안녕하세요- Annyeonghaseyo from Korea! It’s been a whirlwind start to my summer as a UNESCO Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) in Seoul, South Korea. Seoul is a fast-paced city that asks you to hit the ground running. Within just a few days of arriving at Seoul, I was figuring out the metro system, visiting temples and cafes, and preparing for the very first day of my fellowship with APCEIU.
APCEIU is a Category 2 Center with UNESCO focused on promoting Global Citizenship Education (GCED) in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Category 2 centers are institutions established and funded by Member States that serve as international or regional hubs of expertise, supporting UNESCO’s objectives through research, capacity-building, and technical assistance. APCEIU was established by the Republic of Korea (the official name of South Korea) to be a leader in GCED in Asia and the Pacific and facilitate partnerships between the region and other educational centers around the world.
APCIEU supports UNESCO’s mission of building peace through education, science and cultural preservation. It is committed to realizing Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 (education for sustainable development and global citizenship) through research and policy development, capacity–building for educators, sharing information, facilitating international teacher exchange, and strengthening GCED networks.
I work in the Office of External Relations and Information which is responsible for information dissemination and material development on GCED. However, one of my favorite experiences working with this office has been building and maintaining partnerships with other organizations and education institutions. Our office facilitates APCEIU’s Global Citizenship Campus which is an experiential learning space for GCED where visitors are invited to learn about their role as global citizens through a variety of hands-on activities that promote interconnectedness and socio-emotional learning. So far, I’ve had the honor of leading Global Citizenship Campus activities with university students from Korea and Taiwan. Next month, we’ll be welcoming some of our partners from Bolivia!
My primary responsibilities this summer will be working on issues number 66 and 67 of SangSaeng, APCEIU’s biannual publication on issues in GCED and Education for International Understanding (EIU). In this role, I review and edit articles contributed by authors from around the world to refine content for readability and ensure the author’s original ideas are preserved in the translation process.
SangSaeng (상생) is a Sino-Korean word composed of two characters, Sang (相), meaning “mutual” and Saeng (生), meaning “life.” Together, they mean “our mutual life,” or simply, “living together.” This idea of a mutual life, or living together, drives APCEIU’s mission for solidarity, unity, mutual aid, and community across the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. Global Citizenship and GCED have many definitions, but, in its simplest terms, GCED is learning how to live together.
In many ways, being in Seoul is an immersive lesson on living together. Seoul is a massive city that is home to over nine million people, or about 20% of South Korea’s total population. With so many people around, it's hard to feel like you’re doing anything alone. I have learned that, whether it is 6am or 11pm, the metro is always packed and any restaurant trending online is almost guaranteed to have a line. And while it means I have lost hope of getting a seat on the train, it also means that I’m never walking alone at night and that there’s always someone around to ask for directions.
One of my favorite summer activities has been going to the Hangang River at sunset to eat dinner in the park. This is a common summer pastime in Seoul and, by the time the sun sets, the park is usually crowded with friends and families chatting on a picnic blanket over a plate of fried chicken or a bowl of ramyeon. Whether I am alone or with friends, watching the sun go down while hearing laughter drift down the riverbanks makes me feel like I am part of something.
It has been wonderful to explore Seoul after work and on the weekends. So far I’ve visited two out of the city’s five beautiful palaces, Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgyong. I’ve explored many historic hanok neighborhoods and trendy shopping districts. And, I’ve started to make a dent in Seoul's seemingly endless list of cute cafes.
One of my most memorable activities in Seoul so far has been hiking Inwangsan Mountain. I’m not much of a hiker, but, this summer, I have been pushing myself to get outside of my comfort zone. While this hike claims to be for beginners, its steep ascents combined with Seoul’s sweltering heat and humidity made it much more challenging than expected. Similarly, my transition to life in Korea has been more challenging than expected. As an avid traveller who has spent time living abroad before, I expected to learn quickly and easily slip into a routine. However, Seoul is a complex city (just try wrapping your head around the trash sorting system) and the language difference proved to be a bigger barrier than I had hoped.
I decided to look beyond my own experiences and turn to the kindness of others– and there has been plenty of kindness in Seoul! So many of the people I run into in the city are willing and eager to help. Whether it’s by translating a menu or helping me buy a metro ticket, I feel very grateful for the kindness of these strangers. Most of all, I am grateful to my fellow interns at APCEIU, Ally, another UNESCO Fellow from GW, and Suhee, a recent graduate of Chung-Ang University.
Suhee is from Daegu and has become a close friend and impromptu guide to life in Korea. It was Ally’s comradery and Suhee’s encouragement that helped me reach the top of Inwangsan Mountain that day. Sweaty and sore, I was so proud of what we had accomplished, basking in the reward of an incredible view of Seoul.
There are so many beautiful and incredible things about living in Seoul, but it comes with the challenges of navigating a new city and new cultural expectations. Some days in Seoul feel like a steep hike, and some days feel like I’m standing on top of a mountain. Either way, I am so glad to be on this adventure and so grateful for the community I’ve found here.
I know there will be many more trials and triumphs to come in the second half of the UNESCO fellowship. I look forward to supporting preparations for a few of APCEIU’s flagship conferences happening at the end of the summer, as well as developing ideas for upcoming issues of SangSaeng. I’m also excited to venture beyond Seoul and learn more about Korean culture across the peninsula. I am thrilled that each day here in Korea is a day I learn something new. I look forward to reaching new heights, whatever they may be. Stay tuned! 다음에 또 봐요- See you soon!
Logan Felton in a M.A. Candidate in International Education at the George Washington University. Her area of focus is international exchange and global citizenship education in higher education.