Busan University of Foreign Studies Conducts 'Oehaengseong Program' in Thailand and Algeria

Busan University of Foreign Studies conducted the ‘Oehaengseong Program,’ an overseas local survey and research project, for two weeks each in Thailand and Algeria last July to enhance the innovative capabilities of its enrolled students.

The ‘Oehaengseong Program,’ conducted by the Convergence Education Center at Busan University of Foreign Studies, has been ongoing since September 2022. Each semester, a team of four students enrolled in the Capstone Design course is selected to participate.

The selected student teams carry out team projects such as overseas local surveys and regional cultural explorations together with the course instructor.

In the first half of the 2023 academic year, the Department of Thai Language and the Department of French Language conducted projects in Thailand and Algeria, respectively. The Department of Thai Language conducted local market research and studies on the ‘Potential for Korean beauty products to enter the Thai online sales market.’

The Department of French Language conducted research and surveys on ‘Local employment possibilities in Algeria and the functions and roles of FOREM’ through visits to local institutions such as the French Cultural Center in Algeria.

Participants of the Outer Planet Program are taking a commemorative group photo during their visit to a local institution in Algeria.

Student Choi Yujin, who participated in the program, said, “I gained confidence by directly conducting surveys and interviews with foreigners overseas,” adding, “It would have been difficult alone, but thanks to the professor and team members who went together, we were able to solve various difficult problems.”

Um Seongwon, director of the Convergence Education Center, said, “Overseas projects complement the limitations of domestic projects and allow research and surveys from diverse perspectives, helping participating students develop problem-solving skills and broaden their horizons.”

He added, “In the second half of the year, projects are planned to be conducted in Australia, Japan, and Indonesia, and we plan to further expand the program so that more students can participate in the future.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.