Jeonnam Office of Education Accelerates "International Exchange" with Overseas Sister Schools

Yedo Middle School Hosts Indonesian Delegation for Joint Classes and Cultural Experiences
Mokpo Jeongmyeong Girls’ High School Signs MOU with Fordham University, USA

Schools in the Jeonnam region are accelerating the implementation of the "Jeonnam-style international exchange," which not only connects regular curriculum classes with overseas sister schools but also links to career planning.

The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education announced on May 12 that Yedo Middle School in Yeosu invited a delegation from Sekolah Progresif Bumi Shalawat, a middle school in Indonesia, on May 8 and conducted joint educational activities.

Students from the Indonesian delegation visiting Yedo Middle School are participating in a joint English class. Provided by Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education.

Students from both schools participated in curriculum-based exchanges by attending regular classes together in subjects such as science, music, and the environment. They also gained a deeper understanding of cultural diversity through a variety of Korean cultural activities, including Hanbok experiences, K-pop dance, and new sports. On May 9, Mokpo Jeongmyeong Girls’ High School signed an educational cooperation agreement with Fordham University in the United States and held a special career lecture featuring world-renowned scholars.

The special lecture featured James Stabler-Havener, Dean of Fordham University; Cho Heemyung, Professor at Fordham University; and Park Sewoong, Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, as speakers. They delivered lectures on the topics of "Future Careers and Global Talent," "A Global Mindset That Does Not Fear Failure," and "The Career and Research of an Ivy League Scientist," respectively.

The most notable feature of this exchange was that, instead of visiting overseas schools, the program invited foreign schools to Korea and operated a joint curriculum that combined regular classes with cultural experiences. The Provincial Office of Education plans to use this exchange as an opportunity to further expand practical international exchanges, such as signing agreements with overseas universities and inviting foreign experts for special lectures.

An Indonesian student who participated in the new sports class commented, "It was very interesting because it is a class that is hard to experience in Indonesia. I am grateful to the Yedo Middle School students for their kind help. If I have the opportunity, I definitely want to visit again next year."

Kim Jongman, Director of Glocal Education Cooperation, stated, "The fact that international exchanges based on customized curricula by school level are actively taking place is a result of Jeonnam-style glocal talent development. We will continue to actively support international exchanges so that they can be closely linked with the curriculum."