한국국제교류재단

Helping young Koreans to become global leaders! The Korea Foundation conducted program orientation sessions on December 17 and 18, 2015, for the participants in the 2016 KF Global Challengers Program. The sessions were attended by some 30 young Koreans who are being dispatched to serve as KF interns (three- to 12-month assignments) at leading policy research institutes, museums, libraries, and universities in 2016.

2016 KF Global Challengers Orientation
The Foundation arranged for special lectures by relevant experts to enhance understanding about the goals of the KF Global Challengers program and the role of its participants, which were presented on December 17. The first speaker, Kang In-sun, senior editorial writer of the Chosun Ilbo, spoke on the world’s think tanks and national competitiveness by detailing the roles and cases of various policy research institutes, mainly based in Washington, D.C. She was followed by Park Tae-gyun, professor of the Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul National University. Professor Park explained the recent trends of and prospects for Korean Studies and language education. Finally, Keumjin Yoon, Executive Vice President of the KF, described the efforts of overseas museums to establish their own Korean galleries and the growing roles of the internship program participants.
The following day, Choi Hyeon-seon, Director of the KF Global Center, provided an overview of the public diplomacy activities conducted by the Foundation and also by “public citizen diplomats” to help boost Korea’s standing and influence within the international community. She stressed the importance of building friendly relations through the contributions of the KF Global Challengers program participants at their host institutions, where as they act of citizen diplomats and representatives of Korea, from a midto long-term perspective.
The participants were also informed of matters that might help them to more smoothly adapt to everyday life abroad. Choi Jongyun, Second Secretary of the Overseas Korean Nationals Protection and Crisis Management Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, briefed the participants on ways to avoid potential problems during their time overseas by enhancing their consciousness of safety concerns.
Finally, Executive Vice President Keum-jin Yoon awarded internship certificates to the participants to acknowledge their completion of the orientation program. She also expressed her expectations for the participants’ eventual development into global leaders and their contributions to help Korea become a leading member of the international community.

KF Global Challengers Alumni Night
Immediately after the certificate-awarding ceremony, the Foundation held Alumni Night so that the program’s graduates and new KF Global Challengers could interact and develop personal relationships, while also celebrating the fifth anniversary of the launch of the KF internship program. To emphasize the event’s importance, KF President Hyunseok Yu called on the participants to added synergy among themselves so that the growing importance of Korea could be more widely known around the world through the public diplomacy efforts of the internship initiative.
The KF Global Challengers program began under the name of “KF Global Internship” in 2011, with five interns being dispatched to overseas institutions. And thanks to steadily expanded program support from the Foundation, a total of 119 talented Koreans have had a chance to work at world-leading institutions over the past five years. In 2016, about 50 young Koreans will be provided with an opportunity to acquire their own international experience at the institutions and partner organizations which are part of the Foundation’s cooperative global network. Under the Global Challengers program, the KF continues to actively offer its assistance to young Koreans so that they can continue to advance their careers.