Busan National University Joint Overseas Volunteer Group Shares Education at Rural Schools in Thailand

33 Volunteers Dispatched from June 6 to 23,
Communicating with 170 Local Students,
Learning the Values of Growth and Sharing
Customized Education Including Korean, K-Pop, and 3D Printing & AI,
Expansion of Korean Classes and Classroom Environment Improvement

Students from Pusan National University demonstrated global leadership by practicing warm sharing in Thailand.

The Pusan National University volunteer group visited a rural school in Thailand, engaging in various activities such as education, environmental improvement, and cultural exchange, communicating with local students and residents while reflecting on the values of growth and sharing.

Pusan National University (President Choi Jae-won) announced on the 22nd that the 35th Pusan National University Joint Overseas Volunteer Group (led by Park Geun-tae, Professor of Dance) has been dispatched to Sa-ung-uan-ing School in the Suphanburi region of Thailand for 18 days from the 6th to the 23rd to conduct volunteer activities.

The 33 members of the Pusan National University volunteer group, together with 170 local students, actively participated in five educational fields: Taekwondo, K-Pop dance, art (traditional culture), Hangul, and 3D printing & AI education. To meet the diverse learning needs of the local community, they planned, prepared, and practiced the educational content for over 100 hours during the three months prior to departure.

Earlier, Traiphong Khempet, principal of Sa-ung-uan-ing School, said, “Thanks to the activities of the Pusan National University volunteer group who visited our school last year, awareness of the Korean language and culture has improved, resulting in the expansion of the Korean language major classes from one to two. We sincerely appreciate it,” and requested help to improve the environment of the second Korean classroom. In response, the volunteer group maintained continuous communication with the local community to develop improvement plans, which were applied during this visit.

They created a health staircase featuring various Korean-related themes such as ‘The Four Seasons of Korea,’ painted murals on the exterior walls of classrooms for Korean-Thai cultural exchange, and decorated the interior walls, blackboards, and bulletin boards with content promoting Korean culture. Additionally, various necessary classroom supplies were provided, and Korean-Thai cooking classes and presentations about Busan and Pusan National University were held, attracting great interest from local students.

On the 19th, a street performance featuring K-Pop songs, cover dances, contemporary dance, Taekwondo dance and breaking demonstrations, and a flash mob drew enthusiastic applause and cheers from an audience of about 1,000 people. During the flash mob performance of singer Ros?’s song ‘Apartment,’ many locals joined the stage, creating a spectacular scene.

Busan National University Joint Overseas Volunteer Group is playing tug-of-war with local teachers in Thailand. Photo by Busan National University

On the 21st, a presentation was held where local students demonstrated what they had learned through the volunteer group. They showcased K-Pop songs and dance performances, Taekwondo poomsae and breaking demonstrations, and the 3D printing and art education teams prepared various exhibitions to share the joy of learning and growth.

After the volunteer group’s departure, Pusan National University decided to donate all teaching materials to the school so that local students can continuously engage with the Korean language and culture by forming clubs.

Park Geun-tae, the head of the volunteer group, said, “Beyond simply providing help through volunteering, I was deeply moved by the warm hospitality and interest from the people here as we communicated with them.”

Lee Chang-geun, Director of Student Affairs at Pusan National University, who oversaw the project, said, “Seeing students grow through empathy and cooperation despite different environments, I am confident that these experiences will become a great asset in their lives. As a national flagship national university, Pusan National University will continue to expand various projects for sustainable development to provide quality education domestically and internationally and to alleviate educational inequality.”

The 35th Pusan National University Overseas Volunteer Group. Provided by Pusan National University

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