Sejong University welcomes back overseas volunteer corps

Sejong University held a ceremony Sept. 4 to welcome back members of its World Friends Korea (WFK) IT Sejong Overseas Volunteer Corps, the university said.

The event was held to share the results of the volunteers’ activities in Jizzakh, Uzbekistan, last month and recognize the students who took part in educational and cultural exchange programs.

The WFK-IT Volunteer Corps, organized by the National Information Society Agency, is a program that seeks to bridge the global digital divide by providing information technology education and carrying out projects in partner countries with limited access to digital technologies, while helping Korean IT talent develop global capabilities.

Sejong University was selected in April to operate the WFK-IT Volunteer Corps this year and formed its volunteer team under the leadership of the Sejong Community Service Foundation and the National Program of Excellence in Software.

The volunteer corps provided customized IT education and organized Korean cultural exchange activities in Jizzakh from Aug. 1-17.

During the first week, the volunteers provided basic IT education to students at Jizzakh State Pedagogical University, covering topics such as basic coding principles and AI-assisted website development.

In the afternoons, they conducted Korean cultural programs for students, with activities focusing on K-pop, the Korean language, traditional Korean games, crafts and traditional architecture.

In the second week, the program expanded to include teenagers and residents recruited through the local IT Park.

The volunteers tailored the educational content to participants’ ages and levels of digital proficiency, providing them with basic IT knowledge applicable to everyday life as well as opportunities to experience Korean culture.

A total of 317 people took part in the program, including 191 teenagers, 115 university students, five local residents and six teachers.

Through education tailored to local needs, the volunteer corps helped participants improve their digital skills while promoting Korean culture through grassroots cultural exchange.

The results presentation began with opening remarks and a report on the program’s activities by Lee Soo-jin, a professor in the department of artificial intelligence and data science and faculty adviser to the volunteer corps.

The ceremony also featured a video presentation of the volunteer activities, words of encouragement from President Eom Jong-hwa and Song Oh-young, director of the National Program of Excellence in Software, team presentations, an awards presentation and a completion ceremony.

In their team presentations, the students shared the planning process behind their programs, the outcomes of their educational activities in Uzbekistan, and the challenges they encountered and overcame.

“I am proud of our students for putting the spirit of volunteerism into practice by expanding the program beyond university students to reach local residents,” Lee said.

“We will continue to provide our full support so that Sejong University students can communicate with people around the world and practice sharing as global leaders,” she added.