Hosting the First Korea-ASEAN Youth Exchange and Culture Community Construction Project
'Harmony of Asia', University students from 11 countries in Asia to participate at Yeungnam University from Feb. 20 to March 1.
[February 17, 2011]
“Find the Tastes of Asia and the Sounds of Asia!”
'Harmony of Asia', where university students from Korea and the 10 ASEAN countries will gather at one place to make the taste (food) and sound (music) of Asia, will begin on the 20th lasting to the 1st of the next month at Yeungnam University.
Yeungnam University (president Lee, Hyo-soo) was recently selected as the host institute for the 'Korea-ASEAN Youth Exchange and Culture Community Construction Project', which is part of the cooperative project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
ASEAN is a regional cooperative organization with the goal for searching for joint potential cooperation for the joint security and independence in Southeast Asia. It was first established in August 8, 1967 and currently, there are 10 member countries (Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia).
Thus, Yeungnam University, centering on the Multi-cultural Education & Research Institute (director Park, Seung-woo), will host the 'Harmony of Asia', a 10 day 9 night festival on the theme of culture with the cooperation of AUN (ASEAN University Network).
This event will proceed in the course of finding the 'Sound of Asia' and 'Food of Asia', from the music and food that contains the unique and special sentiment and environment of each country. For this, various experience and exchange programs are being prepared such as Samulnori performances, Nanta performances, instrument-making program 'Drum Circle', food making program 'Noodle of Asia', visits to POSCO and Yangdong-Folk Village, the invitational part 'The One' for multi-cultural families, etc.
Participates will include 46 university students selected from the 10 ASEAN countries and 10 Yeungnam University students for a total of 56 participants. During the event, they will be grouped into seven teams and take on their mission of finding a 'Food of Asia' and 'Sound of Asia'. 
Moreover, at this event, under the general supervision of art director Park Jeong-ho (Percussion Group HATA), domestic and foreign percussion instruments will participate as mentors to help the students find the 'Sound of Asia'.
Park, Seung-woo, director of the Yeungnam University Multi-cultural Education & Research Institute (51, Department of Sociology), who is in charge of this event, stated, "Though the Korea-ASEAN FTA went into effect in June 2007, there is little movement for constructing a Korea-ASEAN cultural community. This is because compared to the economy, there is a high cultural barrier that is very distinct. Through this event, Yeungnam University will take the lead in promoting mutual understanding and a sense of unity among Asians, while also further promoting exchange and cooperation."
