Summer in Seoul leaves lasting impression on GCU Student

A summer trip to Seoul has helped a GCU student immerse herself in Korean culture whilst creating connections with other students from around the world.

Multimedia Journalism student Robyn McCue Knowles travelled alongside 11 other GCU students to Hansung University’s International Summer School (HISS), which aims to provide students from around the world with an unforgettable experience.

The programme, which has been running for a number of years, helps individuals learn the history of Korea through teaching and guidance from students and staff at the university. A combination of classroom activities and visits to iconic landmarks provided the perfect balance for Robyn and the rest of the students involved.

All 11 GCU students were supported throughout the process by GCU’s International Partnership Office. This included information around receiving funding from the Turing Scheme, which is the UK’s global programme for studying and working abroad. This funding enables students across a wide range of subject areas to undertake international study, placement, and internship opportunities.

We sat down with Robyn to hear more about her experience:

Why did you want to get involved in the Hansung University’s International Summer School (HISS)?

“A lot of my other friends were doing a semester abroad, so I wanted to look at my options. I went onto GCU Learn and looked at Vietnam first, but I then saw HISS and I just thought it sounded quite interesting. It’s always somewhere I’ve had a bit of an interest in because I watch quite a lot of Korean stuff, but I actually didn’t know too much about the actual country. I like learning about different things but I knew it would be completely different to actually go there and experience it.

“An opportunity like this was never something I thought studying at GCU would provide.  There’s a huge amount of help and support, which I would never have got if I planned the trip myself.”

What was the process behind actually going?

“There was basically a few forms and some online meetings about what would be involved. It was hard to get in because there was only a certain amount of spaces. We had 11 people from GCU going over in total and then there were 30 people overall on the actual HISS programme. My friend, Emily, wasn’t going at first but ended up actually joining us so that definitely helped and made the process easier.

“I discussed actually going to Seoul a lot with my parents. They were really supportive but they were also a bit apprehensive about it, especially my dad. My mum really recognised how good an opportunity it was and managed to convince my dad that it was a brilliant thing for me to get involved with.”

What was your journey out to South Korea like?

“We flew from Glasgow to Frankfurt and then Frankfurt to Incheon, which is near Seoul. The flight to Frankfurt was fine but 16 hours on to Korea was definitely tough going!

“HISS sent out a timetable detailing exactly when each group would be getting picked up at the airport, so we knew exactly what was happening. We were picked up by David from Hansung and we met a few people from Birmingham University, which was good because they were really extroverted. We were taken to the dormitories, which are basically their version of Caledonian Court.”

“We were given a really nice welcome and introduction to Hansung by members of staff, which definitely made us feel at home.”

What did the HISS programme actually involve?

“We had classes Monday to Friday in the morning and then our afternoon would always be spent doing some sort of fun activity. The morning was basically learning about the country and the afternoon was about experiencing it.

“The first week we went to the National Museum of Korea and explored some local markets. We also went to a local cooking event, which was a bit like Masterchef with live music. It sounds strange, but it was actually really fun.

“We also got to wear traditional clothing when we visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace. It was like a really long skirt and a jacket but I thought it looked really nice.

“There was also a trip to the N Seoul Tower. It was interesting because there’s a big light on it; if it’s red then the air quality is really bad, but if it’s green then everything is safe. Basically all the fumes go over to South Korea from China and they have a real issue with pollution. We also got to learn about Taekwondo, which I had no idea originated in South Korea. Another thing that really surprised me was their love of baseball – we got to go to a game and it was pretty crazy.”

“The learning in the classroom is not related to your degree – it’s all about South Korean culture and history. We learned a lot about the history between Japan and Korea, which was something I knew nothing about. We even got to visit an old prison where we learned more about the Japanese occupation and some of the different torture methods they used.  We also visited the de-militarized zone between South Korea and North Korea. It was a really strange experience because it all just seemed to be like farmland with a massive North Korean flag, barbed wire and soldiers everywhere.”

Did you get to travel outside of Seoul as well?

“Yeah, we had every weekend off – which was amazing! We went to Busan, which is the next city over and about three hours away by train. It was funny because it was very different to Seoul. Busan is more of a seaside city so people were running about in their swimming costumes and with their tops off, but in Seoul everyone dressed conservatively.”

What would you say was your favourite part of the trip?

“I would definitely say getting to explore the different parts of Seoul – there were so many cool urban areas. It was interesting because in Seoul people are very reserved but when you went a little bit out of the centre you saw everyone dancing and chatting.”

Looking back on your overall experience, how much has it benefitted you?

“It’s been massive for me. Seoul is somewhere I would want to go back to because it’s just so different. I would love to explore Asia more and step out of my comfort zone.

“It was a big decision for me to go because I suffer from an anxiety disorder, but the support over there is just amazing. It was so easy to make friends, which was something I was really worried about. Now I’ve got friends from all over the world.”

You can find out more about Exchange and study abroad opportunities here

By Ross Clark

Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk