A 10-member delegation from Lander University is in the early stages of a monthlong visit to South Korea and China, where they will learn about the history, culture, people and educational systems of the two host countries.
The group is participating in an Asia Summer Study Tour that is taking them to four Lander sister institutions: Shanghai Normal University and Sanda University in China, and the University of Incheon and Dong A University in South Korea. They are among the 10 universities in China, South Korea and Thailand that have signed agreements with Lander enabling students to study on each others campuses.
The travelers arrived in Incheon after a 15-hour nonstop flight from Atlanta and were greeted by Incheon University's director of international programs, student ambassadors and staff.
A member of the Lander group said, "We're very excited and ready to experience Korean culture, language, people, and especially food. It's a trip of lifetime."
Dr. Jae Park, Lander's dean of International Programs, said the Asian tour is open to faculty, students, staff and alumni. In addition to the educational value of the trip, he said participants will have opportunities to visit historic and cultural landmarks in the two countries.
The students in the group are: Paizley Ballenger, of Greer; Ashlin Crout, of Greenwood; Jessica Sims, of Gray Court; Joshua DeLeon, of Dalzell; and Rachael Stansfield, of West Columbia. Accompanying them are faculty members Dr. Lee Vartanian, assistant professor of teacher education; his wife, Ivy, a member of Lander's adjunct faculty in the Department of Art; and Lauren Corbitt, instructor of Spanish.
Also on the trip are Boyoung Roh, Lander's coordinator of International Programs, and Lander graduate Grace Contreras.