KAIST is one of the few universities in the world that gives unconditional scholarships for all international students. Its Vision 2031 explicitly states its goal of becoming a “world bridge” through globalization. However, in the KAIST campus, “globalization” is an intangible concept that remains out of reach. The problems that international students face have persisted over the years, and change seems to move at a glacial pace. Many international students still feel like mere statistics placed to boost KAIST’s global rankings. Although KAIST still has a long way to go in achieving a truly globalized campus, there are various offices and organizations working towards improving the lives of international students in KAIST. The KAIST Herald interviewed some of these offices and organizations. We examine the effectiveness of their initiatives and explore the reasons behind the persistence of problems despite their efforts. 

Student-led organizations play a role in helping international students resolve everyday issues. KISA is one such student association, representing the interests of international students to relevant administrative offices. KISA Voice is an anonymous form launched last year to gather opinions and suggestions to improve students’ lives. KISA also organizes events attempting to promote community spirit among international students, such as the international food festival, scavenger hunt, and other seasonal events. However, when KISA had been inactive for quite some time in the past, its status as a student association had also disappeared. In the past year, its leadership has tried to rebuild its internal infrastructure, as well as relationships and partnerships with KAIST offices, but it still lacks the power and authority to represent the concerns of international students to the KAIST administration. Other student associations with a greater capability to communicate directly with the administration, such as the KAIST Undergraduate Association (UA) and the Graduate Students Association (GSA), are taking steps to include the welfare of international students in their agenda as well. The UA has launched suggestions forms and increased the quality and quantity of English translations for relevant announcements. The GSA provides leisure and cultural activities that are open to international students, and are actively encouraging international graduate students to share their difficulties and opinions. While these actions are commendable, there is no actual international student representation in these organizations, primarily because of the language barrier. 

In order to address issues of social exclusion and isolation, one department in particular has pursued explicit programs that involve international and Korean students. The School of Electrical Engineering has an international office (EEIO), established in 2017, with the aim of helping EE international students to deal with difficulties in KAIST and in Korea, and creating opportunities for interactions between international and Korean students. They organize “Happy Hour” events to promote networking between students, both international and Korean. They also offer international alumni seminars, culture trips, and orientations. Although there are some concerns that such networking events just encourage superficial interactions between different nationalities, it is at least a concrete step that is being done and can therefore be improved upon. In this aspect, the School of Electrical Engineering stands out, compared to other departments that do not have specific offices, or even staff members, whom international students can approach. In some cases, most department events, as well as communication and notices, are all in Korean.

In attempts to solve problems involving language barriers, KAIST has been trying to include English fluency as a requirement when hiring new administrative staff, according to ISSS. The UA and KISA have also tried to implement the accurate translation of important announcements. There have also been efforts to improve the use of English in lectures by contacting professors who have been reported in surveys and individual circumstances. However, top-down directives encouraging the KAIST community to utilize English are rarely effective. Professors still have the freedom to explain in Korean and barely translate to English, or even to kick out international students from their classes; the majority of interesting seminars, extracurricular activities, and internships are inevitably in Korean, as the instructors cannot or prefer not to explain in English; international students are left out of discussions when in a group with a majority of Koreans. International students are encouraged to learn Korean to make their lives easier, through programs in KI House, the KAIST Language Center, and most recently, the required Korean Language Camp for freshmen undergraduate students. But language fluency, to the point of being conversational and understanding lectures, is not emphasized in many of these Korean classes. Most students are given only enough support to pass the Korean proficiency exam (TOPIK), instead of acquiring real conversational skills. 

The office that is most directly involved in international student affairs is the International Scholar and Student Services (ISSS). They provide a variety of administrative services as well as programs to improve the wellbeing of international students, such as mentor programs, buddy programs, culture classes, and many more. To address problems relating to homesickness and loneliness, they have counseling services, as well as small events such as the recent giveaway of flowers and plants to international students. They also provide financial support to clubs that actively recruit internationals, so that international students have more opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities. All these initiatives have undeniably helped improve the quality of life of international students, but many still feel that ISSS, despite being the office that is supposed to serve the international community, doesn’t show genuine concern for them.

Besides short-term responses, there are long-term solutions being discussed. The KAIST International Office (IO) started developing a long-term development plan from May last year, and are set to publish it sometime this year. Within this plan, the problems that the international community experienced in past years are detailed, including financial difficulties, language barriers in classrooms and laboratories, and the limitations that people with food restrictions encounter. The IO also has some suggested improvements to KAIST’s services and infrastructure, which they communicate with the administration. Their plans include establishing a KAIST alumni network that includes international students, and launching an international diploma delivery service for graduate students. Their most ambitious proposed project is the construction of a multicultural living space, which would include an international food court, prayer room, and other services for international students. 

Evidently, there are many steps being taken to improve the lives of international students in KAIST. The various administrative offices that are responsible for solving the problems specific to the international community are well aware of the major difficulties that international students face. However, offices like the IO require a significant amount of time and financial resources in order to enact long-term development plans, which is one reason why the international community doesn’t feel like anything is being done about the problems that they bring up. All the organizations and offices at KAIST accept suggestions and opinions, as they repeatedly say, but it is unclear whether these thoughts are actually being heard. Part of the reason is the lack of communication and transparency about the planning and discussions at an administrative level, which makes it seem like the input from the community being discussed is not valued. KAIST has taken basic steps to ensure the rights and quality of life of international students, but it still has a long way to go to become truly global. And it must start with looking for sustainable ways to solve the problems still present, by actually talking and engaging in discussions with the community, by recognizing that all the problems being brought up are valid, and by instilling a genuine acceptance of diverse cultures and languages in every member of its community. 

The problems that the international community face in KAIST are not unique to the university; it is common to South Korean universities, and even exists in other countries as well. There are social and cultural reasons as to why these problems occur in the first place. In the concluding article of this series, we will examine how the globalization of KAIST is largely hindered by the inherent resistance to foreign influences in Korean society, as well as explore possible solutions to the problems that this globalization initiative brings.

Copyright © The KAIST Herald Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution prohibited