The Ewha-CUHK Program Seoul Conference was held from July 7 to 27, where students from Ewha and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) participated in cultural programs as well as lectures on this year’s theme, “Sustainability and Waste Recycling.”
Global Student Partnership (GSP) is a program that aims to expand the forum of global cultural exchange to Asian and European regions. Members of the program take turns visiting each country to partake in conferences and immerse themselves in the country’s culture.
At this year’s Seoul Conference, students were given the opportunity to participate in academic programs related to the past, present, and future of Korea’s sustainable development. The conference also offered cultural programs including Korean traditional painting and a Hanbok experience.
The Seoul Conference started off with an opening ceremony, which took place on July 21 at Ewha Campus Complex (ECC). The ceremony consisted of greetings from leaders of both groups, an introduction of the Seoul Conference, and an ice-breaking session. Soomin Lee, an Ewha delegate and leader of the PR Team, expressed her anticipation about the program.
“I first applied to this program because I found the theme interesting,” she said. “I am looking forward to debating on sustainability, which is a hot potato in many countries.”
Harper Li, a CUHK delegate, also shared her goals for the Seoul Conference.
“My goal is about cooperation,” she said. “Even though we are from different countries and regions, I think as young students, we should come down to the same idea to promote environmental solutions.”
One of the core programs prepared by the Ewha delegates was two consecutive special lectures, taking place on the fifth day of the conference. Eunki Hong, director of the Environmental, Health & Safety Division of Pulmuone, took the chair for the first lecture titled, “Table for the Future.”
Hong started off the lecture by introducing the South Korean plantbased food production company’s ESG plans related to different resources. She went on to describe the company’s efforts under the mission “To Create a Healthy Tomorrow for the People and Planet with Wholesome Foods,” such as sustainable, plant-forward, and animal-welfare foods.
The second lecture was led by Research Professor Eunju Song from Ewha Institute for the Humanities, under the title “The Story of the Anthropocene.”
Song spoke on the topic of the complicated “anthropocene,” referring to the time in which humans have a significant impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems. The lecture took a literary point of view on the anthropocene with the example of David Mitchell’s 2004 novel, “Cloud Atlas,” providing a humanistic review on sustainability.
Hyejin Kim, one of the Ewha delegates and leader of the Academic Program Team, shared her experience of arranging the lectures.
“It was more than just difficult to invite guest speakers that could satisfy the international crowd,” Kim said. “At the same time, we worked to plan the lectures in accordance with the entire theme of the Seoul Conference.”
Kim also shared her satisfaction with the crowd as she saw many students listening carefully to the lectures and actively participating in the question and answer sessions.
Jo Wu, who took part in the lecture as one of CUHK’s delegates, chose Hong’s lecture as the most memorable academic event.
“The lecture was informative, and I thought Pulmuone’s policy and dedication to pursue the ESG aims was inspiring and impressive,” she said.
Elaine Tseng, one of the CUHK delegates, recalled the GSP program as a rewarding and meaningful conference. She pointed out that the conference provided a handson opportunity to gain experience organizing events so as to broaden horizons.
Tseng mentioned that it is never easy for people to create bonds, to say nothing people from other countries. However, as members of the GSP program shared the same goal, it was much easier for them to start conversations.
“The delegates showcase how women can plan everything so neatly and flawlessly,” Tseng expressed. “Everyone was so confident, and I learned so much from them. I was crying when we were having our closing ceremony. Feeling our friendship was built, I wanted to spend more time with them.”
Subin Park, a student from the Division of International Studies and leader of the Ewha delegates, also shared some thoughts about the Seoul Conference.
Park emphasized that she and fellow delegates tried their best to make this year’s conference a good example for the future, as this was only the third Ewha-CUHK GSP, and the program is still not well known among Ewha students.
“Throughout the conference, I learned that language is only a means of communication,” Park said. “Speaking broken English was not a problem at all, as the differences in culture helped create curiosity and bring the delegates together. I learned that there was no barrier in friendship.”
Park found the “Morning of Hanok,” a cultural experience of traditional Korean housing at the Bukchon Traditional Culture Center, to be the most memorable.
“While taking a tour of the traditional Korean architecture, I felt as if I was experiencing daily life associated with hanok,” Park said. “From the fact that hanok is built in harmony with nature, I could deduce the sustainability of traditional Korean culture.”
Park also pointed out that wearing hanbok and visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace was interesting. When CUHK students read Chinese characters embedded in the buildings, she could reaffirm the similarities between Korean and Hong Kongese culture.
Bringing the Seoul Conference to a success, Park added that seeing the delegates enjoying the enthusiastically-prepared conference, although the team faced a variety of challenges throughout the process, she enjoyed the fact that the delegates could guide each other to organize a better event.