【Translator: Zhi-Yu Yang】

【Promotion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) series】

2024-01-25 The sister school of the National University of Kaohsiung, Kyung Hee University in South Korea, recently visited the Kaohsiung campus. The faculty and students engaged in a two-week cultural exploration and study tour, immersing themselves in Taiwanese culture and customs while enjoying the unique local atmosphere and the comfortable weather in southern Taiwan during their visit.

The organizer of the "Winter Special Program at Kyung Hee University" and Associate Professor Wang Qing-Dong of the Department of East Asian Languages and Literature at NUK stated that the program took place from January 23th to February 4th. The main participants were Kyung Hee University's  Department of Korean Language and Literature students. The program included not only classroom learning sessions on topics such as "Applied Philosophy," "Comparison of Western and Asian Cultures," "Modern History of Taiwan," and "Taiwanese Ethnic Groups and Languages," but also visits to cultural and historical sites in Taiwan. Destinations included the "Anping Fort National Historic Site" in Tainan, the "Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park" in Pingtung, the "Lianchihtan Scenic Area" in Kaohsiung, and the southernmost tip of Taiwan, "Eluanbi," providing the participants with firsthand experiences of Taiwan's cultural evolution and rich natural landscapes.

Wang Qing-Dong mentioned that the interaction between the faculty and students of the Department of East Asian Languages and Literature, including the Korean Language program, and more than 40 sister schools in Korea, including Kyung Hee University, has been enthusiastic. Through such overseas study programs, they maintain active communication and exchange. These activities facilitate mutual understanding and help students in the Korean Language program gain practical experience, allowing them to enhance their language skills for future study exchanges in Korea or employment in the professional field.

Since its inception in 2016, the first youth action institute has been well-received by Korean students. The program was temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it resumed in 2023 as the situation improved. Despite Taiwan's recent cold wave, Kaohsiung's relatively warm winters are attractive to Korean participants accustomed to consistently low temperatures, including lows of minus 10 degrees Celsius in their home country.

Participant and Kyung Hee University student Yin Yi-Zai expressed that with only one semester left before graduation, he seized the opportunity to participate in the overseas study program in Taiwan. Recognizing the numerous historical similarities between Korea and Taiwan and the mutual influence of their cultures, he looks forward to a journey filled with valuable experiences.

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#SDG17 @Department of East Asian Languages and Literature &Activities