Testimonial Essay _ Tan Hong Zhao from Nanyang Technological University

Going for exchanges was one of the reasons why I went to university, so when I saw this opportunity I jumped on it and managed to get a scholarship to attend the KAIST Summer school.

I enrolled in the course track, and took Anthropology of Food, Korean 1 as well as an extra Conversational Korean in the evening. Initially I dreaded studying because I wanted to explore Korea, but the lessons turned out to be very interesting and engaging. The Future of Food is a subject that I was really interested in, as we learnt about meat alternatives like plant-based meat and lab-grown meat. There were also many chances for group discussions between people from all over the world, which made for really interesting conversations as people brought in their opinions from different cultures.

Studying Korean was also very fun. It feels great when you learn in the classroom and get to apply it outside. I’m glad I chose it as I’m able to say and understand some basic phrases in Korean, which made life in Korea much easier. My favourite part of the program has got to be the field trip to Jeonju. It was on my bucket list when visiting Korea so it was really awesome to have the school bring us there for an educational trip and hanbok experience. The last month had been a phenomenal experience, meeting other students from all parts of the world, learning about each other’s cultures and made many lifelong memories. This program has truly broadened my perspective on the world and I’m now lore open to ideas and new ways of thinking.

I did not regret coming here at all. The knowledge, connections and experiences that I’ve gained while in Korea is invaluable to my future career, as well as my personal life. It’s hard to believe that it ended so fast, but I’m grateful for all the opportunities and people that I met while here. I’ll definitely be back!