Gwangju International Center

▶ Date: January 26th ▶ Topic: “Whose art is it anyway ?The problem of ancient antiquities?”▶ Speaker: Christian Beer (UK)▶ Review Writer: Bakhodirjon Komilov (Baha) (GIC Talk Volunteer) The ancient Greek culture was the most brilliant in its time and remains forever in our present perception. The use of human reason, starting from the Meletus school, was able to develop philosophy, art, and politics through Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and Sophist. And this is now the source of epistemology that moves around the world.The magnificence of art doesn’t differ. The architectural style of Greece has long been dominant in architectural style as it continues to appear in western architecture. It is even appeared on the stone pavilion of Deoksugung, which was built in 1910, as a neoclassical style of Greek classical style.One of the most representative buildings in Greece is Parthenon status which is at the Acropolis. This Parthenon temple was completely destroyed in 1687 and brought it by Lord Elgin, who a British Ambassador in Istanbul, Turkey. Therefore, it is now on display at the British Museum in London under the name 'Elgin Marble'.Recently, Greece has been making moves to recover the 'Elgin Marvel'.Should the UK return art pieces to Greece? And Whose cultural property is it? Why or why not?Today's lectures answers to these questions?What is cultural property? What does it mean that the museum in Brazil is burning? And many objects have disappeared in Korean news, and when the Namdaemun was burned, the whole nation feels grievous and rebuilds at the country level?Cultural properties are not created in the short time. It does not simply show the past of mankind. Cultural assets contain the unique identity of the country. At the time when the Parthenon was built, there was no 'Greece' as a state we knew, and even though it was in the form of United States, it cannot be denied that the culture remains in the present Greek culture. Therefore, we feel grievous about the Brazilian museum fire case and the Namdaemun fire case.It is not acceptable to take the cultural assets from other countries, which contains their frost and spirit, and not returning it back. They argue that they have right to have, but It make me think that all their arguments are not adequate.Before listening to this talk, I have never paid attention to this issue. However, after his speech, it was a great opportunity for everyone to understand what cultural assets mean to us, why these problems arise in the international community, what causes are and how to solve them.

  ▶Date: January 19▶Topic: “Language Learning Tips from an Aspiring Polyglot”▶Speaker: Josh Kugler (USA)▶Review Writer: Bakhodirjon Komilov (Baha) (GIC Talk Volunteer)  Learning a foreign language is more than just a boost to your CV or handy for travelling. It will make you smarter, more decisive and even better at English or any other foreign languages. Physiological studies have found that speaking two or more languages is a great asset to the cognitive process. The brains of bilingual people operate differently than single language speakers, and these differences offer several mental benefits. Our speaker Josh is a native English speaker who is currently residing in Korean and able to speak Korean, Chinese, and Spanish. He also has studied other languages in the past and during his speech, he intended to describe his past and current successes with failures in the long journey of taking on new languages. The speech was attracted with 7 tips and insights by other language learners. Below, you can see the 7 tips of learning any foreign languages that given by Josh.    Step 1 To do it because you want to do it.  Step 2 Perfection is an Enemy of language learning success.  Step 3 Know your own strengths and weaknesses and adjust learning accordingly.  Step 4 Don’t hesitate to learn trivial pieces of information.  Step 5  Recognize that each skill will improve according to the amount of time and effort you have committed to the skill. (reading, writing, speaking and listening)  Step 6 Set and maintain a daily study habit.  Step 7 Have fun!  These were vital steps for learning a foreign language. Besides, he has given other tips as well but as everyone has a different mind, skill might not match and help in an effective way. Personally, I really enjoyed and got some cool tips. At the end of the talk, people were able to ask some questions that they are interested in or face some problems. So What are You Waiting For?Everyone has their own unique reasons for wanting to learn another language. But while the reasons may be different, they can all be put into action in the same way: by committing to stop making excuses, and to start speaking the language you’ve always wanted to learn. Once you’ve held your very first conversation in a foreign language, trust me: you’ll never look back.    

We had another great year with all of you. Thank you for your support!!Here is the summary of 2018. Check out the video clip and find familiar faces!   

 1. Before your registration in this program what were your goals for your career?  > After going back to India, I want to work in a Korean company. So my purpose was to learn the basic skills that is required while working in a Korean company. As the curriculum covered the business Korean text book and the other enhancement programs, So it will be very beneficial for my future perspective. (Shivam / India)   > Before taking this class I had little to no knowledge related to real life in Korean companies. I read some books but there is a huge difference between reading books and experiencing for real. I was also worried about my Korean level and not being able to keep up with the other students, but I tried to prepare myself as much as I could (reading lessons before being taught). (Melline / Romania)   2. Are there any examples of how you used the program as a way to achieve those goals?  > In fact, my participation was more exposed in the Business Korean class. I participated in team debates, and all class activities & discussions. Actually, I liked the book a lot, and hope we were able to study it all since it includes many important topics in business. Regarding our team presentation, I feel sad we could not prepare it early because most of the team members were absent most of the time. (Ebtisam / Yemen)   > During join the program, The part that I like and try my best to catch up was Korea business class that focus on vocabulary and the content in the lessons, as it shows the view of the Korea working place and manner.  And one more thing, it was the way to write CV, cover letter and the interview manner as well as succeed experiences from seniors. (Heang Sokheng / Cambodia)   3. Now that the program is over, what were some areas in which you feel that you made improvement?  > ① Knowledges and specialized Korean in business: know how to use appropriate words which are suitable in business working environment. ② Working styles and working cultures of Korean companies: know how to behave suitably with seniors, colleagues and customers. ③ Group working: how to work well with others to make the best result. (HUYNH BICH THUY / Vietnam)   > After I attended this program I feel more confident in writing a resume and a cover letter. Also I have understood better the Korean companies’ culture and environment and I have got a little bit more familiar with language used and the etiquette. Should I have not taken this course I would have had zero chances in getting ready (at least) the necessary documents for applying for a job. (Melline / Romania)   

▶Date: 21st July ▶Topic: Digestive health: Let us live healthy as it is the ultimate wealth on earth▶Speaker: Joseph Emerson Raja▶Review Writer : Tahir Taqdees (GIC Talk Volunteer) Health is our greatest wealth. Dr. Joseph explained us about how to improve our health and live healthy on this earth. He told us food digestion is important because our food and drink must be changed into smaller molecules of nutrients before they can be absorbed into the blood and carried to cells throughout the body. Good digestion depends on selection of food and good habits of eating.He told us the five golden rules to enhance our digestion: 1. What to eat: The food we eat should contain all the 6 tastes: Sweet, Sour, Astringent, Pungent (Spicy), Salt and Bitter.2. When to eat: Only when you feel hungry and stop when you are full.3. How to eat: Chew the food as much as you can with your lips closed before swallowing it4. When to drink: Don’t drink excess fluids with meal. Don’t drink 30 min before and after having meal.5. How to drink: Drink/Swallow water along with saliva It is all about what, when and how to eat so that the food is digested properly that enables our body cells grows healthy. According to the World Health Organization 70% of people in the world fall under sub healthy conditions, 10% are healthy and 20% are sick. Sub healthy conditions is a new killer. The 6 signs of sub healthy condition are indigestion, sleeplessness, sadness, fearfulness, stressful and constant tiredness.There is no greater wealth than our own health and the health of society. If we lose our health, there is virtually nothing we wouldn’t do to retrieve it. So be proactive and invest in your health and wellbeing now. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.        

 The 10th Gwangju Tour Global Friends(GTGF)   On Sat. July 21st, despite the hot summer temperature, the 10th Gwangju Tour Global Friends participants got together for a fun day tour at Mudeungsan Watermelon Village and Damyang Ecological Park, Gamagol.   GTGF provide opportunities for both Korean and international university students in Gwangju for making new friends and learning more about the city!   Please check out our upcoming events in September, November, and December from our webpage.   For more pictures, Click here. To check information about July GTGF notice, click here.     

▶Date: 14th July ▶Topic: Culinary Tourism in Spain▶Speaker: Nabona Moreno Aránzazu▶Review Writer : Azka Nur Afifah (GIC Talk Volunteer)  In this talk, we are delighted to have Professor Aránzazu from University of Alcalá, Spain to share an emerging type of tourism in Spain. She started from introducing Spain as a country and took a quick survey of our knowledge about Spain –anything we knew– to which some people answered by “Hola!” (hello in Spanish), “Salsa” (the dip sauce, not the dance), and for me “Real Madrid”. Except for the Spanish native, the other audience seemed to have a very limited knowledge about Spain. Before Spain became a democratic country, it was ruled under dictatorship since 1939 for almost forty years. Albeit the dictator reign, tourism had become the driver for the country’s economy well before democracy. One of the most popular tourism type in Spain is ‘sun and beach’ tourism. We usually seek for a less crowded beach for vacation, otherwise be prepared for bad water quality as I experienced in my home country. However, Spanish beaches are recognized for the quality of the environment around its beaches as shown by its blue flag which evaluates for aspects such as hygiene, sanitary condition, and safety. One out of six blue flags worldwide is located in Spain. With 60 million tourists per year, tourism accounts for 11% of the country’s GDP. Nevertheless, Spain needs to push another type of tourism so as not to heavily rely on sun and beach tourism. Several type of tourisms and some example of related activities are: museum visit, shows, and football for cultural tourism; biking, riding, and hiking for rural tourism; activities related to world forum for business tourism; and eating and drinking local product for culinary tourism. Food makes for one-third of travel spending; this makes culinary tourism as potential alternative tourism. As one of top five countries for Michelin restaurants, Spain offers exceptional Mediterranean cuisine. Spain has designated World Tapas Day to push the tourism and introduce one of the most versatile Spanish dishes, Tapas. The name of this dish is originated for a piece of food that covers the drink from flies. This definition of tapas develops into a small portion of Spanish cuisine that is served as an appetizer or snack. Professor Aránzazu showed a video that gives illustration of various way to serve tapas: it is indeed a versatile dish! The available culinary schools in Spain let the students learn from the world-renowned chefs. For example, El Bulli, which is run by highest-profile chef, was transformed from restaurant into a foundation that develops an exhibition lab project for professionals and students interested in gastronomy. It is interesting for me because as an engineering student I have never thought that culinary field also has its own research and development. Professor Aránzazu ended this talk by showing another mouth-watering video of making tapas.

