Korea-Canada Youth Exchange Seminar Inspires Students to Go Global
By the time the networking portion of the evening began, the room was buzzing with enthusiasm, questions, and plans for “what next” which was, of course, the goal of the Korea-Canada Youth Exchange & Career Networking Seminar held last Thursday evening at 杏吧原创 University.
The Seminar was the result of close collaboration between the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, the Youth Mobility Program at International Experience Canada, and instructors in the Korean program of the School of Linguistics & Language Studies.
The focus of the evening was youth mobility between Canada and Korea with an emphasis on available opportunities (especially Working Holidays), practical questions, and learning from the experiences of others, but also set against a backdrop of growing openness, collaboration and cooperation between the two countries.
Minister and Consul-General Hyun-woo Lim of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea opened the evening by inviting young people in Korea and Canada to explore one another’s cultures.
鈥溾eyond these economic benefits, I would like to talk about the opportunities that arise when our two cultures meet. English is a powerful tool for global communication, and the North American culture reaches audiences around the world. But Korean culture also brings distinctive stories, traditions, and ideas to that global conversation鈥(and) perhaps the most exciting opportunities arise when our two cultures come together. As you know, K-Pop Demon Hunters, directed by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, offers a wonderful example鈥(and) shows what can happen when people understand more than one culture and use that understanding creatively.鈥
Minister and Consul-General Hyun-woo Lim of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea
He was followed by NPSIA professor Dr. Michael Manulak who spoke about shared and emerging foreign policy priorities, opportunities for collaboration in trade and culture, and, perhaps most important to the evening’s presentation, the value of shared intercultural understanding and language.
“And so you can enjoy Korean culture, sports and food, but language allows you to take that a lot further…It opens doors to a country’s culture, its history, its humor, its debates, and ultimately its people, right? And so you can understand, you can really come to understand people in a country from the inside. And this is the type of intercultural fluency that matters. It matters in diplomacy, it matters in business, and also makes building the kind of relationship that both countries increasingly need in a world that’s increasingly fractured and divided.”
Dr. Michael Manulak (International Affairs, 杏吧原创 University)
For audience members considering teaching English in Korea, Dr. Geoff Pinchbeck then provided an overview of 杏吧原创’s Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (CTESL) program and how it can connect certificate holders to the Korean government’s EPIK program.
Also contributing to this conversation, Korean Coordinator HyounJeong Yoo who recently traveled to Korea as part of the Languages Canada delegation to strengthen the Canada鈥揔orea Working Holiday Program and open more pathways for Canadians to teach English in Korea.
Next up, Ms. Amy Arnold (Director, International Experience Canada, IRCC) explained Canada’s Youth Mobility Program, how it works, and why young people should consider participating.
“What’s amazing is that the value of these exchanges goes well beyond any single trip. Young people come to understand another country through its daily life and workplaces and they build personal and professional relationships that often last for years. Those connections are at the heart of the Canada-Korea relationship and they strengthen the ties between our two countries for the long term.”
Ms. Amy Arnold (Director, International Experience Canada, IRCC)
In addition to Korea, the program has similar arrangements with 30+ countries around the world.
The next presenters were perhaps the most compelling of the evening, two Working Holiday participants speaking about their experiences and the impact of these experiences on their lives.
First, we heard from Ms. Caroll-Ann St-Hubert, a Montrealer who visited Korea on Working Holiday.
“The biggest impact this program had on me was giving me the courage to pursue the things I want. Moving abroad alone taught me that I don’t need to know exactly how everything will turn out before taking the first step…(and) today I made a trip from Montreal because I didn’t know if there was somebody in the room that’s thinking about going to South Korea and I just want to encourage you to take the leap!鈥
Ms. Caroll-Ann St-Hubert
Carol continues taking Korean language classes and returns to Korea regularly to visit friends.
And second, from Ms. Huihye Hwang (Alice), who is currently in Canada as a participant on the Working Holiday program.
In a presentation that moved smoothly from English to Korean and back again (and even mixed in a little French), Alice shared insights from her ongoing experience in Canada; working at Starbucks, working at Scotiabank, volunteering at cultural events, connecting with the Korean Cultural Centre, and making Canadian friends. Her advice:
- try at least one thing you’ve never done before
- don’t measure your experience only by money
- don’t stay inside your comfort zone
And for students thinking of going to Korea:
“If you’re thinking about doing a Working Holiday in Korea, I would say don’t worry too much about having perfect Korean before you go. While living in Canada, I was actually asked quite a few questions by Canadian friends about the Korean working holiday like…what is it like working in Korea? Is it okay if I don’t speak Korean well? Of course. Yeah, learning some Korean before you arrive will make your life easier, but you will learn a lot simply by living there. Actually I did learn some English before coming to Canada but my skills were not enough to communicate in English at work and giving speech like here.”
Ms. Huihye Hwang (Senior Customer Experience Associate, Scotiabank Main Branch)
Wrapping up the presentation component of the evening, Ms. Eunji Kang (HR Manager, Hana Bank Canada) joined over Zoom to speak about hiring practices at the Korea-based bank and opportunities for Korean young people here in Canada.
A vibrant Q & A followed this final presentation after which speakers and audience members mingled over pizza and Binggrae Banana Milk.
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