychology, junior), who is the team leader of the Mongolia team of the 33rd overseas volunteer corps, said, "I traveled Inner Mongolia in China in 2014 for about a week. I had a great experience there so I applied to volunteer at Mongolia, which shares a similar culture." She added, "This will be an opportunity to interact with locals more, learn new cultures, and broaden my horizons compared to when simply traveling."
One of the most popular programs among students among the overseas dispatch programs offered by YU is 'Window To the World'. 'Window To the World' is a popular backpacking program where students make teams and set a theme. The selected students are offered round-trip airfare by the school. Since beginning first in 2002, approximately 2,300 students traveled the world. This summer break, 99 students will make up teams of twos and threes to go backpacking around the world such in Europe, USA, Australia, Japan and China.
'OPP' (Outbound Pilot Program) is another overseas dispatch program funded and boasted by YU. This is a preliminary short-term language program for students who are interested in studying abroad or to go to foreign sister schools as exchange students. OPP, which first started in 2009, was joined by a total of 1,640 students up until now. This summer, 68 students will go to Guam for four weeks through the OPP.
The overseas internship program where students work at a foreign company overseas for six months to one year will also have about 20 students go to the US and Hong Kong this summer. The overseas internship is a program that is also linked to school credits, so students will be able to kill three birds with one stone through this such as experiencing global cultures, gaining hands-on experience at companies, and earning school credits.
In addition, over 180 students will be dispatched abroad to England, Canada, China Japan, etc. through programs such as exploring advanced industries, short-term overseas internships, overseas field trips related to majors, short-term language programs, and exchange programs with overseas universities, and thus a total of over 400 YU students will be travelling around the world this summer break.
