Yonsei Keeps Him Connected to Mother’s Land

 

Robin Born

 

Swiss/University of ST.Gallen

 

 

Although he found the noise and bustle of the Sinchon subway station when he first arrived in Seoul, Yonsei exchange student Robin Born feels at home in Korea. Born to a Swiss father and Korean mother, he traveled to Busan every few years as a child to visit his relatives. The family connection to Korea was a major reason Robin chose Korea over Australia for his study abroad program; another was that he felt “embarrassed” that he spoke his mother’s native language so poorly.

 

Robin didn’t receive any pressure from his mother to study in Korea, but he felt he had a responsibility to learn the language so that he could communicate with his Korean relatives. He has fond memories of playing with his Korean cousins as a child, and it became a source of sadness for him that the language barrier prevented him from effectively communicating with them as a young adult. Robin thus chose to study abroad at Yonsei because several of his friends advised him that it has the best Korean language program in the country.

 

In Switzerland, Robin is a graduate student in Accounting and Finance at the University of St. Gallen. Because he has nearly completed his coursework at St. Gallen, none of his courses at Yonsei will count towards his degree; nevertheless, he is glad to have been able to take courses in Yonsei’s Department of Political Science and Law School, as they supplement what he has learned in his graduate program and are relevant to his future career in banking and finance.

 

Robin’s favorite course at Yonsei has been “Dispute Settlement Practice on International Economic Law,” which is taught by a lawyer from a large firm specializing in investment dispute settlements. In addition to the classroom lectures, the instructor invited students to his firm’s office, where they witnessed firsthand what it is like to work as a lawyer in the field. Robin also appreciates the small class sizes at Yonsei. He believes that this increases interaction between professors and students, while motivating him to prepare for seminars more diligently, as he must frequently contribute to classroom discussions.

 

Studying at Yonsei has also allowed Robin to fully experience the Seoul lifestyle; living in the Sinchon-Hongdae area, for instance, he has experienced nightlife that is unlike anywhere in Switzerland. Looking to the future, Robin sees himself returning to Korea as early as next year to continue studying the Korean language, specifically in courses geared toward business professionals. He is also open to the idea of working in the Korean branch of a Swiss bank for a few years.