380 students go abroad for overseas volunteer corps, overseas internships, backpacking, etc.
Various programs such as foreign culture exploration, exchange in majors, industry-academic cooperation, etc.
[January 6, 2017]
<32nd volunteer corps launching ceremony>
YU students will travel around the world this winter break.
YU students are planning to spend their winter breaks even more busily than during the school term. YU operates various overseas dispatch programs using the break to strengthen the global capacities of students. Over 380 YU students will be traveling around the world this summer break.
The 'overseas volunteer corps' participated by over 2,430 students over 31 sessions since 2001 is YU's best-known overseas dispatch program. This winter break, YU will also send its 60 students in its 32nd overseas volunteer corps to Laos, Vietnam and India to do volunteer work. They held a launching ceremony at 3 p.m. on the 4th at the YU College of Education auditorium and will send a total of three teams for two weeks each overseas such as Vietnam on January 8, India on the 11th, and Laos on February 1.
The volunteer corps will visit local elementary schools and offer volunteer services for education and environmental improvements. During the volunteer period, they will be engaged not only in improving the educational environment of elementary schools such as repairing old facilities, painting walls, and drawing wall murals, but also provide education in arts and sports such as making soap, jump rope and foot soccer through different education teams in art and physical education, while also spreading Korean culture through Korean language education. The team being sent to Vietnam will team up with around 20 students at the Van Hien University Department of Korean Language for volunteer and cultural exchange.
Kim Tae-gon (24, Statistics, Junior), the team leader for the Vietnam Team in the 32nd overseas volunteer corps, said, "I hope that through the various programs in the overseas volunteer corps activities, we will be able to share our experiences and knowledge to learn the true meaning of volunteering."
Another one of the most popular program among students among the overseas dispatch programs offered by YU is 'Window To The World'. 'Window To The World' is a very popular program for backpacking in search of a theme related to school. The selected students are offered round-trip airfare. Since first beginning in 2002, over 2,200 students traveled around the world. This winter break, 104 students will make teams of twos and threes to go backpacking all around the world such as Europe, USA, Australia, Japan and China.
'OPP' (Outbound Pilot Program) is another overseas dispatch program that is the pride of YU. This is a preliminary short-term language program for students interested in studying abroad and to participate as exchange students in overseas sister schools. OPP, which began in 2009, was joined by 1,533 students and this winter break, 108 students will be sent to the Philippines for four weeks through OPP.
For the overseas internship program where students work at a foreign company for six months to one year, 30 students will be sent to the United States. Students who participate in academic credit programs will be able to kill three birds with one stone such as in gaining overseas experience, work experience, and school credits.
In addition, approximately 140 students will go abroad for local start-up training in Shanghai, China, Global Capstone Design project presentation, overseas cultural explorations, short-term overseas internships and foreign language programs, and thus a total of 380 YU students will leave their footprints around the world during this winter break.
