KAIST's international students showcased their artistic talents and expressed their thoughts in Korean at the first edition of "KAIST's Got Talent," held on October 7, and Korean Speech Contest, held on October 8.

 

With performances by students from various backgrounds, "KAIST's Got Talent" received a very positive feedback from the KAIST community. Some of the most remarkable performances were Seahyung Park's juggling and Javid Aliyev's traditional song from Azerbaijan.

 

A judge panel for each event evaluated the entrants and chose the best performances. The first prize was a gift coupon worth 200,000 Korean Won. The second and third prizes were also gift coupons, worth 150,000 and 100,000 Korean Won respectively. The other entrants received participation prizes for their efforts. The value of all the prizes for the two events combined added up to more than 1,000,000 Korean Won.

 

For the Korean Speech Contest, Arvin Sangalang came first place with Nurhak Aktas coming in second.  Sirawit Ttisoponpisan was awarded third place.

 

In the talent show, the duo of Shanti Swaroop and Sonal Gandhi came in first place with their Indian folk dancing. Chris Weinlich and his group came second place with a Western-style dance to a K-Pop song. Javid Aliyev placed third.

 

The judge panel for the speech contest was composed of four professors from the Language Center and was presided by Professor Bong Gwan Jun, whereas the judge panel for the talent show consisted of the KISA President Nayan Kalita and four Language Center instructors, and it was presided by Professor Michael Pak, the Center's Director.

 

These events, which were part of KAIST's 40th anniversary celebrations, were held at the multi-purpose hall in the International Center with a total of about 20 entrants of 15 different nationalities, including people with Korean backgrounds.

 

Both events were organized by the KAIST Language Center, and the KAIST International Students Association (KISA) also co-organized the talent show.