By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
It is hard to tell whether it is a blessing for Yonsei University or a fortune for graduate Jung Sei-eun that she is an alumni of the school.
Suzanne, Jung’s English name, is an anchor at Channel News Asia in Singapore, nicknamed ``CNN in Asia.’’ She was also appointed as ``honorary ambassador’’ by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism this year.
Suzanne started to study journalism in 1996 and graduated from Yonsei in 2001. She said that the school laid the foundation for her success.
``I was one of the pioneer group of the Yonsei Visual Arts Center (YVAC) when Professor Choi Yang-su and a few seniors set it up in 1997. That’s when I had my first taste of what broadcast media was really about,’’ Suzanne said. ``I gained hands-on production knowledge and picked up reporting skills that later helped me in my news anchoring. My time with YVAC helped me overcome camera shyness and fear that we all have when we first start out. It definitely was an influence in my decision to leap into broadcast journalism.’’
Suzanne is very confident about the global competitiveness of the school and reflected on what her alma mater has to offer compared to other universities.
``You won’t find another school that practices a more embracing culture than Yonsei culture _ in that I mean we welcome foreigners to come and share our college experience, we encourage active exchanges with overseas students and we seek opportunities to contribute on an international level,’’ she said.
However, Suzanne wishes that the school could pave the way for development among other Korean universities.
``All our colleges in Korea face a common problem _ there isn’t enough global recognition of our universities as compared to our Asian counterparts, for example, Chinese, Japanese or Singaporean universities. This is evident in surveys that list Asia’s top university rankings,’’ she said.
``Korea still needs to work on opening up more to gain a high international standing and our universities need to continue producing world-class research. I hope Yonsei will lead the change and continue to be fully committed to good education.’’
To her juniors at the school she advised, ``Have a clear set of goals and once you know where you’re headed, stay focused. Most importantly, believe in yourself.’’