Ajou's President visits U.S. to discuss expanding student internship programs

[16.08.11]

Ajou University President Dong Yeon Kim visited the U.S. cities of Los Angeles and Seattle for seven nights and nine days from July 28th to August 5th to discuss expanding student internship programs with local companies run by Koreans.

On August 1st, President Kim met with representative Hoon Kim at the CKP LA Office and signed a relevant agreement. CKP, the largest Asian accounting firm in the U.S., has hired Ajou students as paid interns since last year. Four accounting majors have been sent to the firm as interns over the past two years.

The two sides agreed to lengthen the internship program to one year from the current six weeks to three months so that the students can better prepare for the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountant) exam.

On August 2nd, Ajou's delegation concluded an internship program agreement with H-Mart, the largest Asian market in the U.S. Starting this month, twelve students from the University will be dispatched to H-Mart as interns and build on-site experiences in design and purchasing, etc. Under the agreement, the two sides will expand the internship into a one-year program in which fifty students will participate per year.

Ajou's agreements with CKP and H-Mart were covered by The Joongang Ilbo U.S., The Korea Times, and The Korea Herald Business.

President Kim also dropped by the CKP San Diego Office where Ajou students are working as interns. He encouraged the students and watched a major league baseball game with them at the ballpark. He then gave a lecture at an event hosted by the World-OKTA LA Office. During the lecture, Korean businesspeople recognized the objective of Ajou's AFTER YOU Program and promised to make financial contributions. President Kim also met with seven LA-based alumni of Ajou University, including Don Hee Park (Department of Mechanical Engineering, entrance class of 1973).

For the last activity during its stay in the U.S., the delegation led by President Kim visited students participating in 'the AFTER YOU Program – 2016 Summer Ajou Global Campus' at the University of Washington (UW) located in Seattle. A total of thirty students are having various experiences at UW, including an intensive English language course. President Kim met with Vice Provost Rovy Branon of UW and discussed further developing cooperation and exchanges between the two institutions.

President Dong Yeon Kim poses for a picture after signing an agreement with CKP (top) and with H-Mart (above).

Clockwise from top left
– A scene from a meeting with LA-based Ajou University alumni
– President Kim poses for a picture with the "AFTER YOU Program" participants at the University of Washington.
– President Kim takes a picture with CKP intern students at a major league ballpark.
– President Kim, Ajou University interns at CKP, and CKP LA representative Hoon Kim pose for a picture (from far left).