Foreign students who come to CBNU are increasing year by year. Among them, Chinese students represent more than 80%, so Korean students commonly can hear them talking around the campus. Because of the steadily increasing Chinese students, they created their own independent association like CBNU’s GSA(General Student Association). CBT reporter met the 6th president of Chinese Student Association named Qinxuyao(Graduate student of International Business).

Why did you become a CBNU student?
  When I graduated from my high school, I wanted to study abroad for learning languages and culture. Then, I went to the briefing session for students who want to study abroad. The reason why I chose CBNU is CBNU’s good environment, and I heard CBNU cared a lot about foreign students.

How was the Chinese Students Association(CSA) created?
  When I came to CBNU in 2008, there were no foreign students’ associations. Furthermore, there was no organization or group where Chinese students could gather, so my senior Chinese students started to create Chinese students’ small gatherings in 2008. It was a small gathering for going to membership training or playing soccer, and those gatherings started to systematically develop into an association. From 2008 to 2010, there was not anything systematical or special. CSA became a formal group during 4th its president.

What is the business of CSA?
  There are 60 board members. There is a president, two vice presidents, a chief secretary, heads of 8 divisions and each division’s members. Basically, we spread useful news or announcements from the Chinese embassy or CBNU’s International Affairs to Chinese students. Also, we help Chinese students’ difficulties with life in Korea and adapting to CBNU. Sometimes, we created some clubs for them to enjoy university life. Ah! We don’t regularly require money from students.

What were Chinese students’ main difficulties?
  The biggest difficulty is language. If Korean students help Chinese students adapt to CBNU and study together next to them, it may not be a big problem.

Do you have any wishes from the CBNU administration or Korean students?
  I hope that they will try to help foreign students’ adapt to CBNU. For example, I started to study in the 2nd semester when I came to CBNU in 2008. There were not any people who helped me. I felt difficulty at that time getting used to studying in CBNU. Also, I can find some foreign students who wandered around campus alone or feel difficulty studying in Korea without anyone’s help. If they have Korean friends in CBNU, they’ll easily get used to studying and staying in CBNU. I really hope Korean students will help Chinese students more and other countries’ students too.
 

By Kang Ill-gu
ig33@cbnu.ac.kr