With support from the Korea Foundation and Kookmin Bank, a special classroom for viewing KF e-School video lectures was opened at the University of the Humanities in Mongolia (UHM) on November 19. The opening ceremony was broadcast live in Korea and Mongolia through the online video system that is being utilized for the provision of a variety of Korea-related courses.

Turning Point in History

In the summer in 2011, I remember meeting with a feculty member Professor Davasambuu Erdenesuren, who had received his doctorate degree in Korea with scholarship assistance from the Korean government. He told me that the Korea Foundation is providing support for online lectures to promote Korean Studies and Korean language education abroad, and he thought our university should think about participating in this program. As for the British historian Toynbee who once said, "Meeting can be a turning point in history," this encounter about the Foundation seived as a notable turning point for the development of Korean language education and Korean Studies at UHM. The UHM president and related administrative officials welcomed with open arms the establishment of an online lecture system with Korea, and the project progressed with lightning speed. In the autumn semester of 2011, we signed an agreement for online lectures with Chung-Ang University, and then launched operation of the lecture room right away.

The initial lectures included ''Korean Culture and Civilization" for seniors of the Department of Korean Studies, and ''Korea's Diplomatic Relations" for juniors of the Department of International Relations. Since this type of lecture program was being offered for the first time at our university, and for Mongolia as well, the students showed much enthusiasm for the courses. Some students even mentioned it as a great privilege for them to listen to lectures by Korea's renowned professors in Mongolia, without going to Korea. Responses of the students included the following remarks.

· The online lecture made me feel like I was learning in Korea.
· It is a great privilege to listen to a lecture by a prominent foreign professor directly online.
· Listening to an online lecture for the first time in my life, I could learn from a professor overseas.
· I really like it because I could leam about another countrys educational system, lecture manner, and new experiences.
· It was a very special and unique lecture.
· It was very interesting and fun to listen to a lecture by a foreign professor in a special lecture room, not a regular dassroom.
· I was really happy because I could listen to a lecture by a notable foreign professor in Mongolia with the help of modern technology.

Real-Time Video Lectures

With the availability of online lectures, it was necessary for the university to develop an exclusive online lecture classroom. And for this, I was told by the Foundation that it could provide us with the necessary equipment with the assistance of Kookmin Bank. For allowing us to listen to online lectures, UHM was highly appreciative of this itself, but when the Foundation offered the financial support for the lecture room equipment, our gratitude was beyond .

In October, the support funds were remitted to us, and we began to purchase the necessary facilities shortly thereafter, which enabled UHM to hold an opening ceremony for the lecture classroom on November 19. The online lecture room is equipped with 16 up-to-date computers, video projector and screen, audio system, high-speed Internet service, and whiteboard. Thanks to this new equipment, students can attend online courses in a more orderly and conducive atmosphere.

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony for the KF Global e-School class included representatives of the Korea Foundation: Executive Vice President Cha Du-hyeon, Director Moon Sung-ki, Deputy Director Kim Min-jeong, and Choi Yuri. Participants of UHM included President Chuluundorj; T. Turbat, dean of the Language and Culture School; Buyandelger, dean of the School of Information and Communication Management; Myagmarsuren, head of the Faculty of International Studies; and Choi Sun-soo, head of the Faculty of Asian Languages and Culture, along with related professors and students. To demonstrate the online lecture experience, the opening ceremony was held in the form of a reahtime video conference.

UHM professors and students are most grateful to the Foundation, Kookmin Bank, and Chung-Ang University, and the related staff, who helped to plan and implement the online lectures. Through online lectures at the video classroom, I have high hopes that Korean language education and Korean Studies will continue to further develop in Mongolia. In addition, I hope that Korean online lectures and the KF Global e-School program will be further developed and spread throughout the world.

Choi Sun-soo, Head
Faculty of Asian Languages and Culture
University of the Humanities in Mongolia