Undergraduate

Image of student, Dalen Ferreira, in Korea in 2019

Dalen Ferreira, '19, Korea Institute Undergraduate Language Study Grant to Ewha (Tuition Waiver), Summer 2019

September 9, 2019

Having graduated this past May, I took this summer in Korea as an opportunity to focus on education for the sake of education, knowing that these courses would have no effect on my GPA or transcript; that made this all the more enjoyable.  The Ewha International Summer College offered me the chance to study Korean Language in a new way, different from how I had learned at Harvard.  The daily course structure was different, there was hardly ever a word of English spoken, and the textbook was made by Ewha for Ewha, allowing it to use relevant real-life examples to illustrate new...

Read more about Dalen Ferreira, '19, Korea Institute Undergraduate Language Study Grant to Ewha (Tuition Waiver), Summer 2019
Image of SNU student group photo with, Maria Tirnovanu on left in Korea in 2019

Maria Tirnovanu, '20, Korea Institute Scholarship to attend SNU-International Summer Program (ISP) & Summer Thesis Research in Korea, Summer 2019

September 9, 2019

This summer, I had the pleasure to attend the Seoul National University International Summer Program, as well as spend another month there for independent research, all mostly for the purpose of researching for my senior thesis on K-pop and LGBTQ+ rights in Korea. And indeed, the fact that I was able to attend a summer program there, alongside my previous summer experiences in Korea, were incredibly helpful for my research.

To start off, I attended the SNU ISP summer program from the 26th of June to the 27th of July, a five-week academic program where I took two classes, one...

Read more about Maria Tirnovanu, '20, Korea Institute Scholarship to attend SNU-International Summer Program (ISP) & Summer Thesis Research in Korea, Summer 2019
Image of Intern, Timothy Im, in Seoul in 2019

Timothy Im, '21, Intern at the Korea Herald in Seoul, Korea, Summer 2019

September 9, 2019

This past summer was quite an eventful period of time on the Korean peninsula. National events such as the historic meeting of President Trump, President Moon and Chairman Kim sent diplomatic ripples across the world and inundated every screen in the busy streets of Seoul. Tensions that can be traced back to World War II flared up (again) between South Korea and Japan, resulting in the today’s ongoing trade war- one that threatens to disrupt the global tech supply chains

Never would I have imagined myself to be such a privileged witness to these momentous events, much less be...

Read more about Timothy Im, '21, Intern at the Korea Herald in Seoul, Korea, Summer 2019
Image of Intern, Albert Shin, in Seoul in 2019

Albert Shin, '22, Intern at the ROK National Assembly in Seoul, Korea, Summer 2019

September 9, 2019

Having been born and raised in the United States for my entire life, I was much more familiar with the “American” portion of my identity as a Korean-American. Korean politics and foreign affairs were things I had barely any exposure to. I applied to the Korea Institute’s ROK National Assembly Internship because I thought it would be a good way to learn about Korean politics and foreign affairs, and deepen my understanding of Korean culture.

At the National Assembly, I was an intern at the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Unification (committee focused on the unification of the...

Read more about Albert Shin, '22, Intern at the ROK National Assembly in Seoul, Korea, Summer 2019
Image of summer research student, Anne Lheem, in Korea in 2019

Anne Lheem, '21, Summer Research Travel Grant for Korea, Summer 2019

September 9, 2019

This summer, I spent a little over two months conducting fieldwork on South Korean beauty standards and its association with the rise in body dysmorphia and plastic surgery in South Korea, particularly among young women. I dedicated this summer to conducting key informant interviews with twelve South Korean women, all aged 18-28 and who lived in or around Seoul. My main aims of these key informant interviews were to better understand what kinds of pressures – if any exist at all – young women experience regarding their physical appearance, from where they receive such pressures to be “...

Read more about Anne Lheem, '21, Summer Research Travel Grant for Korea, Summer 2019
Image of students, Benjamin Chun on left and Marcia Lagesse on right in Seoul in 2019

Benjamin Chun, '22, Harvard Summer School in Seoul, Korea Program, Summer 2019

September 9, 2019

Coming into Harvard, I knew that one thing I had to do before I graduate was study abroad. I’ve always wanted to travel to another country and truly immerse myself in that culture. This summer, I was given this opportunity and was able to spend eight fantastic weeks in Seoul, South Korea taking classes, making lifelong friendships, and learning about the place where my parents and grandparents grew up.

One of the classes I took this summer was a Korean language course. Having already taken a Korean language course at Harvard, I can confidently say that studying the language in...

Read more about Benjamin Chun, '22, Harvard Summer School in Seoul, Korea Program, Summer 2019
Image of 2019 HSS Korea Student Group Photo with Christina Tran in back row center in Seoul

Christina Tran, '21, Harvard Summer School in Seoul, Korea Program, Summer 2019

September 9, 2019

These past 8 weeks have made up one of the best summers of my life. During the Harvard Summer School Program in Seoul, I not only explored the issues of North Korea with unprecedented depth and experienced great dynamism in my opinions on North Korea’s leadership, learned and fell in love with Korean language, and interacted with Seoul’s vibrant culture, but I also developed lifelong friendships with both the Harvard cohort and the Ewha students.

With regards to my academic development this summer, I was surprised to find that the North Korea class not only taught me the...

Read more about Christina Tran, '21, Harvard Summer School in Seoul, Korea Program, Summer 2019

Article on Tradition and its Status in Korea Written by Undergraduate, Maria Tirnovanu, Featured in People of SNU Magazine

August 30, 2019

Harvard undergraduate, Maria Tirnovanu, '20, Social Studies, attended the 2019 SNU ISP Summer Program, a five-week academic study abroad program. Maria took two classes, a Korean studies class aimed at understanding more about the social frameworks applicable to Korean current issues titled Life in Contemporary Korea and the other class was Korean language, in which she studied only in Korean.  

During her time at SNU, Maria wrote an article for the People of Seoul National University Magazine, August 2019 issue, and it was featured on page 1. Her article, Hanok...

Read more about Article on Tradition and its Status in Korea Written by Undergraduate, Maria Tirnovanu, Featured in People of SNU Magazine
Image of red autum Japanese maple leaves; Photo credit Jonathan Tommy 2019

Welcome Back to the Fall Semester!

August 14, 2019

Weclome Back to the Fall Semester at Harvard!
Whether you spent the summer in Korea or are thinking about going to Korea next summer, we welcome you to drop by the Korea Institute to learn about our upcoming events and resources that the Korea Institute offers. We very much look forward to getting to know you or reconnecting with you after you've returned. We are located in CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge St. on the 2nd floor. The Korea Institute main office is located in room S228. Please also check out the...

Read more about Welcome Back to the Fall Semester!

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