This semester, many foreign students visited Keimyung University to study. The Gazette met foreign exchange students and inquired about their satisfaction in Keimyung. To examine foreign exchange students' life in Keimyung, the Gazette had a heart-to-heart interview with Kaan Muth Hendrik, a German exchange student.

1) Hello, Kaan, nice to meet you. Please could you introduce yourself briefly?

Hello, my name is Kaan and I am 25 years old, the son of a German father and a Turkish mother. I was born and raised in Germany and I have lived in Cologne since I was 5 years old. After I graduated from high school, I left Germany, and started to study International Business at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands. Ever since then, I have lived in the Netherlands and tried to get home on weekends to visit my old friends and family.
In my free time I like to meet my friends and try to enjoy my life. I like going out, watching movies, playing sports (especially football), cooking, and traveling. I am easygoing and like to take every chance I get.

2) As a German exchange student, how much satisfaction do you feel in Keimyung University? How is your life in Korea?

I like my days in Keimyung. The people at Keimyung are all very friendly and supportive. We always feel very welcome, so I have already made many friends. Of course, many things are much different from what I am used to. Starting from the food, Korean traditions, and language, all was quite challenging to me, so sometimes I suffered from culture shock. Nevertheless, we love sharing and enjoying the experiences through the contacts we keep here.

3) How many classes do you take this semester, and what is your most interesting class in Keimyung University?

In total I take seven classes, four of which deal with Korean issues, Korean language, Korean culture, Korean economy and taekwondo. I enjoy those classes the most since I feel that they are part of my Korea experiences. I think it is essential for me to learn as much as Korean, I can. The most interesting class for me is Korean Economy, because we learn a lot about the Korean way of conducting business.

4) Could you compare your home university, Maastricht University, with Keimyung University?

It is hard to compare both universities since the styles of teaching are so different. In my home university, we are encouraged to be very active and critical and work on a lot of projects. The curriculum here seem to be more traditional. There are two points which I particularly enjoy at Keimyung. First of all, I really like the beautiful campus. We do not really have such a beautiful campus at my home university. Secondly, Keimyung offers a lot of opportunities for the students to exercise. For instance, I have the chance to play American Football for the Keimyung Super Lions. I already played it during my high school days as an exchange student in the USA. However, unfortunately, I never had the chance to do it again after my return to Europe.

5) After the semester, do you have any plan in Korea? Or will you go back to your country?

I won't go back to my country right away. I will attend an internship program in Korea. So, I will work for the Allianz Group for two months in Seoul. I think this is a great opportunity for me. I want to work in the marketing department and gain further practical experiences for my future work life.