NUFFIC director-general visits the KCUE

The Director-General of NUFFIC (Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education), Mr. Sander van den Eijnden, visited the KCUE on Tuesday, October 5th. 
NUFFIC is a private, non-profit corporation and is based in the Hague in the Netherlands. It coordinates academic cooperation programs, promotes the international mobility of students and academic staff through scholarship and grant programs, and attracts students from other countries who are looking to study abroad. 
Mr. Eijnden was keen to learn South Korea’s current education policies on university admission, university accreditation, and internalization while discussing Dutch higher education issues. The Director-General said that this visit was a good opportunity to understand the roles and functions of the KCUE and hoped to promote cooperation between NUFFIC and the KCUE. 

WSK Newsletter 30

Korea on the Road to First Class 

Chairwoman Lee Bae-Yong of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding on November 15 gave a lecture for the KBS program “The Road to First Class.”
  

The lecture was on the subject of Korea’s nation brand and the impact of the G20 Seoul Summit.

“Made in Korea” Impact

“Despite the increasing sales of Korean products globally nowadays,” Chairwoman Lee explained, “they still get about a 30% discount compared to similar products made by some other nations because of Korea’s undervalued nation brand.”

Giving examples of French perfume and wine which are products backed up by the country’s strong nation brand, Lee emphasized the importance of nation brand in generating economic profits.

“We need to work on increasing trust and preference for so-called “Made in Korea.” Also, it is getting more and more important nowadays to have strong “software” such as cultural content, human resources and spiritual values as well as hardware.”

Lee also touched upon Korea’s numerous timeless cultural heritages, saying, “I wish to share Korean values and spirits that are imbued in those historic and cultural legacies with the world. Korea’s astounding growth in the 20th century was made possible only because it was backed up by such virtues as harmony, sharing, communication, regards for life and nature.”

“To raise Korea’s nation brand, it is important to have active civic participation. The Council will make best efforts to achieve the goal with 5 major areas of work that we designated which include contributing to the international community, cultivating global citizenship, promoting multiculturalism, developing attractive culture and tourism, and showcasing advanced technology.”

“Korea, as seen in its age-long history and countless cultural relics, has admirable spirits – perseverance, cooperative and pacifist inclination, modesty, warmhearted regards for others. It is important that we remember these timeless virtues of ours,” Lee stressed.

* Chairwoman Lee Bae Yong’s lecture on the program “The Road to First Class” (aired on November 20) can be viewed at the following web page:

 http://www.kbs.co.kr/1tv/sisa/firstclass/vod/

WSK Newsletter 29

1. Cycling at the National Parks of Korea

Autumn is the perfect time for outdoor activities; a crowd of people head to mountain areas to see the magnificent foliage.

Well, if you missed out on the peak foliage season, then how about going bicycling? If hiking is about getting to the top of a mountain, then with cycling, you get to savor the beautiful scenery and ambience you have so far overlooked.

Touring Korea’s National Parks with a Bicycle

The Korea National Park Service announced that they are going to add four more cycling courses to the existing four, so operating a total eight routes.

  

In the cycling programs offered at the Hallyeohaesang National Park and the Deogyusan National Park, you can rent bicycles for free at the respective park offices.

The Korea National Park Service is planning to create extra cycling courses of 20km at the four parks including Seoraksan, Naejangsan, Jirisan and Woraksan.

Choose a Course that Is Right for Your Capacity

  

When cycling, it is important to choose a course that fits your strength and skills, and also to be mindful of safety instructions.

For example, if you are on a downhill road, you shouldn’t exceed 10km/h by applying hand brakes. As is common sense, you must wear a helmet as well as restrain from using mobile phones or ear plugs to listen to music. And also, should the unfortunate situation happens where on a downhill you’ve lost control of your bicycle, then you should rather let go of the handles instead of holding tight on to them, which is usually the instinct.

Remember, abiding safety rules aren’t only about your own safety; it’s as much about other cyclists and hikers’ who are near you.

If you are one of those who aren’t really into the taxing, energy-consuming hiking business, then you might want to consider trying a cycling program at the national parks!

2. Korea’s Women of the Sea ("Haenyeo")

The no. 1 search word related to Jeju Island of Korea is hands down the “Ollegil (Olle Road).” Just thinking about taking a walk on Ollegil, especially in the autumn with all this beautiful foliage, lifts one’s mood.

Some while ago, though, before Ollegil came to be such a hot tourist spot, the first thing that came to one’s head thinking about Jeju used to be the “haenyeo,” the sea women; they are female divers in the Korean province of Jeju.

The women born in Jeju had to earn a living either by farming crops or picking sea products. The haenyeo often represents a harsh and strenuous life.

What used to amount to as many as 15,000 haenyeo in 1970 has now plummeted down to a mere third of that number; and most of them are over seventy years of age at that, meaning that haenyeo are fast disappearing.

In light of this sad reality, The LA Times published a feature article on Korean haenyeo, their traditions and current situations.
    

 

Haenyeo, Epitome of Toughness

The haenyeo is assumed to have first appeared in the primeval! era when people started turning to the sea for food. It goes similar for the haenyeo of Jeju as well, based upon the age of the shrines on the island built for the safety of fishermen and haenyeo. There are several ancient proverbs and old sayings as well that describe Jeju haenyeo’s physical strength and their tough lifestyle.
       