▶Date: 30th June ▶Topic: Origins of Damunhwa: Achieving Multiculturalism in South Korea▶Speaker : Wilson Melbostad▶Review Writer : Azka Nur Afifah (GIC Talk Volunteer)    Damunhwa can be translated to multiculturalism (Da = all, Munhwa = culture). In terms of multiculturalism in Korea, who is considered to be Korean and who gets to make those decisions in the first place? In this talk, Wilson started by discussing the definition of nation since the type of citizenship system that countries use around the world can help determine how nations define their own nationalism.    In South Korea the concept of nationalism itself came only after Japanese occupation whereby native Koreans were forced to discard their identity. Only after occupation did the native Koreans create the concept that they were possessed the same identity and nationality. Accordingly, they fought back to earn the right of being Korean in the land of Korea, speaking the Korean language. Thus, the concept of nationalism in Korea is based on ethnocentric nationalism in which the nation is defined by a shared heritage: common ethnicity, common language, and common culture.    The citizenship system in Korea is based on the nationality of the parents (jus sanguinis) thus this system favors a Korean-American who doesn’t speak a word in Korean over a foreigner who is fluent in Korean culture and language. On the other hand, the number of international marriages saw a ten-fold increase suddenly in 2006. This surge came from the demographic change and urbanization that lead to the rural bachelor issue that in turn led to the migrant brides phenomena. Many of those women who married into a Korean family are seen merely as an instrument to help ensure future workforce and often face severe discrimination.    The label of 'Damunhwa' is given to a non-Korean who marries a Korean. The government's attempt to help these brides by giving language and cooking class in 'damunhwa' centers is still about assimilating them into Korean culture rather than accepting the cultural identity of their home country. There is no instant solution to help South Korea achieve multiculturalism. One of the solutions is to educate young Koreans by inviting foreign professor in hope to introduce other perspectives of thinking. This hopefully will help people to embrace differences not by forcefully setting up regulation but by letting them do so through their own consciousness. The GIC Talk is indeed one of such programs that facilitates exchange of perspectives by inviting foreign speakers who have the expertise in each respective field.  

▶Speaker: Narayan Chandra Paul▶Review Writer : Kim Hyung-Chul and Jung Seung-Yong (Volunteers)▶GIC TALK Date: May 19▶Topic: The Bangladesh-India Enclave : History, struggle and new life​Through this speech, I learned about the history of Bangladesh and why India was divided into three parts like Bangladesh and Pakistan and India, also the reasons of many enclaves that occurred along the Bangladesh-India. The enclaves lasted for 68 years, and on 31 July 2015 people who lives in these enclaves got their own identifications as Bangladeshi and the Indians. Also, There was no education, health care and legal systems in these enclaves, so we could imagine there situation and their pain.   I couldn't believe that a few people who has power can own the territories and transfer them to the other people without paying attention to the interest and welfare of residents of the territories forcing the residents to live in enclaves. It is good to see that the situation of the minority groups in the enclaves are improving though the problems are not fully resolved.   Most of all, I feel that politics is very important for the people of all regions of the country. The problems like this can be solved if people pay more attention to the national issues not only of one country but also other countries.  -Our volunteers writes a simple review regarding every GIC Talk for people who couldn’t attend. We hope for your interest in both the Korean and English reviews.  

▶SPEAKER: Dana Han▶Review Writer : Natsuho Tsuda▶GIC TALK DATE: May 12, 2018▶Topic: Understanding your own and other’s deep motivations as a tool to peaceful conflict resolution. On May 12 in GIC talk, speaker Dana Han talked about how to solve the conflict without anger. At first, she started the talk with an impressive statement that the conflict is just like fire because the outcome depends on how we treat it. Another similarity between conflict and fire is that they both have positive and negative aspects.   She talked about various conflicts that we can imagine and also the ways to reduce the conflicts. It was a good experience because in this talk we came to know about the positive aspects of the conflict. Every time when we think about “conflict” it has negative image but through her lecture we get to know the positive points of conflicts.   There is always a beautiful desire behind everyone's actions, if we accept this we can find new ways to solve our conflicts. It will be a good way to take care about the other persons’ beautiful needs and to understand your deep motivation to solve conflicts peacefully.    -Our volunteers writes a simple review regarding every GIC Talk for people who couldn’t attend. We hope for your interest in both the Korean and English reviews.