By Tiffany Vang, APIASF/GMS Scholar
Before I start telling you about my own experience in the Korea-America Student Conference (KASC), I know you are wondering: what exactly is KASC?
KASC is a student-led, academic and cultural exchange program created to build closer ties between young leaders of the United States and South Korea. Each year, an equal number of students from both countries are selected to live, research, and travel to four diverse regions in the host country together for one month.
What I mean when I say “student-led” is that the whole conference is planned by student leaders for students! That’s where I come in. As a previous American Delegate, I was elected as the Chair of the America Executive Committee, and now have the responsibility of planning the next conference, which will be held in South Korea in the month of July 2013. Not only does KASC develop strong personal relations between Korean and American students, but we also develop and invest in leaders. Through my experience as Chair, I can say that I have been able to develop leadership qualities and habits that I wouldn’t otherwise have without KASC. Most importantly, I have the opportunity to work with the Korea Executive Committee on the conference. The conference is a joint effort of previous Korean and American Delegates.
Throughout this one month long conference, delegates are in their respective roundtable where they will conduct research on a variety of topics such as peace and security, technology, business, arts and culture, and international development. The idea here is to bridge the gap between the United States and Korea; what can we do as ambassadors to collaborate and work on world issues together? And just through our everyday encounters with each other, we learn more about their culture and reflect on our very own.
To conclude, I never thought I would end up running for the America Executive Committee Chair. And now, I am planning the next conference along with my committee for the summer of 2013. This is an amazing opportunity to conduct research, travel, explore career options, and, most importantly, build friendships that will last a lifetime.
When I attended KASC, it was held in the US in four different cities: Angola, Washington D.C., St. Louis, and Los Angeles. This year KASC will be held in Pohang, Seoul, Daejeon, and Jeju Island. If you would like more information about KASC or the application process, please take a look at our website.
You can also check out the KASC Facebook Page, or email apiasfblog@apiasf.org for additional information. The early application deadline is Friday, February 1, 2013, and the final application deadline is Friday, March 1, 2013.
