As one of the most prestigious universities in the science and technology field, KAIST never seemed to be a big fan of artistic studies (with the Department of Industrial Design as the one-and-only exception). Yet, this spring semester, the Office of Advising and Support for International Students (OASIS) is opening an art class for all those interested in watercoloring. Every Monday morning, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., any KAISTians who would like to discover the artist within or simply immerse themselves in a relaxing environment of a non-credit, non-attendance-taking class are warmly welcomed to join. Registration can be done by sending an email to Miss Yu-Jin Kim at kimyuj@gmail.com and submitting 10,000 Korean Won to the OASIS office, located on the first floor of W2-1 building.

Miss Kim shared details on what brought her to start such an out-of-the-ordinary course at KAIST. During the fall of 2012, she moved to Daejeon when her husband began working as a KAIST professor. Prior to her relocation, Miss Kim lived in the United States, where she pursued her graduate education in ceramics. Longing to make more social connections and also to make use of her visual arts background, Miss Kim came to OASIS, volunteering to open a painting class for all spouses and relatives of KAIST faculty members, who, like her, were “sitting home with not much for entertainment.” Nevertheless, the class turned out to attract more students than bored housewives. Miss Kim was quite surprised yet also eager to experience working with science-driven students. She is currently working on building a systematic study curriculum that still brings joy and fun to the classroom. “I hope this class will be like a breath of fresh air, a place where there’s no pressure from quizzes, penalty for lateness, or competition for grades.”