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| Kwak Gyu-ryeong, Editor-in-Chief |
Nowadays, there is so much information to be found on the homepage bulletin board for students wanting to study abroad. As the current economic condition worsens, though many university students would like to study abroad, they find the idea economically impossible. Mindful of this, Dongguk University (DU) is trying to satisfy their needs by making available various educational exchange programs. Oh Young-kyo, President of DU, visited Australia last September to make an interchange agreement with several universities in Australia. As a result, DU now has a student interchange agreement with University of the Sunshine Coast, Wollongong University, Charles Sturt University and Deakin University. Interestingly, many foreign students are now at DU as exchange students. President Oh established a Center for Foreign Students at Hyewha Hall last year. The Center for Foreign Students is not only in charge of the study abroad program, but also provides a supervisory service for exchange students during their time at DU. In addition, the Center for Foreign Students talks personally with foreign students to help them adapt to campus life and give advice on how to improve academic grades. In addition, the center advises exchange students on how to change credit courses, if that is their wish. After visiting the center, more than 80percent of the foreign students said they were satisfied with the service. Moreover, the fee needed for applying for an insurance is payed by the national treasury. The Center for Foreign students announced that DU is going to help foreign students get compensated for a fee for medical treatment for about 900 foreign students at DU including exchange students. As a result, if a foreign student gets injured or sick with disease, he/she would be compensated within the insurance policy.
On the other hand, the DU guest house is less popular with the foreign students. To make it a better place for them, DU needs to pay closer attention to their needs. As the number of foreign students increases, DU should try to satisfy their demands. If it does, then maybe it will live up to its slogan: “WORLD WIDE DONGGUK."
By Kwak Gyu-ryeong, Editor-in-Chief
