제 23 호 Summer Program on Regional Studies with Towson University
Kicker: SM NEWS
Summer Program on Regional Studies with Towson University
by Ji-min Baek, Editor-in-Chief / Si-ho Park, Reporter
pjm5875@naver.com / pnshse05@naver.com
Among our school’s sister universities in the United States, students from Towson University located in Baltimore, Maryland, participated in a summer program on regional studies at Sangmyung University Seoul Campus from July 21 to August 3. Seven students from Towson University and six from Sangmyung University had time to take various lectures and enjoy Korean culture together in person by visiting various places. Here’s what they learned and experienced.
About the Towson University Summer Program
Towson University students' summer program on regional studies and philosophy ran for two weeks from July 21 to Aug. 3 at the Seoul campus of Sangmyung University. Students had time to learn about Korea through lectures for a week from July 22 to July 27. In the lecture, the students had time to understand Korean society, economy, history, and culture. After listening to the lectures from professors in their respective fields, they had group discussion time so that they could hear more vivid stories of Korea and share their opinions with Korean students (buddies). After the class, the students visited Community Chest Korea, LG Magok Science Park, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Assembly, DMZ, Insadong, etc., and had time to experience and feel Korean society, history, and culture firsthand.
| A class about Korean history by Dr. Samuel Denny and Dr. Kim Kyung-jin | A class about Korean culture: GAT by Dr. Yang Hee-sun | Visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace |
Interviews with Students from Towson University
I interviewed Ash and Macayla, students at Towson University. Ash participated in this program because it is related to her major. Additionally, as she enjoys learning about various subjects, she finds it fascinating to get new information and some new pieces of history and culture. Macalya learned about this through her class and developed an interest in it by participating in a study abroad fair, which ultimately led her to join this program. Both are interested in K-pop and Macalya is also interested in the fashion and K-beauty culture in Korea. They each selected the natural landscapes of Korea and their meeting with students from Sangmyung University as the most memorable things about this program. They stated that, in addition to gaining considerable knowledge about Korean culture, history, and economy through their participation in the program, they also appreciated the opportunity to broaden their perspectives.
I also interviewed Professor Samuel A. Denny Jr, who conducted the lecture on Understanding Korean History. He expressed his pleasure at being able to share Dr. Kim Kyung-jin’s vivid stories of the Korean War and his remarkable mindset with students from Sangmyung University and Towson University. He also noted that during the Q&A session, Dr. Kim provided a meaningful response to a question with the phrase “Dig many holes when you are young,” which meant the idea that young people should constantly challenge themselves and gain diverse experiences. Everyone was deeply impressed by this answer.
I believe, as Dr. Kim mentioned, that continuously learning new things and gaining diverse experiences are important. I have no doubt that this program would have been a valuable experience for both our students and those from Towson University. I hope that there will be more opportunities in the future to engage in such summer programs and other avenues for learning.
