International students celebrate diversity at Yonsei's global fair

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International students celebrate diversity at Yonsei's global fair

Published: 08 Nov. 2024, 09:45

Students visit booths at the “Songdo Global Fair″ held at Yonsei University's Internal Campus in Songdo, Incheon, on Thursday. [WOO JI-WON]

Yonsei University became a hub for cultural exchange on Thursday as international students gathered at a global fair celebrating diversity.

“I prepared traditional dishes because our cuisine represents our history,” said Arlan Askar, an 18-year-old freshman at Yonsei University, who hosted the Kazakhstan Student Association’s booth at the “Songdo Global Fair.” The event took place at Yonsei University’s International Campus in Songdo, Incheon.

Traditional Kazakhstan snacks are sold at the “Songdo Global Fair″ held at Yonsei University's Internal Campus in Songdo, Incheon, on Thursday. [WOO JI-WON]

Traditional Kazakh snacks, such as chak-chak and zhent, were featured at the booth, where a dish Arlan made was also present. "Qurt has been part of Kazakh cuisine since the 1930s and saved people from starvation back in the day," Arlan said, showcasing his homemade dry cheese.

At the global fair, student associations from eight countries — including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Pakistan, Mongolia and Japan — set up booths, offering homemade traditional foods, cultural activities and games. The Chinese Students’ Association featured calligraphy and paper-cutting activities, while the Pakistani Student Association offered a traditional dish, biryani, for 5,000 won ($3.55).

“I learned that Malaysia's national animal is the tiger and that its national flower is the hibiscus. It was fascinating,” said Jin-Oak, a 20-year-old business major who took part in a quiz at the Malaysian Student Association booth.

Organized by Yonsei University and its Foreign Student Union, the event aimed to bridge the gap between international and local students through cultural exchange, the student union’s president, Fouzia Farliha Nisa, said during the fair's opening ceremony.

As evening approached, participants gathered at the fair's main area, where representatives from different countries introduced their cultures, including their traditional clothing and history. Pakistani students, dressed in shalwar kameez, performed a traditional dance in unison.

A student dances to a traditional song at the “Songdo Global Fair″ held at Yonsei University's Internal Campus in Songdo, Incheon, on Thursday. [WOO JI-WON]

“I attended last semester’s fair, but this one was on a larger scale and felt more vibrant,” said Seoru, a 20-year-old participant majoring in Global Studies. She had attended a similar event held last semester on the university’s campus in May.

Professor Dr. Lee Jong-soo, Senior Vice President of the university’s international campus, hoped that the event would serve as a platform for international students.

“There are 700 international students on this campus, and even more visit during the summer. Yonsei values foreign students, and we aim to make this event a platform for students and expand it to a national level in the future,” Lee said during the ceremony.

Woo Won-sik, Speaker of Korea’s 22nd National Assembly and an alumnus of Yonsei, also congratulated the participants through a recorded video message.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]