Umeå University welcomes South Korean exchange students
NEWS
This year, Umeå University signed its first partnership agreement with six universities in South Korea. Sujin Hwang, Youngil Kim, Su Yon Park, and Songha Lee are four of the nine South Korean exchange students who spend the autumn term 2012 at Umeå University. So far, their stay in northern Sweden has been an exciting adventure.
Though Sweden had not been a country they had initially thought of when they decided to study abroad, the four students are glad about their choice. “Sweden is the perfect place to study social work because of its social welfare system. Also, there are many international students here. It is impressive to get so many different perspectives in class,” social work student Songha explains.
“I chose Umeå because it is one of the safest cities in Europe. And I wanted to improve my English. I had heard that Swedes speak very good English,” says Youngil, who studies English Literature.
Sujin, who takes classes in English and Business, enjoys the Swedish education system where students study one course at a time and group work and discussions are highly emphasized. “I like that the lecture schedule is so flexible. It makes going to school interesting and gives me time to travel,” she explains.
She plans to visit the Swedish cities Sundsvall and Malmö. All together, the students have been to the Swedish capital Stockholm, and will travel to Kiruna in Lapland soon.
Coming from the densely populated Seoul area, the students were surprised by Sweden’s nature and Umeå’s peaceful atmosphere. One of their highlights so far has been spotting the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights that are visible over Umeå on a clear cold night.
Furthermore, the students are impressed by the activities Umeå University offers for international students. All students participate in the buddy programme, which is organised by Umeå University’s International Office. As participants in the programme, they are part of a buddy group with other international and Swedish students. The Swedish buddies volunteer to introduce the international students to the Swedish way of life and arrange free-time activities. “We have had a Swedish dinner and watched a Swedish movie with my group,” Sujin explains.
In general, they all encountered a lot of help from the university, and Swedish people in general. “I can always ask the Swedish buddies for help or come by the Internationals Office whenever there is a problem,” Su Yon says. “People here are very friendly. They always help me when I ask for the way. And even the cars stop for pedestrians.”
