Sungshin Women’s University joined KSI program in 2015. The university is now managing KSI Shijiazhuang with China’s Hebei University of Science and Technology, and KSI Rijeka with the University of Rijeka in Croatia. KWON Bo-Kyung from Sungshin Women’s University Institute of International Education Team shares her rewarding experiences as a KSI staff member supporting KSI Shijiazhuang.

Hello, KWON Bo-Kyung. Please introduce yourself briefly and share your special tips on managing KSI, especially since Sungshin Women’s University was selected as one of the outstanding KSI operating institutions.

Hello. I’m KWON Bo-Kyung, and I work for Sungshin Women’s University Institute of International Education Team. Sungshin Women’s University has been managing KSI Shijiazhuang, China for seven years since September 2015, and will be opening a new location in Rijeka, Croatia this September. My responsibility is to run this university’s Korean Language Institute and support the operation of two KSI locations. Every KSI staff member in Korean universities will feel the same, the workload is heavy when there aren’t any dedicated staff members for handling tasks related to KSI. At the same time though, the work is done with a great sense of duty and patriotism.

The secret behind the seven excellent years of running KSI Shijiazhuang would be a close and friendly relationship with Hebei University of Science and Technology, China, which is the local operator. They are always kind, open-hearted, supportive, and considerate of our instructors, and I believe this is the force behind the excellent performance of the location. We are now managing 2 locations starting from this year, and I hope we’ll be able to continue such intimate cooperation with local partners and contribute to spreading the Korean language and culture.

Are there any special moments with students, classes, or events you remember while you have been managing KSI?

A large portion of students at KSI Shijiazhuang are local university students with a goal to study in Korea. So, the atmosphere here could be a bit different from the locations where students are highly interested in K-wave or Korean culture. Most students here study hard and aim for a high score in the Test of Proficiency in Korean. You might imagine something serious, but they are enjoying their courses since we provide them opportunities to experience Korean culture, which is rarely found there, as well as various events with local people. Students in particular loved making bungeo-ppang, something that is so easy to find on Korean streets in winter. The kimchi-making event also received a great response from local people of Shijiazhuang. In 2016, our cultural interns held a Korean fan dance class, fascinating the local people with beautiful dance performances wearing elegant hanboks. The interns are invited to the opening parade of Hebei University of Science and Technology’s athletic meet held every fall to showcase the hanbok, fan dance, and Taekwondo.

Sungshin Women’s University is preparing to open a new KSI this year in Rijeka, Croatia. Please share with us the goals or special plans you have with this new site as an operational staff member if you have any.

I’m really excited as we put things together for KSI Rijeka because what we do in this location will be very different from the one in Shijiazhuang.

We are planning to offer two special cultural courses for KSI Rijeka. First is a K-beauty event with students of Sungshin Women’s University’s Department of Beauty Industry. The events will be held online during the pilot period, then further extended to offline opportunities later on. We are expecting a great response from the local people as well as from the students.

The second course is Taekwondo. People in Rijeka have a high interest in Taekwondo and they even have a Taekwondo academy in the University of Rijeka, our local KSI operator. In this pilot semester, 3 volunteers from the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation will be dispatched to KSI Rijeka to teach a special Taekwondo course, which will later become a regular course with classes and special lectures. I hope that these courses contribute to promoting Korea culture in the local community.

Seong Keun Yi (President of Sungshin Women’s University) is being awarded Certificate of Merit to outstanding KSI operating institutions in 2022.