Ajou University sent 221 students to 14 countries for global programs during this summer vacation.

Ajou University is providing students with valuable opportunities to develop their international networks and global insights through the Paran Ladder Program, the short-term overseas training program, and the Global Internship Program. These three annual programs are organized through the exchange agreements that Ajou's Office of International Affairs has signed with major universities around the globe.

First, 100 students, including 20 from other universities, were sent to the University of Michigan and the University of Washington-Seattle in the U.S., and Shanghai Jiaotong University in China for four weeks this summer under the Paran Ladder Program. Participants took part in a weeklong orientation before leaving Korea, which included sessions on self-assessment, career exploration, and attaining the necessary knowledge for the Program. They then participated in various activities at overseas partner universities, including advanced language classes, cultural programs, and research projects. The Program, which is being carried out by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Student Aid Foundation, provides support for short-term overseas education for students experiencing financial difficulties and all the expenses for the participating students are paid by the government and Ajou University.

▲ Students participating in the Paran Ladder Program pose for a picture at Shanghai Jiaotong University in China. 

Meanwhile, under the short-term overseas training program, 99 students were dispatched to eight partner universities for two to four weeks, including Stony Brook University and George Mason University (USA), the University of Bayreuth (Germany), Tallinn University (Estonia), the Audencia Nantes School of Management (France), Sapporo Gakuin University (Japan), the University of Indonesia (Indonesia), and Asia University (Taiwan). The participants took part in training related to their majors, language classes, and other research projects. The short-term program is available during the summer and winter vacations every year, earning more than 200 students credits for the seasonal semesters.

  ▲ Students attending the short-term overseas training program pose for a picture at the Audencia Nantes School of Management in France.

The Global Internship Program is designed to give students opportunities to gain firsthand experience in the business and culture of global corporations. During this summer vacation, 22 students were sent to 13 companies in eight countries, including those in the U.S., Malaysia, Japan, Australia, Vietnam, Singapore, and the U.K. Among the corporations partnering with Ajou are H Mart, a Korean-run supermarket in the U.S.; KOTRA; and a number of other prominent companies established by Ajou University graduates and Korean nationals. The Program period ranges from one to eight months depending on the company with up to 18 credits acknowledged by the University, which also provides financial support.

▲ Participants of the Global Internship Program pose for a picture at PDS Consulting in Malaysia.