Despite its relatively large proportion of international undergraduates, KAIST has yet to provide effective guidance for these students when it comes to declaration of majors, mainly because all currently available information sessions related to this issue are in Korean. In an effort to resolve this problem, KAIST International Students Association (KISA) members have decided to put together the first Departments Day event for international students this semester. The KAIST Herald met with Nur Amalina Wahab to learn more about their experience organizing this event.

▲ Nur Amalina Wahab | Jung Eun Yoo

Could you please tell us about yourself, and your particular role in KISA and the Departments Day event?

Hello. My name is Nur Amalina Wahab, and I am currently in my third semester at KAIST. Since entering KAIST, I have been active in KISA and right now, my position is Head of the Events Committee. In general, I take charge of planning and executing events that assist the international student body with their campus life. This year, after hearing many feedbacks from my international friends, I decided to propose the Departments Day project, which will hopefully grant undecided freshmen and students who are still unsure of their current majors access to a more useful and comprehensive source of information.

Can you elaborate further on your motivation for creating this event?

Every fall semester, all KAIST departments host an introductory colloquium to give freshmen a deeper insight into what they should expect and what is expected of them once they enter a specific department. More importantly, attending students have the opportunity to consult the department staffs and professors in person during the question-and-answer session for any concerns they may have in selecting the major that fits not only their interest but also their abilities and future goals. Unfortunately, such opportunities are not equally available to international students due to the language barrier. Most students end up declaring their major based on misleading rumors or limited information based on their seniors’ experiences. As more and more international undergraduates are joining KAIST in recent years, the demand for such guidance is constantly growing. As representatives of international students, all KISA members agreed that it was time to respond to this request, and thus, the Departments Day idea was put into action.

Will Departments Day be similar to the annual information sessions held by KAIST departments?

It will actually be quite different. We plan to conduct the presentations similar to the Mobility Fair concept organized by the International Relations Team (IRT) in previous semesters. Each department, out of the total fifteen, will be represented by a senior student who has been actively involved in their department’s academic and social affairs. [Together, the two] will give a presentation about their respective department, share their personal thoughts and advice, and directly answer all questions raised during the question-and-answer session. Due to time constraints, we will have to conduct presentations from two departments simultaneously in two different rooms. However, we hope that students will find the question-and-answer session that follows after all the presentations most helpful.

What has been the biggest challenge so far in your endeavors to launch this Departments Day event?

I think, like all first-time events, we had to put a lot of thoughts and effort into attracting both speakers and listeners. It is a very busy time of the year for all students and so we had to design a straightforward content that immediately and effectively answers all of their questions. We also needed to have a group of speakers that are enthusiastic and inspiring. Luckily, with the help of the Academic Registration Team and the International Scholar and Services Team, we have been able to recruit both international and Korean representatives to come and give what we look forward to being a comprehensive and detailed point of view. In the near future, our aim will be to invite professors and department staffs to join us and further develop the event into one with a larger scope and greater impact.

Are there any final messages you would like to send out to international students regarding this event?

I believe that choosing a major is a very important academic turning point for all college students. Especially in KAIST, quickly finding a suitable major often times means more research opportunities and a broader social network. Therefore, I would sincerely recommend everyone, especially international students, to take advantage of this opportunity and best prepare themselves before making this decisi 

 

 

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