160 students at CNU without overseas experience embarked on an overseas exploration journey for a mere 50,000 KRW.
CNU held a launching ceremony for the 50,000 Journey Project on July 5 at the Cosmos Hall of the College of Engineering with a total of 160 attendees, including 57 sophomores, juniors, and seniors with no overseas experience and 103 people from 39 groups. CNU is providing support to enable them to explore foreign countries during the summer vacation.
The 50,000 Journey Project at CNU was conceived from the idea of President Jung, who felt sorry for students of the so-called “Covid-19 Generation” (currently sophomores to seniors) who had to give up overseas trips and even local excursions due to events like the Sewol Ferry Disaster and the Covid-19 pandemic during their high school and college years.
In line with this, CNU established the overseas exploration project, wherein the university covers all expenses except for the 50,000 KRW passport issuance fee for undergraduate and graduate students who have no international travel records in the past 10 years. As the students’ response was overwhelmingly positive, the number of selected participants was increased from the original plan of 100 to 160.
Selected students will choose a topic among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations and explore Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, or other countries for at least four days during the summer vacation.
During the launching ceremony, the students expressed their excitement and expectations for the overseas exploration, pledging to become global leaders through the 50,000 Journey Project. The Economic Innovation Team (six members), one of the selected groups, explained that they will study the theme of “Double-edged agenda: Employment and Economic Growth,” examining the aging society in Japan and Korea’s coping strategies.
President Jung said, “What would you do if you invested 50,000 KRW in your future? This is the purpose of the 50,000 Journey Project.” He encouraged students to challenge and change themselves through new experiences outside their comfort zones, just as travel can change their thoughts and eradicate prejudices.
