Ulsan University in South Korea has long been a valuable partner with the University of Lethbridge, and for the first time this coming summer, U of L students will get the opportunity to participate in a one-month study tour to learn Korean culture, history, society, business and language.
"I expect this program will be very popular," says Laura Ferguson of the University's International Centre for Students.
"We've had a longstanding agreement with Ulsan where we offer four-month exchange programs and they send a number of their students here to participate in our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program. This study tour is for one month only, is quite inexpensive and is completely in English, so there are no language requirements."
Scheduled to run June 27 to July 26, 2010, IDST 2850: Study Tour of South Korea is for course credit and is available to just 20 qualified students. Depending on scholarship funding, the study tour will be priced at $2,500 per student and include the cost of tuition, flights, accommodations, meals and a host of activities.
"It really fits well within the interdisciplinary studies category given the broad base of what they will be learning," says Ferguson.
Ulsan is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million, and is the industrial powerhouse of South Korea, forming the heart of the Ulsan Industrial District. Home to the world's largest automobile assembly plant, operated by Hyundai Motor Company, the world's largest shipyard, operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries, and the world's second largest oil refinery, owned by SK Energy, it also neighbours the historic city of Kyung-ju, the capital of the Silla Dynasty from 57 BC to 935 AD.
Participants in the summer tour will be accompanied by a University faculty member and experience every facet of the South Korean lifestyle. The tour includes trips to Hyundai Heavy Industries, a one-night home stay with a Korean family, a night in a Buddhist temple, a week of study in Seoul and many more opportunities.
"You can't really do something like this as a tourist, you don't get access to this type of experience on your own," says Ferguson.
Interested students must advance through an application process in order to be chosen for the tour. Applications are due to the International Centre by Dec. 15.
"They'll need to write an essay of about 1,000 words about why they want to participate in the program and what value they think they'll get from this kind of exchange," says Ferguson.
"We're looking for ambassadors of the U of L, people who will go there and show our partner university how great U of L students are."
It's also an opportunity to take advantage of a partnership agreement between the two institutions that sees Ulsan send many more students to Canada.
"This summer program gives students the opportunity to go and study in Korea completely using the English language, which is much less intimidating and allows a lot more people to participate."
For more information, contact Laura Ferguson via e-mail at laura.ferguson2@uleth.ca or visit the International Centre for Students.