Yairatuna (23, female) attending the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, participated in the UNESCO-UNITIN International ICT Competition held in Sookmyung Women's University last December and won a tour with a team member. The team designed a device that automatically senses soil humidity and solar irradiance and automatically activates a water supply motor and ultraviolet light emitting diodes (LEDs). The team of student from Cambodia, Laos, etc., applied knowledge learned from 3D printing and group mentoring lectures at Sookmyung Women's University.

In the competition, ideas based on Internet (IoT) technology such as a fan with a distance sensor and an obstacle detection stick for the visually impaired came out. "I did not think I could handle my computer until I participated in the Unitwin program, but now I am confident," said  Litidi(18, female) at the Life Group of Cambodia who participated in the competition.

The UNESCO-Unitwin Program is an international development cooperation project in the field of education that strengthens institutional capacity in the long term through knowledge exchange and research exchange among the world's higher education institutions. It is being organized by Sookmyung Women's University with support from the Ministry of Education.Total of 11 universities from seven countries form a cooperative network in the project. Sookmyung Women's University has been in charge of local education at Southeast Asian universities over the past two years under the theme of "Strengthening Women's Capabilities Through ICT and Leadership Education.". The International ICT Racing Competition is also part of the UNESCO-UNITWIN program.

Sookmyung Women's University, which marks the 112th anniversary of its founding this year, has been growing in its global education capacity. The evidence is the participation of the KF Global e-School project, which has been implemented by the Korea Foundation since 2011. Sookmyung Women's University is offering real-time video lectures related to Korean studies to foreign universities by utilizing local ICT and e-learning technology. It will also invite talented students from the e-school to Korea to experience Korean culture. Last year alone, 535 students from six schools.

Lee Hyung-jin, director of external cooperation at Sookmyung Women's University said "Through the Global e-School, the University of Irbil in Iraq set up a research center for Korean studies. and Hanoi University in Vietnam has established the Korea-Vietnam Cultural Exchange Center to run Korean language courses"

Sookmyung Women's University plans to expand its exchange universities, which have been concentrated in Asia, to Europe and Africa. The plan also aims to develop Sookmyung Women's University into a hub for overseas Korean studies by strengthening cooperation with existing universities. The goal is to systematically overhaul the Korean studies curriculum based on know-how accumulated through the operation of the e-school to lay the academic foundation for overseas Korean studies.

Sookmyung Women's University is also actively engaged in student and academic exchanges with its 359 sister universities in 57 countries Through the Sookmyung International School of Summer (SISS) and the WBBP (Winter Short-Term Exchange Program), students from sister schools abroad visit Sookmyung Women's University to learn Korean language, culture and economy.
  Sookmyung Women's University is also taking the lead in enhancing the capabilities of Korean students abroad. The "multiple degrees" system was the first of its kind by Sookmyung Women's University among Korean universities. Two years of education at the Convention University and Sookmyung Women's University, respectively, will allow students to obtain degrees from both schools. The universities of last year's convention include Japan's Ritsumeikan University, China's Wuhan University and the University of Illinois in the U.S.

In addition, "Sungmyung Global Expeditionary Group" is considered one of the leading international exchange programs of Sookmyung Women's University. A total of 2,999 people were dispatched overseas from 1999 to last year. The department-led international exchange program is considered leading in that students lead all courses, including purpose-building, implementation plans and implementation. It is also helping students who seek the global job market with overseas internship programs such as Walt Disney World internships at Florida State University.

Sookmyung Women's University also encourages international exchange activities for foreign students and students through its "Global Lounge." The English Language Intensive Program and the Second Language Tutor Program link foreign students and students attending Sookmyung Women's University to one-on-one to help them study English and second languages.



Reporter Kim ha-gyeong whatsup@donga.com