> Teacher by day, student by night... Two years of hard work pay off
> A total of 32 individuals have earned degrees through the program so far.

Since 2019, the King Sejong Institute Foundation has been assisting locally recruited teachers in obtaining their degrees. Through this program, five* local Korean language teachers who transferred to a Korean online university in March 2021 received a degree in Korean language education in February this year. After earning their degrees, they will also receive a second-level Korean language teacher certificate through a qualification exam by the National Institute of Korean Language.

* Affiliated KISs (in alphabetical order): KSI Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; KSI Shijiazhuang, China; KSI Yangon, China; KSI Bogotá, Colombia; KSI Sokuluk, Kyrgyzstan

Eligible participants for KSI's degree acquisition support project are locally recruited teachers without a teaching certificate who have worked for at least one year after graduating from a domestic or foreign college. The King Sejong Institute Foundation has signed agreements with eight online universities in Korea (▲ Kyung Hee Cyber University ▲ The Cyber University of Korea ▲ Digital Seoul Culture Arts University ▲ Cyber Hankuk University of Foreign Studies ▲ Seoul Cyber University ▲ Sejong Cyber University ▲ Korea Soongsil Cyber University ▲ Wonkwang Digital University) to fully support transfer courses and tuition fees for locally recruited teachers majoring in Korean education. Participants can receive support for four consecutive semesters if they meet the basic 18-credit enrollment and minimum credit requirements.

The Foundation has produced 32 graduates through the program this year and is working to enhance the professionalism of local Korean language teachers at KSIs worldwide. "I am generally satisfied with the process of earning my degree, as I could immediately apply what I learned in the field," said Lee In-gyu, a teacher at KSI Bogotá who graduated this year after participating in the support program.

Moreover, Shin Ji-Eun, a teacher at KSI Tübingen, who is currently in her fourth semester, said, "Compared to teaching classes as a non-Korean education major with only a training program, my confidence has improved, which has a positive impact on my teaching.”

Meanwhile, KSI's program to assist locally recruited teachers in earning their degrees is now in its eighth year. Sixteen locally recruited teachers selected from the fifth through eighth editions are participating in the ongoing program to earn a degree in Korean language education, and the King Sejong Institute Foundation plans to recruit participants for the ninth edition of the program this June.