Javkhlantugs Byambaa (JV)  / Guest Reporter

Kookmin University International School (KIS) - a professional school within Kookmin University specializing in the fields International Business (IB) and Information Technology (IT) education - was officially launched as of Spring Semester 2011. Currently, 36 students from 3 different countries are enrolled at KIS. Review has learned that the school’s freshmen are full of energy and are ready to take off with dedication in education to reach out to their dreams. The professors and staff are also very enthusiastic and energetic, contributing to fostering an extremely accessible learning environment.

“Students will become experts in their own fields. They will also be able to take courses taught in Korean in the areas of International Business (IB) and Information Technology (IT) for full credit on approval. KMU International School offers a practical education that combines industry─university collaboration with leading corporations in the fields of International Business and Information Technology. Through our curriculum, we hope our students will be inspired to set their career goals high by raising their global awareness and enhancing individual competence,” said Mr. Rhee Hyong-Jae, professor of marketing and director of KIS.
KMU International School has a three-dimensional education vision. First, through its English-only curriculum, KIS seeks to equip students with global leadership skills by securing required attitude and knowledge base to be competent global leaders. The KIS curriculum is modeled after those of leading US universities. Second, KIS pursues a practical education by providing its students with opportunities for hands-on experiences that are closely related to up-to-date demands of relevant industries and public institutions. Third, KIS aims to nurture its students with digital expertise by offering a broad spectrum of curriculum that covers diverse subjects in the area of information technology.

“Corporate activities in the 21st century are going global both internally and externally.  Thus it becomes more important to educate competent global business experts who can perform well on the global stage, understand the global environment, and speak English well,” said Mr. Han Gi-Jung, the manager in International Affairs Team.
Focusing on cultivating global experts of the 21st century, KMU International School will conduct all lectures in English, providing an excellent educational environment for building personal and cultural relationships with international students from all around the world. Here is what students had to say about their experience at KIS.
Why did you choose to study at KIS? - “Since KIS is the first globally specialized school at KMU, it offers more benefits for KIS students than any other departments at the school. The school provides students with greater opportunities to study abroad through its student exchange programs, obtain dual degrees, equip oneself with professional knowledge needed to succeed on the world stage, and learn the cultures of different countries from all over the world,” said KIS freshman Lee Ji-Hye.
What do you find appealing and/or unappealing about KIS? - “We like KIS because all seminars are taught in English, but we are not so comfortable with how we cannot choose our courses each semester, since they are all set by the school. Also, besides the ones related to our major, there are not many options when it comes to choosing courses taught in English,” said students at KIS.

If you had a chance to change one thing at KIS, what would that be? - “I am really satisfied with my classes. If there was one thing that I would change, it would be raising awareness about our school among other Kookminians. Most students really do not know who we are. They seem to think that our class is composed of only foreign students. I think that the school is not doing the best job in letting itself known. I once saw brochures about the school. Such brochures are limited in their advertising effect, so the school should change the ways they advertise its curriculum. Before they apply, prospective students should have a good understanding about our program. Since we are in a brand new school within the University, we are novices in every way. A good beginning starts from letting people know about us,” said KIS student representative Kwon Hyok-Joon.

One interesting thing about KIS is that all its freshmen are required to take the Korean Tea Ceremony course in their first semester, along with other Economics and Communication courses. Students would probably wonder why Business and IT majors have to take such course. The Korean Tea Ceremony course instructor Yoo Yang-Seok gave a reasonable answer for this: “First of all, it is very important for International Business majors to know about culture because the decisions made by others - whether to form partnerships or not - is sometimes not necessarily dependent on the product. It has more to do with interpersonal relationship. A strong relationship involves a better understanding of the other person’s culture. Through this course, students will get a better understanding of the cultural relations at work, and gain appreciation for the Korean culture as well as other cultures around the world. Therefore, this popular course has been offered at Kookmin University for more than thirty years, and now is offered at KIS as a required course.”

KIS officials believe that students graduating from KIS will gain the insight and analytical skills required to effectively deal with complex problems arising in various contexts including liberal arts, social sciences, and information technology.  Students will also learn communication skills as well as the ability to analyze problems and suggest viable alternatives. In order to achieve this goal, KIS strives to strengthen its curriculum by offering individual tutoring sessions taught by professors, conducting seminars for students’ autonomous study, and assisting students in completing both a global leadership course and their intensified major courses. Moreover, KIS is scheduled to provide undergraduates with special liberal arts courses such as “Critical Thinking Skills” and “Writing and Discussion.”
“They are really nice students. I really like my classmates. Even though we do not have any seniors, we have good relationships with each other. They are really studious, but they also like to have fun. As a student representative for KIS, I wll do my best to promote friendship between students. I think it will be nice,” said Kwon Hyok-Joon.

Javhaa_0921@hotmail.com