KUCHING – More students from South Korea could pursue their studies here if plans to establish collaborations between institutions of higher learning in Seoul and Kuching materialises.
Lee Sung, the mayor of Guro district in Seoul, said he hopes to see students from his country complete part of their studies here and pledged to help promote relations between Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus and two universities in his constituency.
“The universities have a 60-year history and have exchange arrangements with foreign universities,” he said through an interpreter during his recent visit to the Australian university branch campus.
“I will do my best to help facilitate collaboration between the two universities in Guro and Swinburne Sarawak. If the students could come here on an exchange program it would be beneficial for them.”
Lee’s visit to the university was part of his four-day official stopover to Kuching on the invitation of Kuching City South Council in conjunction with the 28th anniversary celebration of Kuching city.
On his entourage were four elected members of Guro district, three government officials and 14 students from the School of Performing Arts who performed at the month-long Kuching Festival.
Lee was accompanied by Kuching City South Council mayor Datuk James Chan, who shared his enthusiasm for more Koreans to further their studies here, on his visit to Swinburne Sarawak.
Welcoming the delegation on campus on behalf of Deputy Vice-Chancellor and CEO Professor Janet Gregory was Datu Dr Haji Julaihi Haji Bujang, Government and External Liaison Director, and senior officers of the university.
Among the matters they discussed were English and design courses that are of interest to Korean students.
Swinburne Sarawak currently has student mobility arrangements with five universities in Korea. This year, it hosted 11 Korean students who were enrolled on a 15-week English program. They had completed their studies in June, and the next batch is due to arrive in September.
The visit by the officials from Guro district to the university is the second in two years.