Thank you to all of the students and professors that took part in the second Hallym University Online Korean Studies Taster Program (KSTP).

The KSTP was held live Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th of January, 2022. There was also an informal ‘meet and greet’ session on Monday where students were able to get to know each other and learn about physical exchange at Hallym University.

(Some of the KSTP students during the optional Monday ‘meet and greet’ session)

The KSTP was divided into Korean morning and afternoon sessions giving students from 18 countries the opportunity to participate. 

The program was split into three 90 minute introductory sessions on:

□ Korean New Year Holiday (Seollal) History & Tradition

□ Korean Etiquette and International Business in Korea

□ Social Issues in Modern Korean Society

During the class ‘Korean New Year Holiday (Seollal) History & Tradition’ students learned about the upcoming Seollal Holiday Period in Korea. Students investigated the background of Seollal and gained a greater understanding of its importance in the lives of the people living on the Korean Peninsula in the distant past. 

After tracing its origins, students then learned about the rites and rituals that are still practiced in Korea today during the holiday.

During the class ‘Korean Etiquette and International Business in Korea’ students discussed Korean etiquette and customs related to doing business in Korea and in everyday life. They also explored the possible origins of, and cultural influences on these traditions. As the class progressed, students also compared and contrasted Korean etiquette and customs to their own countries’ using the Lewis Model as a basis for their discussion.   

During the class ‘Social Issues in Modern Korean Society’ students were introduced to social issues that influence people's lives in this global and yet new multicultural society. Current economic, political, social, and cultural issues within Korea were discussed and students considered how ongoing conflicts affect groups, as well as individuals. Students also reflected on how these current issues in modern Korean society related to themselves and how, in what ways, the issues give impact on our everyday lives as global citizens.

Each class involved live lectures from the professors with students then joining break out groups for small group discussion, using assigned discussion questions before rejoining the class for further discussion and feedback. 

The break out groups were modified each day, allowing students to work collaboratively with a diverse group of people from different countries and backgrounds.  

Below you can see some of the feedback given about the KSTP by the students:

Thank you to everyone for your enthusiastic participation in the second Hallym Korean Studies Taster Program. We hope to see you on physical exchange at Hallym sometime in the near future!

More information about incoming exchange can be found here.