         

There is one saying to the effect that Jeju haenyeo don’t stay in bed for more than three days after giving birth to a child, stressing their toughness. Another saying goes “Born as a Jeju woman, she should be able to support her household, no problem.”

The LA Times introduced the life of Jeju haenyeo in its front page, including in-person interviews that actually took place on the island.

The LA Times Illustrates Korea’s Old Tradition

The article of The LA Times, one of the five major newspapers of the U.S, featured the youngest Jeju haenyeo in Korea under the title “Korean island women carry on diving tradition.” The well-researched numbers and figures in the article point to the fact that the number of haenyeo is decreasing rapidly today in Korea.

The daughters who are handed down the know-how of sea-diving from their mothers (e.g. how to avoid sharks and how to hold breath and stay underwater for a long time) are turning elsewhere for other possibilities of living. Although it is true that not many women are obligated to choose the harsh life of haenyeo nowadays, there still are mothers who take pride in that particular calling, and with that calling, having brought up good daughters.

A Korean newspaper once covered the story of a 69-year-old woman who still hasn’t let go of the life of a haenyeo. She started sea-diving at the age of 11, tutored by her mother, and has since lived with and in the sea for 58 years. She says she still goes out to the sea about ten times a month and proudly adds that she has raised a son and four daughters.

Not for Money, But To Keep a Tradition Alive

The LA Times article contains an interview of the youngest haenyeo, Ms. Jae-Yeon Kim, who is 33 years old. Ms. Kim says she learns to become a haenyeo not to make money but because it connects her to her ancestors. She must learn all there is to learn about sea-diving before the elder haenyeos pass away so that sometime in the future she will be able to pass down the skills and the know-how.

The article, while praising Ms. Kim’s courage in having chosen a lifestyle of such harshness in order to keep a tradition alive, emphasizes the need on a more national level for preserving the traditions of haenyeo. The value and significance of that age-long calling is priceless.

Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) Master & PhD Scholarship

The scholarship awardees will be provided with a monthly stipend 900,000 Korean won(around US $800) for Master, and 1,200,000 Korean won (around US $1,100) for Ph.D. programs throughout their study. No tuition or registration fees are charged. All applicants need to submit below documents including online application form.

•Completed Application Form plus Photo (image file)
•Statement of Purpose
•Housing Application (if applicable). Upload file through the on-line application system
•Resume (Curriculum Vitae)

By postal mailing

•SEALED Recommendation Letters (two)
•Undergraduate & Graduate Degree Diplomas (Official registrar from your institution needs to confirm that copy of diploma is identical with the origin.)
•SEALED Official Undergraduate & Graduate Transcripts (1 copy each), Including Grade-Point Average (GPA). Please submit a transcript after seal an envelope.
•Score report for English Test (TOEFL or IELTS or TOEIC or TEPS). Please submit the original certificate or make an overture to us about relevant website with login details to verify it.
•Two Photos (Passport Size)
All applicants should keep in mind the admission timetable in IRDA as follows. Applications for the IRDA program will be accepted twice annually. Admission periods are for both the Fall and Spring semesters. The current deadlines are as follows:
- for Fall Semester: by April 15
- for Spring Semester: by October 15

Applicants are strongly recommended to submit their application package before the application deadline. The admission approval notification is made no later than 30 days before the beginning of the semester.

2011 Korean Government Scholarship Program for International Students for an Undergraduate Course

Study Subject: Any except the fields whose study period exceeds 4 years (e.g. medicine, dentistry, architecture)

Employer: Korean Universities
Level: Undergraduate
Scholarship Description: The objective of the Korean Government Scholarship Program for an Undergraduate Course is to provide international students with the opportunity to conduct advanced studies at higher educational institutions in Korea in order to promote international exchanges in education and mutual friendship between the countries.
Fields of Study
4-year undergraduate courses provided by the universities designated by NIIED
? Not applicable: fields the study period of which exceeds 4 years (e.g. medicine, dentistry, architecture)

Qualifications
Prospective applicant must meet the following qualification criteria:
(1) Must be a citizen of the country to which scholarships are offered, which is also applied to his/her parents.
? Applicant must not be a holder of Korean citizenship.
(2) Should be under 25 years of age as of March 1, 2011.
(3) Have an adequate health, both physically and mentally.
? Persons who are pregnant or having severe illness may not apply.
(4) Have finished or be scheduled to finish formal education of elementary, middle, high school as of March 1, 2011.
? Exceptional acceptance for a person who will have finished high school as of September 1, 2011 and who will be able to have level 3 in TOPIK until then.
(5) Possess above 80% (out of 100%) in a grade point average (G.P.A.) of the whole school years of the high school attended or within top 10% among graduates in the same year.
(6) Not at any time have received a Korean government scholarship for his/her undergraduate study before.
(7) Not have enrolled in an undergraduate course in Korea before.
(8) Preferential selection for applicants who are good at Korean or English.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 19 November 2010

For detail information

Sources:

1. National Institute for International Education (NIIED)
2. Study in Korea