Kyung Hee Cyber University concludes Global Buddy Festival, boosting Korean language education

Kyung Hee Cyber University's KF Global e-School Korean Language Education team celebrated the successful conclusion of its "5th KHCU Global Buddy Festival." This event marked the end of a 10-week international Korean language exchange program designed to foster global cooperation in Korean language education.

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Thanks to the domestic and international students, buddies, and overseas faculty who dedicated themselves to the program for 10 weeks, we were able to operate the project stably.

The KHCU Global Buddy Program pairs prospective Korean language instructors, who are current students and graduates from Kyung Hee Cyber University's Korean Language and Culture department, with overseas students from partner universities. Over ten weeks, participants engage in weekly online Korean speaking practice sessions. Since its pilot in 2021, the program has consistently run, with the recent 9th cohort including 144 students from nine countries, Vietnam, Thailand, Paraguay, and Uzbekistan, among others, paired with 29 domestic "buddies."

During the festival, participants shared their experiences and celebrated the program's achievements. The event featured a report on the program's operational outcomes, a screening of activity videos, and the awarding of certificates and service awards. Kim Ji-hyung, the program director, expressed gratitude to the students, buddies, and international faculty whose dedication ensured the program's stable operation. He also announced plans to expand international exchanges, leveraging a newly launched fellowship program that allows students to visit Korea.

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The KHCU Global Buddy Program is a meaningful program that complements the limitations of existing VOD-based education.

International partners lauded the program's effectiveness. Im Hyun-ju, a professor at the Autonomous University of Nayarit in Mexico, highlighted the program's value in complementing traditional VOD-based education, noting significant improvements in students' confidence and communication skills. Professor Han Ju-yeon, a global buddy supervisor, emphasized the program's role in fostering genuine connections across borders through Korean language, expressing a commitment to expanding participation from more international universities.

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Every semester, seeing students and buddies grow together by sharing their hearts in Korean across borders, I feel the value of this program anew.