South Korea studies
Student exchange program initiated with University of Seoul
11:46 a.m., Nov. 14, 2014--The University of Delaware and the University of Seoul, South Korea, entered into two partnership agreements at a signing ceremony held Oct. 23 in Seoul.
The general agreement, signed by UD President Patrick Harker and University of Seoul (UOS) President Kun Lee, creates formal linkages between the two universities and provides a broad framework for collaborative activities.
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The supplemental agreement, between the School of Public Policy and Administration in UD’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Urban Administration in the UOS College of Urban Sciences, establishes an undergraduate student exchange program.
UD and UOS plan to conduct their first student exchange during the 2015-16 school year. First choice of opportunities will go to UD undergraduate students majoring or minoring in public policy or organizational and community leadership who are interested in studying in the UOS Department of Urban Administration, but students from other UD departments are welcome to apply.
Students may apply for single-semester, full-year or summer session exchanges, subject to matching with UOS students seeking to study at UD.
For UD students, the UOS exchange program provides an unparalleled opportunity to study and live in Seoul, the capital of South Korea and one of the world's leading global cities, and in a university that features an extensive program of English-language instruction in programs geared to serve international students.
The connection between SPPA and UOS goes back to 2010, when Jonathan Justice, associate professor, and seven SPPA graduate students participated in a graduate study trip to Seoul as part of a program sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The initial collaboration discussions that eventually led to the UD-UOS general agreement and student exchange program took place in late 2013, when Seok-Hwi Song, UOS associate professor, visited UD to give a research presentation and discuss opportunities with SPPA Director Maria Aristigueta.
The SPPA study abroad trips to Seoul have continued over the years. In late October of this year, a group of seven SPPA graduate students accompanied Justice to Seoul to engage in an on-site case study of the city’s approach to policy management and urban design.
The cohort participated in the 15th annual Seoul Case Study Program, hosted and facilitated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) and the University of Seoul.
The intensive experience included a week filled with briefings from high-level government officials, field visits to a variety of sites throughout Seoul and opportunities for collaborative research and reflection with colleagues from three other American institutions — Cornell University, the University of Central Florida, and Portland State University.
Topics ranged from sustainability to aging populations, and from using urban design to suppress crime to transportation policy and management.
About the student exchange
Interested students can review general information about UOS at this website and information about UOS programs designed for international students at this website.
Contact Jonathan Justice at justice@udel.edu or 302-831-1682 for more information about the UD-UOS exchange program or to apply to participate.
Conveniently located in the Dongdaemun section of central Seoul, the University of Seoul is a comprehensive, doctorate-granting research university sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
UOS offers a range of courses in English, including selections in public administration, law, international relations, business administration, engineering, computer science, urban studies, Korean language and history, and other subjects.
Photos by Yunhee Han and Jonathan Justice