EU envoy visits students in new European initiative

European Union Ambassador Tomasz Kozlowski visited 77 10th graders at Ogeum High School in southern Seoul on Thursday to discuss the EU, European history and culture, and South Korea’s ties with Europe.

His visit was part of a new program in which European ambassadors from the EU and about 20 European nations have joined up to visit high schools in and around the Seoul area to discuss European history, politics and culture, as well as what it is like to work as a diplomat.

Dubbed “EU Goes to Schools 2014,” the project will see European ambassadors engaging with young South Koreans in a free and conversational way.

The project “will present European history, politics, economy, and cultures to Korean students along with their career experience as diplomats. It is expected not only to provide information to students but also offer opportunities to meet and to have casual, free discussions with foreign diplomats to share vivid experiences from the field,” according to a press statement from the EU’s diplomatic mission here.

The program is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Seoul Education Office. Some 42 schools were selected from the 86 that submitted applications. Schools that were not selected this year will be visited next year.

It gives European envoys a way to reach out to young people and share their experiences. It will surely give the diplomats a chance to learn about South Korea by meeting ordinary young people.

It will also raise “awareness among the younger generation in Korea (of the EU and Europe) for deeper understanding and cooperation between the EU and South Korea.”

Ambassadors will visit one school a year, and over 1,600 students will be part of this project, the statement said.

By Philip Iglauer ( ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com )

출처 : 코리아헤럴드 ( http://khnews.kheraldm.com/view.php?ud=20140518000432&md=20140521005637_BK )