The Department of Politics in York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional (LA&PS) studies is offering a summer study abroad course that will take students to Seoul, South Korea for an experiential learning experience.
The course, Global Political Studies 3581 – South Korea: The Politics of Youth and Old Age, is open to all undergraduate students at the University with an interest in Korea, and offers students an opportunity to become immersed in South Korean culture, while learning about the country’s politics of youth and old age.
The course is a socio-political overview and analysis of South Korea during the past 50 years, including the rapid changes that have occurred. While in Seoul for three weeks, students will hear from experts in the fields of politics and social policy and will participate and observe different activities highlighting the tensions, political debates and cultural shifts that arise from rapid economic and social change.
Students will participate in field trips within Seoul and take a trip to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea. The course also provides students with the opportunity to interact with local students at Yonsei University, with which York University has a partnership agreement, and Chung-Ang University.
Romy Darius, a former student in the class and York alumnus, says the course “was not just a course for me. It was an experience that has been the foundation to my achievements since graduating from York. This course was a part of my journey and will be the one that I will cherish forever.”
Professor Thomas Klassen, who will be teaching the course, says it is “an extraordinary opportunity to learn about South Korea, focusing on its rapid transformation in the past five decades.”
Interested students are encouraged to attend an info session on Jan. 11, 2023, to learn more about the course and meet Klassen.
Applications for the course will open in late November 2022. More details about the course and the other 2023 summer study abroad courses offered by LA&PS can be found at https://www.yorku.ca/laps/study-abroad/summer-courses/.