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NO country can survive alone, so adults should help students become more globalised.
This, says Incheon Choeun High School principal Choi Eun Jung, can be achieved through international education, including exchange opportunities and study tours.
“We should open our minds and support students with the idea that the world is together,” she told StarEdu when met at the school during the 2025 Education Familiarisation Trip for Malaysian Schools.
The trip, co-organised by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Gyeonggi Tourism Organization (GTO) and Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) from Sept 15 to 20, saw the participation of a Malaysian delegation comprising representatives from the Education Ministry, government and international schools, as well as media organisations.
Incheon Choeun High School was one of the venues visited by the group of 10, who also toured a range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related institutions, as well as art, historical and cultural sites in South Korea.
Iwasaki
Welcoming collaboration between Malaysian and South Korean schools, Choi said such cooperation can help both countries grow together as global leaders.
As a Unesco Associated School committed to global citizenship education, Incheon Choeun High School has also been recognised nationally as a model school for software education and as an AI Convergence Research School.
Recognising the importance of both science and the arts, Choi said this balance would benefit both individuals and the nation.
“If students avoid science, it is not a good idea,” she said, adding that while students at her school get to choose their learning paths based on their interests, most opt for science subjects such as chemistry, biology, earth science and physics.
“The success of Korean innovation is due to human resources and education,” she said.
Eulji University global education director Park Sujung also underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation between Korean and Malaysian educational institutions.
Choi
“We used to have B2C (business-to-consumer) cooperation, but now we need to move towards B2B (business-to-business) cooperation – from government to government or university to university,” she said.
She added that with the AI-powered translation system utilised at the university, foreign students are not required to learn the Korean language to keep up with lectures.
“In one classroom, we have students from many countries, as our AI system can support multiple languages. Malaysian students can first try short-term programmes, such as holiday programmes, to learn more about our culture and system,” she said.
“Our university is popular for medical studies, but students can also pursue other courses such as physical therapy, dental hygiene, makeup, hairstyling and skincare.
“Korean cosmetics are very famous in the world now. Students can learn how to make Korean cosmetics,” she added.
Highlighting the learning opportunities available in the country through educational programmes, GTO global marketing team manager Oh Jung Chol said South Korea has much to offer beyond K-pop and K-dramas.
“It’s worth visiting for its culture, history and modern technology.
Park
“Our privatesector and government-sponsored institutions have been very successful in developing information technology, science and AI over the past three to four decades.
“You can learn how these fields have been advanced by some of the key Korean conglomerates and how the government has supported such advancements to help us lead the rest of the world,” he said.
JTB (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd Global Business Solutions Division business development manager Akira Iwasaki said the travel agency, which has partnered with the Malaysian Education Ministry to conduct international educational trips, has seen growing interest in student study tours.
“In 2023, we worked with 38 institutions involving 1,383 students. The number dropped a little last year, but this year, we have reached 4,000 students from 50 institutions.
“We are looking at an annual increase of 20% to 25%. We want to work with the ministry to bring more students abroad so they can gain more insights and build a better future for Malaysia,” he said. — By ROWENA CHUA
