Gwangju International Center

GIC Talk is a weekly English talk program developed for intercultural communication and understanding among local Korean citizens with international residents in Gwangju. The program started in September 2003 with only a few participants. Nowadays, dozens of Koreans and international residents take part in the Talk Program, with focus concentrating on a different topic each week. These include world cultures, social issues, history, lifestyles, political issues, speakers' experience and other areas of interest.

Community Space for Koreans and International Residents

This community space for Koreans and international residents take place on weekends. Most presenters are international residents in Gwangju, but other influential people, such as international ambassadors and representatives of NGOs or NPOs, are also invited to give a talk. Each lecture is followed by a Q&A time where people can ask the presenter questions and exchange their ideas freely. The community space allows those who attend opportunities to be more globally aware.

Program Operation

Despite not having a program budget, GIC Talk is possible thanks to local and international residents sharing their time, knowledge, and experiences. Our appreciation also goes to GIC volunteers who host, document and review the event.

[July 6] 2PM

▶Title: Poems for the Beloved, my tribute to May 18

▶Speaker: Marcy L Tanter, Professor of Tarleton State Univ. (US)

Professor Tanter will discuss one of her current projects, an edited collection of translated poems about the Gwangju Democratic Revolution. She sees these poems as crucial historical resources that can teach non-Koreans, especially Americans, about the tragedy of May, 1980.

[July 13]

▶Title: Be the Change Project: Is it possible to understand everyone?...or how compassion can find its way to our lives

▶Speaker: Dana Han

We hear about love, understanding, and compassion a lot. On our best days we are even able to experience them a little...But when we don't like what people do or say, when we call them "racists", "messy", "sexists", "rude", or just simply "idiots" , how can we get back to the state of connection within ourselves and with others?...Let us try to play and experiment with Universal Human Needs and see if all of us are connected already. Hope to see you at "Be the Change Project" next workshop!

[July 20]

▶Title: An European vision of “Youth For Climate”, a young movement of young people around the world.

▶Speaker: Zoé Thiburs

Young people want to have an impact on their future. For a little less than a year, we have witnessed a rise in youth consciousness all around the world. Following the idea of Greta Thunberg to boycott school every Friday, youth from over the world decided to riot for climate.

In France, the movement grew up slowly compared to northeast country of Europe. Early school boycott somehow failed in France. But on 15thmarch, during the first “Worldwide Climate Strike”, 1,8 Million of young people expressed their feelings for the Planet : In France we were 170k in the street from which 50k only in Paris.

I will talk about how the movement “Youth For Climate” changed in France since Greta’s speech, how influencers help us and also how we organized ourselves together to create a solid organization.

[July 27]

▶Title: USM - The Preferred University

▶Speaker: Rohizani Yaakub, Associate Professor of Universiti Sains Malaysia

2019 marks the 50th anniversary of USM. Along the journey, USM has faced a lot of challenges, successes and failures which have moulded it into a unique and matured university. The learning and living culture practised by USM has won the Ministry of Education Malaysia’s attention in awarding the APEX status to USM in the year 2008. In 2018, USM was awarded with the Most Entrepreneurial University of The Year, an award by the Ministry of Education Malaysia which recognizes efforts by the university to provide conducive ecosystem for development and education in local higher educational institutes through various holistic entrepreneurship programmes. Now, after 50 years of its inception, USM is a global player with a lot of talents and passion to spur it forward. We believe that we are in the right track in becoming the chosen university and be the pride of all Malay.

This talk will discuss USM’s action plans in becoming a preferred university by design, and USM has its own way of making it a reality. It's #USMstyle!