And also to retain it, the network between local people and foreign nations is a very important factor.
Korea comes among those countries where you can find very less English speaking people and also people in Korea were little conservative. So, it’s very important to certain measures about strengthening the network and bonding between international students and Korean students.
The results of statistical research indicate that the amount of cross-nation interaction is generally low, that international students expect and desire greater contact, and that interaction with domestic peers is generally associated with psychological, social and academic benefits for international students.
Although studies converge in the finding that the incidence of intercultural interactions is low, greater contact is expected and desired by international students.
However, despite the findings that domestic students hold relatively favorable perceptions of international students, most investigations have concluded that domestic students are largely uninterested in initiating contact with their international peers.
Significant intercultural interaction is unlikely to occur spontaneously to any large extent, and it is almost certain that interventionist strategies would need to be introduced to promote more and better intercultural activities. There could be several reasons behind it like English communication, not open minded etc.
Cross-cultural studies demonstrate that most international students have primary bonds with co-nationals. The same co-national preference emerged in response to the amount of time spent in contact with other students: 46 percent of time was spent in interaction with co-nationals, compared with 33 percent in contact with locals.
So, based on these data, research and analysis on this matter, we should take some steps to eradicate it from Korean society and develop a healthy, fear-free environment for foreigners so that local students/people communicate with foreigners freely and develop a good relationship and strengthen the bonds between them.
We should come up with certain measures and plans in which we should try to establish a kind of open mindedness among Korean students studying in various colleges and universities where they are experiencing a multicultural society.
This way, they can offer a helping hand of friendship to the foreign students studying in their own universities and will have good friendship and relationship with them.
We should also make a mission to educate college-going Korean students to grow as a leader and perform some leading roles in developing a globalized civil society in Korea. We should certain programs involving Korean and international students together so that they can get an opportunity to work together.
This way, we will be able to create a positive image of Korea among the different countries in the world which would also create a framework on social integration on global platform.
It would lead to the development of a globalized civil society in Korea which would welcome the foreign nationals with full heart and also make their stay comfortable in the country.
Developing such a kind of society would also benefit in some ways like it would increase the tourism business in Korea drastically which would in return nourish the economy of this country.
And also, it could be easily expected from the international tourists or students who come to Korea for their studies that they would portray a positive image of Korea in their own country and also offer an active role in their homelands when it comes to Korea-related private diplomatic activities.
Hence, in the last it could be concluded that if we take proper measures and steps to strengthen the bond and enhance the network of Korean students with regard to foreign friends either individually or in teams, it would definitely help in the upliftment of Korean society on the global platform in context of economy, harmony etc.
If we start this step individually or in teams through some events and programs, then I am sure the Korean government would also support it and motivate us to do it in a more enhanced and elaborated level.
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com