day 11 and 12
02. - 03.04.2019
Seoul
Tuesday April 2nd, 2019
On Tuesday we had the opportunity to visit the Yonsei University in Korea. It was established in 1885 and is a prestigious research university. In 2018 the university had nearly 30.000 students and around 3.000 academic staff which might be one of the reasons why Yonsei is one of the top three universities in Korea.
After having a warm welcome, we went to the media zone where we had some interesting presentations from master students in Fashion and Marketing. They were about “Digitalized Interactive Platforms” and “Augmented Reality Technology in Beauty Industry”. Afterwards, we had a guided tour through the university where we had the chance to get some deeper insights into Yonsei’s background.
Firstly, we got to know the Y-Valley where the students have a space for creative, entrepreneurial activities and free discussion. The students have the opportunity to book the rooms for individual purposes if limited places allow. It is possible to present the innovative ideas in front of a special committee of Yonsei. The university supports good ideas by providing business knowledge and financial support if the project is approved by the committee. Maybe, the students on the picture could be the future CEO’s of a successful company as the university is famous for producing entrepreneurs.
Guided tour through the campus The hospital
Yonsei University has emerged from Yonhi University and Severance Medical College. In the foreground we can see the first hospital of the Severance Medical College which was built in 1885. This goes back to King Gojong, who commissioned his royal court physician to establish Korea's first modern hospital. In 1886, the first students were accepted to start their medical education. This resulted in Severance Medical College. During the Korean War, Severance Medical College and the hospital were relocated to Busan to take care of refugees. After the war, in 1952, the Severance Medical Collage moved back to Seoul again. In the background we see today's Yonsei University Hospital.
In 1915, H. G. Underwood founded the first private college in the province of Chosen. This resulted in Yonhi University. It was the first university where both men and women could study.
During the Korean War, there were multiple resource shortages. Therefore, the government was forced to melt down the stature of H. G. Underwood in favor of arms production. Unfortunately, iron was not available in sufficient quantities even after the war. Therefore, the stature was rebuilt a bit smaller. It is believed that H. G. Underwood was significantly larger.
After a very interesting and informative morning at the campus of Yonsei University, we were invited to a lunch together. Our hosts were very generous and served us a four - course meal.
In the afternoon we had some time for sightseeing. Our group visited the Changdeokung Palace in Jongno-gu, Seoul. It is one of the five grand palaces which were built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty in 1395. In 1997 the UNESCO committee added the Changdeokgung to the World Heritage List as an outstanding example for far eastern palace architecture and garden design.
Traditional designs in Hanbok fashion Injeongjeon Hall Injeongjeon Hall
Around the main entrance and inside the Changdeokgung Palace we met a lot of Korean and foreign people in the traditional Korean Hanbok dress. Later that day, we got the information that people in Hanbok dress were getting free entry in several parks and buildings in Korea. It is possible to rent the dresses in many stores around the palace area.
The Injeongjeon Hall is a rebuild of the throne hall which was destroyed by a fire. This hall was used for major state affairs like the coronation of a new king and receiving of foreign envoys.
After we spent a few hours in the palace complex we made a short shopping tour in the area around the palace and drove back to the hotel to get ready for the evening event.
Farewell Party!!!
Unfortunately, everything good has its end. On our last evening our professors organized an amazing farewell party in a jazz bar with live music where we have spent time together. Our new friends from the Yonsei University accepted our invitation and joined us. The group dynamics were fantastic! We ate, drank and danced together, so we had lots of fun! See some snapshots of the party below:
Towards midnight, the party was over and we left the bar. Do you think they will remember us? Absolutely. Some of us went back to the hotel and some of us were still looking for more party. The final event was a worthy finish of a spectacular Asia trip.
Return to Frankfurt
Wednesday April 3rd, 2019
On the last day, it was time for the last breakfast in Seoul. Afterwards we packed our suitcases and left the hotel at 11 am. On our way to the airport, nearly the whole bus was sleeping after the amazing but also exhausting past days. After an hour’s drive, we arrived at the Incheon airport. We checked in, passed the safety control and started to wait at the gate for our flight back to Frankfurt.
Finally, after 11 hours of flight, we arrived at Frankfurt airport around 7 pm. We got our luggage and everybody went on their way home. We gained lots of amazing impressions and experienced various cultural aspects during the trip.
We want to thank everyone who made this trip possible. The group was of the opinion at the end: We will never forget this time!