Students Abroad: A Semester at Hongik University

The students Jasmin and Christopher spent a semester abroad at Hongik University, our partner university in Seoul, South Korea.

Both found the choice of the partner university very easy:

“Merz Akademie has already welcomed students from Seoul for an exchange semester several times. They have awakened our interest in the country and have already been able to answer many questions about studying at Hongik University. Close friendships have developed that could be further intensified in South Korea,” Christopher and Jasmin agree.

All exchange students can attend as many English language courses as they wish in the first week before they have to commit themselves. Assistance was provided by the “Buddy”, a Hongik student who can answer organisational questions and give helpful tips throughout the semester. Jasmin and Christopher also took advantage of the contacts to their fellow students, those they had already met at the Merz Akademie.

Christopher decided to take courses from the Visual Communication department to learn more about this area:

“There is a very diverse selection of courses in English, both practical and theoretical. The projects were always well structured and the professors were always there to support us. At the same time, they gave us the freedom we needed to implement our projects. There was a clearly perceptible pressure to perform, but it was very motivating for me.”

Besides their studies, the two had enough time to get to know the city.

“A city of about 10 million people, that was quite a culture shock. The 24/7 culture also contributes to the fact that you can’t get bored and have the feeling that people never sleep,” Jasmin summarizes her impressions. Christopher also took the opportunity to travel to other countries in the region: “The flight connections are short and affordable. I travelled to Japan twice over the weekend – I could never have done that from Germany.”

“You shouldn’t miss the opportunity to get to know and engage with a new culture,” says Christopher. Jasmin: “My expectations for my semester abroad were exceeded. My English has improved, many things in design are easier for me now and I have become more aware of the area I would like to work in later. I take home great memories and can only recommend to everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to spend a semester abroad”.