A hand of friendship is sometimes enough to redefine your position in the society you live in. Be it an individual or an organization, cementing new relationships can change our path, converting it into a more proactive and rejuvenated one. This semester saw the long awaited ties between the KAIST International Student Association (KISA) and the International Conference for the Integration of Science and Technology into Society (ICISTS), gaining a solidified dimension under the initiative of Sua Yang, Head of the Division of Global Partnerships (GP) in ICISTS. The KAIST Herald met with the head to discuss her objectives and goals in this proactive step.

Firstly, could you please tell us about your position in ICISTS and how this idea took shape?
Hello, my name is Sua Yang and I am a sophomore majoring in the Department of Biological Sciences. Currently I am working for ICISTS as the head of the Division of GP. ICISTS always wanted to expand its influence to the international community, so approaching international students at KAIST was the most viable option. By starting the Student Ambassador program under GP, ICISTS hopes to appeal to the international student community at KAIST.

Could you briefly explain the role and functions of the GP Division?
The GP Division tries to promote ICISTS to foreign countries, conduct presentations for university students all over Korea, and also focuses on building relations with other organizations and on partnership management. We are also involved in the delegate selection procedure for the ICISTS conference held every summer.

What are the roles that the Student Ambassadors have to fulfill?
The Student Ambassadors can help us achieve many goals, such as carrying out the promotion of ICISTS abroad. International students can help us promote ICISTS in their home countries using posters and brochures in their own languages. Also, they can bring aspects of their unique cultures to the Culture Night,which is held on the last day of the conference. As it is important to get feedback from all student sections of KAIST, we intend to find out their opinions about the work that we do and ways to expand our realm. So far, we have had only two sessions, and the Student Ambassadors have already been very active in giving their opinions about our work. I believe that this is a really good start.

Are there any benefits that international students can avail by being a Student Ambassador?
International students joining ICISTS can avail a certificate of participation, leadership mileage, or KAIST activity units (more commonly known as AU’s). We will also be giving them discounts on participation fees to encourage more international participation in future events.

Could you tell us the long-term goals of GP and how the Student Ambassadors could help in fulfilling those goals?
In the long run, we want to make ICISTS a globally recognized conference. To achieve this, we have been conducting trips to promote ICISTS in universities abroad. I believe that the Student Ambassador program, promoting ICISTS in their home countries, could be a more effective step. Hopefully someday we will be able to conduct the conference in all parts of the world.

What will be your expectations from the Student Ambassadors this year?
ICISTS is glad that so many international students have voluntarily joined us. The language of communication between ICISTS members has been Korean, but despite this language barrier, many students have decided to be a Student Ambassador team. This year I want them to understand and get to know more about ICISTS, its operations, and the scope of its activities. I am very happy with the current team because they have been coming up with new ideas and they also identify themselves as a part of ICISTS! Together, we hope to see ICISTS grow bigger and better every year.