Over 430 sent abroad for overseas volunteer corps, overseas internships and backpacking
Various programs such as foreign culture exploration, exchange of majors, industry-academic cooperation
[June 30, 2016]
<31st overseas volunteer corps launching ceremony>
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“Can't waste summer break! We will come back after gaining various experiences overseas!”
YU students will travel around the world during summer vacation.
YU students are planning to spend their summer vacation busily. YU operates various overseas dispatch programs every year during vacation seasons to improve the students' global capacities. This summer break, over 430 students will step foot all around the world.
Since 2001, over 2,340 students over 30 sessions participated in the 'overseas volunteer corps', which is one of YU's representative overseas dispatch programs. This summer break, 60 students of the 31st overseas volunteer corps will go to Laos, Philippines and India to engage in volunteer activities. They held the launching ceremony at the YU College of Education auditorium at 3 p.m. on the 29th. The India and Philippines teams will leave on July 2 and the Laos team will leave on the 4th and participate in volunteer activities for two weeks.
The volunteers will visit local elementary schools and help with education and improving the environment. During the volunteer period, they will not only help improve the educational environment by repairing old facilities and painting the walls of elementary schools, but also make up several education teams including arts and physical education and offer soap-making, jump rope, and kickball classes. They will also provide Korean language courses to help spread the Korean culture.
Shin Min-joon (25, Department of Political Science & Diplomacy, senior), who is the captain of the Philippines team for the 31st overseas volunteer corps, said, "I was always interested in volunteering and I have experience participating in UNICEF charity drives and mentoring programs for local elementary school students. But this is my first time participating in overseas volunteer activities so I am very excited." He added, "I will be graduating after one more semester so I want to make many fun memories and I hope to improve the reputation of Korea and our school as well."
One of the most popular programs for students among the overseas dispatch programs offered by YU is 'Window to the World'. 'Window to the World' is a backpacking program to go on a trek for a theme related to school and the competition rate is very high at 3 to 1. Selected students are provided with round-trip air fare and more. This program was offered since 2002 and helped over 2,100 students travel the world. This summer break, 107 students will be grouped in teams of twos and threes and go backpacking around the world including Europe, USA, Australia, Japan and China.
'OPP' (Outbound Pilot Program) is another overseas dispatch program that is the pride of YU. This is a short-term pre-study abroad program for students who are interested in studying abroad or planning to go to a sister school as an exchange student. OPP began in 2009 and was joined by over 1,480 students. This summer break, 53 students will be sent to the Philippines for four weeks through the OPP.
Over 20 students will be sent to the US this summer break for the overseas internship program in which students will work abroad in foreign companies for six months to one year. The overseas internship program is tied with school credits so participating students will be able to travel abroad, gain work experience, and acquire school credits, thus killing three birds with one stone.
Also, 190 plus students will be sent abroad for the start-up education training at Donghua University in Shanghai, China, global industry-academic cooperation, overseas cultural exploration, short-term overseas internships, and language training programs, raising the number of YU students traveling abroad to over 430.
