125 students of Yeungnam University begins the Year of the Tiger doing volunteer work overseas.
On the last day of the previous year, Yeungnam University (president Lee, Hyo-soo) held the launching ceremony for the 18th Yeungnam University overseas volunteer group at the Chunma Arts Center. At this event, president Lee, Hyo-soo emphasized, "our school's vision of the 'Glocal Initiative' is possible only by recognizing the differences, understanding each other, and making harmony in diversity based on this." He also added, "I hope that the overseas volunteer activities will help embody our university's vision, while training 'Y-type talents' that have a cool head and warm heart."
The Yeungnam University overseas volunteer group will first send the Nepal team consisting of 15 members on the 6th, followed by other groups going to a total of 12 countries including 9 in Asia, in Turkey of Europe, in Mexico of Central America, and in Tanzania of Africa, respectively.
These groups will spend two or three weeks practicing love without borders. Students who were chosen after strict selection processes such as resumes and interviews under 4 to 1 competition, will live with the local people performing volunteer activities such as working and educating, and is also planning to diffuse Korean culture such as samul-nori, traditional dance, pungmul, Taekwondo and Korean cuisines, which they have been preparing since November.
In particular, Yeungnam University is the third in the nation and the first in provincial area to perform the overseas volunteer activities together with UNESCO, and thus the areas of volunteering was expanded and volunteer programs was diversified.
Choi, Jeong-won (24, male, junior in School of Mechanical Engineering), who is the student representative of the 18th overseas volunteer group, and the team leader for Turkey, will be departing on the 20th, and stated, "Being a volunteer program conducted by UNESCO, it will be an opportunity to gain new experiences and volunteer with people from around the world with different nationality, ages, and social positions." He also added, "I am proud to be able to participate in resolving various international issues not as a Korean, but as a citizen of the world."
Meanwhile, Yeungnam University has been sending overseas volunteer groups twice a year since 2001, and including this winter break, over 1,500 students will be participating to enhance the image of Korea while acting as civil diplomats.
