“It was a gloomy November evening. My friend and I were sitting in one of the on-campus lounges, tired after a whole day of focused studies and work. During the time of day-end relaxation, you let your mind wander, and conversations with friends keep getting deeper. At some point, we found ourselves discussing student clubs at KAIST, and it came to no surprise that we shared an opinion of how homogeneous they are,” says Adil Hassan Khan, a third year undergraduate student from Pakistan. “We were both frustrated with the fact that international and Korean communities don’t communicate with each other, as there is no overlap. In addition to that, we agreed that existing clubs operate exclusively within KAIST. This led us to think — what if there was a highly diverse and inclusive student club focused on spreading the university culture and bringing value to the society outside of our campus?” Who would have thought that in just five months, this idea would turn into reality? As the Chinese proverb goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and this is how Silver Lining (SL) , a newly-established student club, came to life.

As a volunteering organization, Silver Lining primarily focuses on helping children in need. Adil, the current president and co-founder of the club, defines three founding principles of the organization. “First, we want to give KAISTians a chance to use their knowledge to help underprivileged sections of Korean society. Second, we want to assist international students in getting integrated into ‘real’ Korea — the Korea you see outside of the campus boundaries. Exploring the environment outside of our comfort zone provides inner growth and emotional progress, and we want to create a platform to accommodate that. Third, we want to bring Korean and international students closer to each other. Due to cultural differences, the two sides have a hard time finding shared interests. SL can serve as a bridge and facilitate cultural exchange.”

So far, members of SL have volunteered in two child care centers in Daejeon, which hundreds of children aged 7 to 13 call their second home. The managing body of SL has developed three programs as their primary initiatives: English Language Education, Multicultural Family Assistance, and Introductory Science programs. Through the Introductory Science program, SL aims to inspire children and raise their interest in science by conducting custom-made science experiments. For English Language Education, the organization works on devising its own methods and approaches to teach beginner-level English. Lastly, via the Multicultural Family Assistance program, volunteers offer a helping hand to children raised by parents of different backgrounds and nationalities. As Adil comments, “Now, this is what we are currently working on. We have many ambitious ideas in mind, one of which is helping North Korean defectors get more accustomed to their new lifestyles. The ideas bear huge potential, but we still need more time to fully shape them.”

Silver Lining started accepting applications in early February. Despite the club being founded relatively recently, members believe in the positive societal impacts it can leave. To the question, “Where do you see SL in the near future?”Adil replies with great enthusiasm: “We want Silver Lining to become a well-known representative of the good spirit that drives KAISTians to volunteer. Before we achieve that, however, we first need to get on our feet as soon as possible. As we’re still in the process of club registration, we’re facing a set of difficulties that hinder our progress, such as reliance on our members’ personal funding. Nevertheless, we’re progressing at a rapid pace — we have already become one of the largest student clubs in KAIST, with more than 50 students currently volunteering and maintaining the 1:2 Korean-to-international student ratio. Adding to that, we recently received funding from ISSS, which will allow for more welfare initiatives to be practiced. As for our long-term plans, we want to collaborate with more volunteering centers and branch out to serve not only in Daejeon, but also in other parts of Korea, and quite possibly, abroad.”

Silver Lining is one example of ambitious ideas being put to work. In a supportive yet competitive environment that KAIST provides, startups, organizations, and clubs do indeed stand a chance of making it big. Thanks to its unique nature, Silver Lining is off to a great start. As Adil concludes, “Even if the beginning of our path is rough, we will keep our heads up. As a team of highly motivated, hard-working, and active individuals, we believe we will find our way around any obstacle. Right now, we are making slow but steady progress, and with time, we will carry on with making the world a better place.”