Story by Ava Chuppe
Contributing writer
am.chuppe@gmail.com
In late May, Murray State graduate students and area professionals participated in a 10-day education program in South Korea.
The program, Discover Korea, helped participants explore educational systems in the country in order to discover how these systems could support their students’ needs. Ben Littlepage, associate professor and program coordinator of postsecondary education administration and Samir Patel, associate professor of counseling education and counseling program coordinator, developed this new program.
When the group arrived in Gyeongsan, South Korea, they toured Daegu University and met with students, faculty and staff in areas of career counseling, disability services, student support and more. The group also had the opportunity to visit the Bulguksa Buddhist Temple, the Seomun Market, history museums, the Demilitarized Zone at the Korean border and other points of interest.
Littlepage said the program was meant for graduate students as well as professionals, so that they may understand South Asian cultures and better serve students from these cultures.
“Immediately, graduate students were able to connect classroom learning and past work experiences with what they were observing in real time,” Littlepage said. “We quickly observed a high ceiling exists for this institutional exchange agreement with Daegu University. Opportunities for internship placements, idea exchanges related to student success initiatives, reconnecting with our Murray State Korean base and post-baccalaureate academic articulations are all possibilities if both universities are willing and able to commit the time and resources.”
Patel said that the trip helped prospective educators further understand the cultural divide.
“We went to Korea wanting to see how wellness was conceptualized in Korean culture, but the program blossomed into so much more,” Patel said. “We saw how public schools are emphasizing the need for mental health services and observed the role that Daegu University plays in leading the country in providing educational opportunities for students with disabilities. We became more familiar with the cultural and generational divide with regards to work-life balance and began to explore how technology and social media contributes to the divide.”
Anthony Prewitt, a participant of the Discover Korea program and a May 2019 graduate of the postsecondary education graduate program, said that Discover Korea exceeded his expectations as a valuable cultural experience.
“It was a cultural and educational experience that was well thought out and challenged the participants to broaden their scope of understanding beyond what we are used to in the American higher education system,” Prewitt said.
Another postsecondary education graduate student, Kaitlyn Brooks, said she enjoyed learning more about South Asian culture.
“While at Daegu, we got to speak with many faculty, staff, students and even future Murray State international students from a variety of different functional areas,” Brooks said. “This gave us an even larger appreciation and depth of understanding of Korean culture, society and way of life. The program was a great mix of academic and extracurricular experiences, and with the background information given to us by several educators at Daegu and Mr. Yun, our on-site facilitator, we were able to better appreciate what we were seeing, hearing and comprehending.”
Patel said he hopes that the program will be able to continue changing students’ lives through this authentic experience.
“It is my hope that we can continue to bring graduate students to Korea and build on this experience,” Patel said.