In the first semester, the Office of International Exchange Team operates the Global Buddy program, and the Teaching and Learning Center runs the Global Mentoring Program. Both Global Buddy and Global Mentoring are initiatives that help international students adapt to university life.

◌ About Global Mentoring

 Global Mentoring is a program that assists international students in adapting to school life. Through this program, a local senior student mentor and an international mentee form a 1:1 or 1:2 mentor-mentee team for three-hour academic study and counseling each week for ten weeks. Mentees in this program are international students whose parents are both foreigners or students who have completed 12 years of primary and secondary schooling overseas and who are currently enrolled at our university. Those applying for Global Mentoring as a mentor must be in their third or fourth year of study and must have an average GPA of 3.5 or above. (Students in the Department of Aviation can apply beginning their second year of study.) Participating in the program has several benefits, including the opportunity to exchange with international students. Student mileage (up to 20 hours) is reimbursed after completing the program, and mentors are awarded a prescribed mentor scholarship.

 ◌ About Global Buddy

 Global Buddy is a voluntary program wherein international students and (visiting) exchange students are given guidance in their school life. Students on leave and current students who have completed at least one semester of study at our university are eligible to apply. Among international students at our university, there are more international students from Asian countries like China, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan than English-speaking countries. Global Buddy accepts applications online and selects based on a review of the application documents (including motivation, course placement, and foreign language proficiency). Specific activities include △advising international students on school life, △participating in international student on-boarding (showing students how to apply for classes, use the LMS, and so on), △assisting international students in academic counseling, immigration, and medical insurance, and △participating in various international student support programs. Participants can earn one GPA credit for community volunteer service. (Students must apply for community volunteer service credit during the semester of Global Buddy participation.) In addition, they receive scholarship worth approximately KRW 250,000 (more for the Buddy Representative or those with exemplary performance) and subsidy for Buddy activity expenses. The following is an interview with a student who has served as both Global Buddy international student mentee and mentor:

◌ Interview with a Global Buddy participant (Allen, Dept. of Business Management, Class of 2022)

 Q. What prompted you to apply for the Global Buddy program?

 A. I was a Global Buddy mentee during my freshman year. So I wanted to share with other international students how I adjusted to this university. I also felt it would be a wonderful opportunity to improve my English because I didn't get to use it as frequently while living in Korea, and I wanted to befriend more international students.

Q. What did you do as a mentee during your freshman year?

 A. In my freshman year, I was fortunate to have a Global Buddy mentor in the same department as me. My buddy provided me with information regarding school facilities and academic matters. We would sometimes have lunch together and discuss our courses’ lecture critiques.

 Q. Did you encounter any difficulties throughout the Global Buddy program?

 A. Unlike me, my mentee takes an English track course rather than a Korean track course, so he attends all of his classes in English. And it's a little frustrating that I can't provide much opinion on his studies and lectures because he is in a different department from me. So, I make every effort to keep him informed about the school's different facilities, events, and announcements. Other than that, I have no difficulties, although I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 Q. Do you have any resolutions for this year as a Global Buddy mentor?

 A. I understand better than anybody that, as a buddy, I cannot address all of my mentee’s problems. I try to assist my mentee as much as possible by telling him to ask himself how to solve each problem instead of simply solving it for him. This way, I hope he can handle problems on his own later without a mentor or a buddy.