On September 14, President Young Sil Han visited and made an agreement on ‘Learning Interchanges’ with Yunnan University (YU) located in Yunnan Province, China. The main points of these Learning Interchanges are an exchange of professors and researchers, a dispatch of interchange students between Sookmyung Women’s University (SMU) and YU and writing and researching in cooperation. The most meaningful part of this Learning Interchange with YU is the founding of the ‘Sookmyung Cultural Center’ and ‘Yunnan Ethnic Culture’ Research Center’ in Yunnan Province. Because there are various kinds of minorities in Yunnan Province, studying multiculturalism is very valuable work. And on September 25, SMU contracted MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to establish Sookmyung Cultural Center in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province of Vietnam. Min Ho Ahn, Dean of the Korean Cultural Institute said, “The existing systems of interchange students and Learning Interchanges are done in a short period. However, Learning Interchanges with China and Vietnam have planned for a long time and SMU will have friendly relationships with Yunnan and Ha Long Bay. I believe that Sookmyung
students will be well grounded internationally. In addition, the Korean Cultural Institute (KCI) is planning to open the ‘Asian Cultural Center’ within SMU to introduce the dynamic cultures of Asian countries. Above all, KCI is doing its best for SMU.” SMU also will develop interchange programs related with culture and education to internationalize. Sookmyung Cultural Center in China and Vietnam is one of KCI’s globalization projects. Sookmyungians can have various cultural experiences like education and volunteer programs under the sponsorship of SMU through that and the Sookmyung Cultural Center in China and Vietnam will be able to not only teach Korean culture to local students but also to raise up talented people in Asia and leaders who experience cultural exchanges between countries. Even though it will take one or two years to complete construction of the Sookmyung Cultural Center, Students will be able to visit for study to YU from next semester. In addition, Sookmyung Cultural Center, which will be established in high school for the gifted in Ha Long Bay, has a plan to raise the students as next generation’s Sookmyungians, so SMU will provide them with housing facilities. Choi Dain in the Division of Communication 09’ said “It is a good idea that’ globalization is making our culture known to the world at first instead of our precedents that we accepted others’ cultures under the name, globalization. I think it is real subjective internationalization and I throw out my prejudice about globalization through this chance. In addition, this establishment of Sookmyung Cultural Center raises Sookmyungians’ pride.”
