In order to get to the university, we had to use the public transportation system, an underground train. (Just like the subway.) It was packed full of people! Professor Kim and SoHee used the kiosks and purchased credit card-like tickets that we will use for all buses and trains throughout the trip. The scanners can scan the card through your wallet and bag so, when you get on and off the bus or train, traffic doesn't block up. It works great.
Compared to downtown Seoul, the area surrounding the university was much more run down and dirty. The campus of Kyung Hee is very beautiful, nonetheless. The streets and sidewalks are lined with lush vegetation. A professor from the university informed our group that Kyung Hee has been recognized as one of the most beautiful universities in Korea. I found it very fascinating to see how similar the campus was to campuses in the US. If you were change all of the signs to English, you wouldn't be able to tell a difference between the Korean campus and American campuses. The student life is similar-clubs and organizations were sitting in plazas outside, students walking to class with friends, everyone listening to music, etc. The design studios were set up differently than what we are used to. Korean students seemed a lot more relaxed than we tend to be at the end of projects :) Their model making skills were refined and crisp! It was neat to see how another culture handles the studio design life!
Their professors from the College of Human Ecology were very kind and welcoming to my professors, classmates, and me. While at the university, they took us on a campus tour, gave a fascinating lecture on the design of a traditional Korean house, gave us gifts (traditional Korean fan & university pad of paper), and took us out for drinks and pastries. Discovering the educational life of another culture was very interesting!!!
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