A roundtable meeting was held to discuss ways to enhance universities’ global competitiveness. Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, Ajou University President Choi Ki-joo, and international students from Ajou University gathered to exchange ideas on the educational environment and conditions.

Held on the afternoon of the 9th at Ajou University’s Yulgok Hall, thew meeting was attended by Minister Lee and officials from the Ministry of Education, President Choi and other Ajou University representatives, as well as nine international students currently enrolled at Ajou. National Assembly member Kim Jun-hyuck and Han Sang-shin, President of the National Institute for International Education, were also present.

Lee Seok-Won, Vice President for International Affairs, delivered a presentation on the theme of “Strategies to Strengthen Universities’ Global Competitiveness,” followed by a session to hear the reflections and suggestions of the international students. A free discussion among the attendees followed.

The event was organized to hear firsthand opinions from international students studying in Korea. The goal is to contribute to the regional development through the recruitment, nurturing, and settlement support of outstanding international students, while enhancing the global competitiveness of Korean universities.

Representing Ajou University’s international students, two graduate students and seven undergraduate students participated in the event, sharing their experiences about campus life, academic studies, and difficulties faced. Participants included GKS scholarship recipient Vats Animesh (Graduate School of International Studies, India) and Bayeh Rediet Sahlu (Master’s Program in Medicine, Ethiopia), along with: ▲ Khit Min (Department of Software)▲ Erdenesaikhan Amuujin (Department of Software) ▲ Hasegawa Reo (Department of Software) ▲ Pyae Phyo Thu (Department of Culture and Contents) ▲ Uzun Kubra (Department of Culture and Contents) ▲ Nguyen Thi Lan (Department of Business) ▲ Choo Shue Wen (Department of Korean Language and Literature).

This semester, a total of 2,981 international students are enrolled at Ajou University. Of these, 1,505 are in degree programs, of which the majority are in the undergraduate program or the Master’s Degree program at the Graduate School of International Studies, while 1,476 are pursuing non-degree programs such as Korean language studies.

Ajou University has established various support programs to assist the growing number of international students in adapting to campus life and succeeding academically. These include: ▲ A dedicated orientation program for new international students ▲ The International Student Council ▲ Specialized counseling support programs ▲ Career development and internship support programs.

Additionally, to strengthen Korean language education for international students, the Global Liberal Arts Division offers various courses and extracurricular activities, such as: ▲ Korean Language Buddy Program ▲ Korean Writing Contest ▲ Korean Language Social Gatherings ▲ Writing Clinics.

The Ministry of Education is hosting the “Together Tea Talks,” where the Minister personally visits educational institutions to have conversations with students and staff. This event was held as part of the 74th session of the "Together Tea Talks.“

Our international graduate student Vats Animesh speaks during the roundtable

Student Uzun Kubra (Department of Culture and Contents, Türkiye) shares her thoughts