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2010 Spring Korea Post-Fair Report
Report Contents:
AIEF Pre-Fair Orientation
AIEF’s pre-fair orientation was held at
the Oakwood Premier Hotel in Seoul on the morning of
Saturday, March 27th. Invited to speak at the orientation on
behalf of the U.S. Embassy, Consular Officer Mr. Michael
Greer said that about 95% of Korean visa applicants are
approved. Korea is consistently among the top three
countries of origin for international students in the United
States, he said. Greer stated that the U.S. continues to be
the top destination of choice for Korean students. He gave a
detailed explanation of the student visa application process
in Korea, noting that the Visa Waiver Program does not
eliminate the need for F, M and J visas.
Mr. Stephen Smith, director of AIEF’s
Washington, D.C. office, shared statistics on student mobility
provided by the Korean Embassy in the United States. Smith said
that an estimated 243,224 Korean students were studying abroad
at all levels in 2009. Among the Korean students studying abroad
at the higher education level, 69,124 were studying in the USA,
the most popular destination. The second most popular
destination was China, with 66,806 Korean students. Smith drew
attention to the fact that the majority of Korean students in
the USA were seeking degrees, whereas most Korean students in
China went there for language study.
Smith provided an update on the Songdo
Global University Campus that is under development in the
Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) with support from the Korean
government and private sources. Among the U.S. universities
planning to open branch campuses or research centers on the
Songdo Global University Campus are State University New York -
Stony Brook, North Carolina State University, University of
Delaware, George Mason University, and University of Southern
California, said Smith.
He mentioned the Korean government’s
policy to achieve an increase in the courses taught in English
in Korean schools, as well as the country’s desire to cultivate
more teachers capable of using English as the language of
instruction to teach subjects such as science and math. This is
an opportunity for U.S. institutions that offer TESOL training
programs, said Smith. The National Institute for International
Education Development (NIIED) is also recruiting foreign English
teachers to teach in Korea through the EPIK (English Program in
Korea), he said.
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Pre-Fair Publicity
Starting from two
months prior to the event, AIEF’s Fair was publicized in a
wide variety of Korean media, including websites,
newspapers, flyer, posters, radio programs, signs, placards,
banners, and invitation cards.
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Seoul Fair Statistics
The 2010 Spring
American Education Fair in Seoul ran from March 27-28 in
COEX as part of the biannual Korea Student Fair. An
estimated 5,485 people visited AIEF’s American Pavilion. The
student counseling information collected at the AIEF booth
will be provided to the fair participating US schools for
reference.
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Seoul Fair Highlights
Located to the left of
the main entrance to the Korea Student Fair exhibition venue
in COEX, the American Pavilion was decorated with a red,
white and blue motif. The American Pavilion, organized and
coordinated by AIEF, was reserved exclusively for authorized
U.S. school representatives. Representatives from the U.S.
Embassy and the Fulbright offices in Korea were provided
with booths so they could answer questions posed by fair
attendees. At the entryway to the American Pavilion, our
staff at the AIEF booth offered free counseling and directed
student traffic.
Traditional Korean musicians perform for the Fair's Opening Celebration.
As a complimentary
service provided to American Education Fair exhibitors, AIEF
arranged for interpreters from Korean colleges and universities
to translate for the representatives in each booth of the
American Pavilion. AIEF selected student interpreters who
demonstrated strong English language skills and expressed an
interest in studying in the USA.
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UScampus Guide
Free copies of the 2010
Spring edition of UScampus Guide were issued to all
Fair visitors. Created by AIEF, this semiannually published
magazine offers accurate and up-to-date information to
international students interested in studying in the United
States. Complimentary copies of the magazine are distributed
at all of AIEF’s American Education Fairs in Asia, as well
as to public libraries and other sites. UScampus Guide
is also distributed to EducationUSA Centers in 19 countries
in the region, as indicated in the inside back cover of the
magazine. Online copies of past issues of UScampus Guide may
be viewed or downloaded via
http://www.uscampus.com/service_bulletin/news_guide.htm.
If you are interested in submitting an article or placing an
advertisement in the UScampus Guide, please e-mail
info@aief-usa.org.
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Seoul Special Seminars
At the AIEF Fair, a
series of informative seminars for students was offered.
Seminar topics included “How to Find the Best ESL School for
You,” “Studying Science and Technology in the U.S.,” and
“Study Abroad Advising in the Digital Age.” At the request
of AIEF, U.S. Embassy consular officers Mr. Steven Dube and
Mr. David Wyche provided presentations to Korean students
and parents on the student visa application process.
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Seoul Social
To celebrate the
successful conclusion of the first day of the Fair, co-hosts
KTF president Mr. Hongyu Lee and AIEF invited fair
participants to a dinner gathering at the “Pulhyanggi”
restaurant near COEX. American Pavilion guests were treated
to traditional Korean musical performances and tasty Korean
dishes. Many of the U.S. school representatives took
advantage of the photo-op to have their pictures taken with
the Korean performers.
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2010
Summer and Fall Fairs in Asia
Registration is now open
for AIEF’s 2010 Summer and Fall American Education Fairs in
Asia. The Fair schedule is as follows:
SUMMER 2010
Beijing – June 18-20
Xi’an – June 23-24
Shanghai – June 26-27
Suzhou – June 30
Nanjing – July 3-4
Shenyang – July 17-18
Anshan – July 21-22
Dalian – July 24-25
FALL 2010
Singapore – Sept. 30
Seoul - Oct. 2-3
Busan - Sept. 30
Taipei - Oct. 9-10
Kaohsiung - Oct. 11
Taichung - Oct. 12
Online registration is available at:
http://www.aief-usa.org/services/signup_fair.htm . For more
information, please visit our website, www.aief-usa.org, or call
the AIEF office in California at 714-985-1995.
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